[SANITIZED]LATIN AMERICA REGIONAL AND POLITICAL ANALYSIS 9 JUNE 1977 - 1977/06/09

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03000038
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 44
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: June 9, 1977

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Latin America
REGIONAL AND
POLITICAL ANALYSIS
S,e�Tt 127
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9 June 1977
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LATIN AMERICA
9 June 1977
Argentina: Political Revival' 7
This publication is prepared for regional specialists in the Washington community by
the Latin America Division, Office of Regional and Political Analysis, with oc-
casional contributions from other offices within the Directorate of Intelligence.
Comments and queries are welcome. They should be directed to the authors of the
individual articles.
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Argentina: Political Revival?
Some Argentine politicians and prominent citizens
are emerging from more than a year of near public silence
with a variety of statements and proposals, all aimed at
restoring political activity, which has been officially
suspended since the March 1976 coup.
Leaders of the Peronist movement, still the nation's
largest political grouping, have become more vocal than
at any time since the military takeover--although they
have been carefully stressing that their aims are not
political. Peronists belonging to a group whose purposes
are ostensibly "cultural," as opposed to "political,"
have chosen an executive council which will oversee the
writing of a statement evaluating the country's current
overall situation. Among those undertaking the project
are Italo Luder, Federico Angel Robledo, and Nicasio San-
chez Toranzo, all of whom gained prominence during the
presidency of the ousted Isabel Peron. Their evaluation,
to be issued shortly, is expected to amount to a criticism
of the present regime, particularly on the human rights
score.
Argentina's second largest party, the Radicals, mak-
ing its first major statement since the military took
over last year, has issued a call for the restoration of
"all freedoms." Specifically, the party declared that
the junta should lift its ban on the functioning of polit-
ical parties.
An influential journalist recently proposed the es-
tablishment of an organization to be called the "National
Reorganization Movement." According to the proposal, the
movement would form the basis of a government-sponsored
single-party system. The proposal, however, plays down--
and perhaps would rule out--meaningful political partici-
pation by the principal existing parties, the Radicals
and Peronists. A variety of journalists have for some
time put forth any number of political ideas and criti-
cisms, but this latest one is the most pointed to date.
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The junta's junta's ban on all blatantly political activity
never really achieved total success. Adherents of a
variety of views have regularly maneuvered to gain in-
fluence with the military in the hope that their respec-
tive positions would take hold once ihe political nlies
are relaxed. Indeed, the officers themselves fully ox-
pect such contacts and use them to advance their own
political interests. The recent flurry of political
verbiage, however, is the most concentrated effort as
yet.
For the current round of proselytizing to get as far
as it has, two factors appear to have been essential.
One is that a great deal of discussion and opinion-taking
have been going on for some time within a number of in-
terested political sectors. The other is that each of
the ideas expressed, whether a criticism or a proposal,
had at least the tacit support of some influential cur-
rent of opinion within the armed forces.
The political expression that has surfaced was not
necessarily orchestrated by the junta, but it does seem
to have had beneficial results for the regime. Since
it is firmly in control, the government can easily with-
stand such criticism, particularly that emanating from
the vanquished Peronists. But on another level, the out-
pouring of opinions seems to have diverted attention
from problem areas, such as subversion and the effects
of the so-called Graiver case. Moreover, the activity
may give greater credibility to President Videla's stated
desire for "dialogue" with representative civilian groups.
He can point to the latest increase of political criti-
cism and suggestions as proof of his government's willing-
ness to listen.
No one in or out of government seriously suggests
that the latest developments presage an early return to
any semblance of unfettered civilian politics. Indeed,
the major parties probably do not want a rapid normaliza-
tion, since they are simply not prepared. Nonetheless,
it is clear that a new stage of political evolution,
characterized by increasing public debate, has been reached
and that a great outpouring of ideas is yet to come. It
would be difficult for the military to reverse this proc-
ess without arousing deep, widespread resentment among
the populace.
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