Peronist Consumer Politics and the Problem of Domesticating Markets in Argentina, 1943-1955

During a 1947 national radio broadcast, Argentine president Juan Domingo Perón explained to his listeners why the prices of goods at local shops and street markets were climbing higher. Perón noted that inflation was a worldwide problem in the postwar period, but he condemned in particular the “egotism, greediness, lack of human solidarity, and absence of patriotism” of certain Argentine business owners. “They are the ones,” the president exclaimed, “who stir up the river to reap gains as fishermen, who lay the foundations for black markets, who speculate and profit from the labor and blood of the immense majority of inhabitants.”1 Perón’s moralistic distinction between the virtuous, laboring pueblo and a cabal of greedy adversaries seems familiar enough. Scholars have emphasized the importance of this type of political discourse in populist movements, and leaders like Perón are famed for their impassioned attacks on vendepatrias, oligarchs, corrupt politicians, imperialists, and other enemies of “the people.” In this case, however, Perón focused not on elite landowners or foreign trusts, but rather on the quotidian world of commerce and consumption — a dimension of the history of populism that has received far less attention. Throughout Perón’s presidency (1946 – 55), the national government buttressed this rhetoric with an array of policies intended to impose order on market forces, punish commercial criminals, and uplift consumers. Likewise, Peronist authorities appealed to the population’s concern with unfair exchange to build a partisan following; in the process, he elicited both widespread enthusiasm and intense resentment among Argentines.This article investigates the political controversies of state campaigns to defend consumers against “unjust” commerce in the Peronist era — what can be called the period’s consumer politics. As part of a larger project on the history of Peronism and consumption, the essay focuses on two major themes concerning state interventions in the marketplace. First, from the earliest days of Perón’s presidency, public officials drew on existing cultural norms the of their of labor and Peronist leaders to on the and of Juan and Perón their to the of Argentine as and to to the of the and the partisan between two — commerce and consumers — the Peronism for Argentine as and political of Peronist attacks on commercial to of the of between the of and Peronist to — that of the In the Argentine case, part of a political state in consumer and politics. a of in on the cultural of a of a this essay the and commercial that Argentine focuses on the of consumer the between and state government Peronist and public among As the Peronist to consumers in to and to state in that from authorities for to public the of commerce and consumption at the of of Peronism and populism in can be the familiar of the with policies were not at the and officials and as the on and the of Peronism on the of laboring in other — as the and — Peronist authorities the to a of who were Perón’s political and and the a in a partisan for Argentine was As state authorities their in the the on political and — a of a of a of — of the and of Peronist of the street market to the importance of Peronism in as as the and dimension of populism this on the between national and consumption in the postwar of commercial markets and the of consumption in — from in and of to in and of — that but existing As a of have commercial for to from and to in national can be as for Peronist commerce was a of and intense and political the of as commercial goods and state to exchange — in of their to in the consumer part of a commercial exchange to in in with national authorities both the of goods and their in with their of national and the of Peronist Argentine officials were in this as and the commerce and to unfair Peronist the in of his Perón the of and the between and his majority were between state to and the of the Argentine the in this essay — as and — are in their are as a the problem of of in certain political the of the Peronist of consumption a government policies to the of commercial and with an of state campaigns to not to that at are as the of in and in the the of the market can as as the of state to a dimension to on the market Argentine government movements, and with the of to the of his the of with the of his the that Perón against unfair commerce was not a was the that his to with the of exchange can be as a in Argentine that to with the of on the of the Peronist consumer not a as a Perón and his for the of the market at the to two the of state commercial from the consumer of to partisan for the Peronist but that political leaders to of Peronist consumer can be to to the of Argentine of in the of a the of to for their and commercial the of and of exchange that from and partisan of this however, that commercial the of that the of and and other drew to that and against and who and prices on and other of in and the and to and in and other with the of the other of the and the of and the of the to market widespread was to government on of consumers. was to consumer the – however, a in order to consumers in to the and other a of that prices the not to landowners — from to prices on goods as of but were of government as other at the of consumers. the the of consumer and to that prices and but for with intense political the a in government of the in to In to the worldwide as the and the that the of and other to the of in to on and however, were from as government to or as During the for the in major and in their national against the of an called the for in the of and against in a against the of in politicians, on public officials for not against and a to who were as the of and the of his to the presidency between and Perón drew on of state and was a of the government that state and the of to existing to on and as against labor and the the Perón from of commerce to his political the to his Perón a on the to and in the that both as and consumers. During a on the Perón that to the of are a and and of have to that Argentine be that a of can their their and their Perón that the to the and that his was that the of a not be profit but rather the of the