The spread of populism in Latin America was one of the huge phenomena in the political world, and the rising development of populism in Argentina was one of the most significant stages of Latin America’s political life. Through the period of Peron’s government, the populism in Argentina had peaked at its highest stage. The causes of populism were found in the nation’s process of political and economic development.
Populism is a political phenomenon that is characteristic for the states with settled democratic traditions, as well as the states which have just moved to a democratic way of development. Populism arises when there is “a relative decline in political and economic power of the masses plus the premise of improved conditions due to the metropolitan revolution”. Therefore in the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America the given political phenomenon has also received wide circulation.
Populism occurrence was preceded by the following events. After the civil war of 1861-1865 the American farmers, especially in the Middle West and South, began to incur losses from constant price reductions on their production.
The principal causes of such phenomena were:
- First of all, the growth of manufacturing, thanks to the occurrence of new technology.
- Secondly, the revolution in transportation has forced American manufacturers to compete with manufacturers from other countries.
The American farmers did not want to notice these principal causes, assigning the fault to excessive railway expenses, high interest rates, unreasonably high incomes of dealers, and even on a certain monetary conspiracy, probably created for keeping the state of money shortage.
In addition, populism was present almost in all countries of Latin America. Particularly in Argentina, the government traditionally was not able to find support from the middle class and transform it to its advantage. The presence of the poor in the south of the country, in an area occupying almost 3/5 all its territory, and also the poor in Northern provinces and in Buenos Aires objectively forces the President to address the social aspects. Juan Domingo Peron – Argentinean populist leader, made urban workers his most important source of support.
Encouraged strikes and increased wages. General Peron used the popularity of “the first lady”- Eva Peron, for strengthening his positions. “The great popularity of his wife, the actress Eva Peron, among the poorest classes, and her role as his personal intercessor to the people, helped to cement Peron’s image as a populist and to develop the political rituals of Peronism, which outlived the man himself.” (“Populism in Latin America – the Practice of Populism”).
Even after her premature death in 1952 Peron actively used her popularity to his advantage. In the same manner, it could be said that many populist leaders used the suffrage of women to their advantage by the usage of legislation to secure the votes of women.
Strongly pronounced populist policy, in addition to the government of Juan Domingo Peron in Argentina (1946-1950 and 1973-1974), was also visible in the governments of Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico in 1934-1940, Salvador Allende in Chile (1970-1973), Alan Gabriel Ludwig Garcia Perez in Peru (1985-1990), and Sandinistas in Nicaragua (1979-1990.). Till now the positions of populist parties in Latin America still remain strong.