logo

68 pages 2 hours read

Lawrence Thornton

Imagining Argentina

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1987

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Background

Sociopolitical Context: Argentina’s Dirty War (1976-1983)

The term “Dirty War” describes the reign of the Argentine junta, a military dictatorship characterized by its sudden seizure of power and violent oppression of left-wing dissidents. The Dirty War technically began in 1976, but its inception reflects a decades-long revolution in Argentine politics. In 1946, Juan Perón was elected as Argentina’s 35th president, ushering in a new era of leftist government. Together with his second wife, Eva, Perón tackled labor reform, centering union advocacy and expanding social protections for the working class. These class-conscious and state-oriented values eventually coalesced into Peronism, a left-leaning populist ideology still common in Argentine politics today (Alcoba, Natalie. “A Divided Legacy Marks 50 Years Since Perón’s Return to Argentina.” Al Jazeera, 20 June 2023).

In mid-1974, Perón died, leaving as successor his third wife, Isabel Perón, who quickly assumed the presidency. However, Isabel Perón’s tenure proved short-lived: In 1976, the Argentine military seized power, displacing Perón and installing a right-wing authoritarian government. The coup was orchestrated through Operation Condor, a Cold War-era insurgency program that supplanted South American leftist governments at the urging of the CIA. Jorge Rafael Videla, a senior military commander, quickly established himself as Argentina’s de facto president.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 68 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,600+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools