Focus on Argentina, 1960s

the land of the Rolling pomas the colorful GAO the giant cattle drives Argentina second largest country in South America here The Good Earth nurtures and sustains a nation of 20 million people farming and cattle raising have dominated the Argentine economy since the country's Discovery in 1516 by a Spanish Adventurer Juan Dias D Solis under Spanish colonial rule the nation was left to develop slowly for there was an Argentina none of the great mineral wealth of such conquests as Mexico and Peru but the growth was steady and sure immigrants came from Spain and Italy to settle the rich land farm and raise livestock and exchange goods and products with far away countries and ports in 1810 Revolution made Argentina an independent republic buos ciris became its capital a city that grew with the country until its population was one-third of the entire [Music] nation then with the presidential election in 1946 a peaceful Republic became a troubled land voted into power was Juan Domingo Peron self-styled admirer of Benito musolini a dynamic desperate dedicated to thrusting his drowsing pastoral country into the industrial 20th century to Argentina's Millions Peron spoke the words made the promises they wanted to hear more money a better way of life not in some distant tomorrow but now and today how to finance this Great Leap Forward he would not and did not say so Juan Domingo Peron set out to make Argentina a world power pledging to himself I shall follow in the footsteps but avoid the mistakes of Benito musolini he quickly Consolidated his popularity and power among the workers and upsurging industrial trade unions when employees in one industry asked for a wage increase of 30% their own saw to it that they received 50% government became a gigantic giveaway the new strongman also found himself a perfect helpmate a radio actress named Maria Eva dwarte whom he and put in charge of the Secretariat of Labor sh ambitious Avita Peron built costly homes for the agent for working girls for Indigent mothers s the laborers Came To Worship Juan and [Applause] Avita the dictator while leaving workers and unions alone struck hard elsewhere humbling government officials seizing opposition newspapers including laena and actually torturing political prisoners Heron's power although it seemed absolute was not AA died the giveaway money ran out and in a country where 93% of the population was Catholic he came into conflict with the church in 1955 a Revolt spearheaded by the military overthrew the Peron regime and a decade of dictatorship ended Peron had himself used his army connections as a springboard to power through his Oster Argentina's military men proved a new their life and death hold on the country's government [Music] Heron was sent into Exile first in Paraguay then Panama Venezuela the Dominican Republic and finally Spain a banished figure whose ghost continued to stalk Argentine politics when constitutional government was restored in 1956 followers of the AED dictator were banned from seeking or holding public office and so no no one knew for sure if peronism was Dead 2 years later seeking election as president uro fondi sought and won the support of the outlawed peronistas in power he tried without great success to ease them back into Argentina's political life on the economic front fandesi promised his countryman a Modern well-developed Nation he said no consideration of personal welfare or convenience no political party no friend can stop me in many ways Argentina and FES succeeded foreign companies found the country's prospects bright enough to invest almost $100 million a year the United States selecting Argentina as a prime partner in its Alliance for Progress program offered to make another $150 million available for economic development the industrial boom was not however without its problems heavy machinery had to be imported putting a deep and continuing drain on the country's foreign currency reserves workers in their busy new plants found it hard to grasp the need for an austerity program and yet need was there the cost of living was soaring the peso once equal to 25 American cents was now worth one1 of that despite Argentina's economic troubles president fesi believed he had the support of his people in March 1962 he confidently agreed to let peronista candidates run for office in Congressional and local elections it was a fatal mistake instead of a smashing Triumph the government suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of the peronistas [Music] [Applause] the military acted quickly to nullify the election results deeply conservative they wanted no part of either peronism on the extreme right or communism on the far left and so Arturo fesi was made to pay for his massive miscalculation he was forced out of office and flown into Exile in Madrid where Juan Domingo Peron lives in luxury the 66-year-old former dictator G Ed the events with satisfaction and a strangely detached manner I have done nothing he said our people have done everything that is why it is not my victory but the victory of the Argentine people with tension running high in Buenos AES a new president Jose marido was selected to succeed the ill-fated fresy but the crisis continued Argentina remained divided politically into three parts the military supporters of President gido the moderate backers of Arturo fisi and the peronistas the struggle for power the Constitutional tug of war threatening each day to erupt a new is of grave concern to the United States and all the countries of the Western Hemisphere the road Argentina takes the direction in which she moves May well determine the fate and future of democracy and freedom in South America