of In this the Peronist of the of labor and consumption, the of the with the public to the the – period, the Peronist the of consumption from Perón a of a as a of their to and to in the of as was as to the Peronist of an national that the postwar and to In officials to national be to that to of the who as and as consumers up and of in the importance of consumption as a political in the Peronist to other less of a in and labor in the the between and prices and was in the of the the of the national Argentine and that were the of consumption — in to the or that the of and other an of commercial from and to and not the of Perón’s that in at this were not with the consumption of their the of the to Peronist leaders and for the of in Perón to his of a officials to of the national their to goods and between and to labor and between and the government in In to Perón’s to consumption among to and the in to the of to prices on and In authorities a of markets that at of the in that in and other and from and of the Peronist were the of to and of the not but in as the and of in a commercial marketplace. on in that to the and the – period, and to and Peronist officials for to the the pueblo to state for at the of the the was less a for the majority that consumers were to the and at and prices for and other goods the the of a to the between prices and in the of in with other as the in government the of postwar inflation were the and was not to larger As a of the of between and with inflation from to a of — a at that Peronist leaders the political of this in for from and the have but were to the of inflation that for exchange and an political of commercial the were in of the and to against the of and policies were not to the of Perón’s government a of to from commercial this part of a of to a as a public in Perón’s in and labor and other Perón’s political not on like but on — the Perón with the of the government to the and who to a of the – period, the Argentine government to of from the of as has the to their political and cultural As the of Peronist commercial in a against between and was to in Peronist and officials government and at their to public and national with of commercial public of state and were not in a of in the the state and consumers to the commercial enemies of the authorities emphasized the importance of consumption to the of the the of a and the of the Peronist an the presidency in Perón the a of the of consumer and of prices the of and the government the with for and of in the of two with Peronist officials this however, a and prices in and 1947 with the to and officials to and for up to In the that officials to this profit for and labor Perón the to in however, the of of that — and — a for their the of Perón’s the prices of a a and a of from to other commercial the of postwar as that consumers goods and of with the consumer of of was with a of and public commercial national and partisan and political the officials the of in their public of commerce and of goods and to the of however, that his government not to and he that were a of the business In political not to among the and and of Argentine for this officials not to of — for the of foreign and was a between and to what from a who the Perón in or in his against the other were the of Peronist his as an Perón to commercial as the against and against campaigns focused on the that to on laboring and on the of their Peronist leaders the problem of inflation as a between and and During the for Perón on to the in the of in the of and of the of consumer politics. was a to Peronist was the of in of the market and the of explained why were in of a a or was up an to from the for Peronist leaders to Argentine of were in the against a the with other to the political of Perón’s the of and in a the of Peronist were to the of with of their of the and Likewise, were as an political and consumption was that to to their with the of in the and as and Peronist however, consumption as an of and the government to and other of in as in the against the with to the commercial policies of for a political that on and on government officials to to and and to their to the of of policies to like the of the of and the and the of — of were in other Perón’s were to the of and of the Argentine that in the in the up as local officials their to prices and as authorities their of the against from to from to the on the of and national order to Perón the of in from who to and with the and the an of in and In two the of and the a that the have the commercial less two — not the in Peronist in two the of in and authorities an in to up to the discourse of on Argentine business was far from who were In for authorities a of and and Perón’s to and were major in the on from as and were the and profit a in business for of – and of – days against of in but in and in the of for in to the of the who and in other of the to up to commercial on the of the that was not a of Perón’s of to and reap to from the of in the from consumer and to and for to the prices and that of or a that the of the Peronist and not the the and to and not be and in their to up in the of in to the against the of the at with to the of the of was a for or a of state was at consumers the Peronist As a were public for state officials to the rhetoric of commercial and of was up the and to from the of and on to the the in the their to a at the from to the public the state in were of the – period, the street and of a Peronist political to the of consumers. of or for a of in the of in In 1947 government a local for a — — and for to a in the prices on to in of the the of local the government a among who on and with the like the Peronist rhetoric in the of that the has with to a in article but the a of the between and consumers the national in in cultural as the the of of who an to with and In to a street market to for a that for the with prices and the of their a and with that the of has the the the and in a that the of a and his to but the to of consumption in this between and were a part of in an prices and was to the on the and a have a of in the with prices and intended a or of and of the marketplace. the that were and from state the of As was at in public of the on the of between and to their their as in the in with the against the of and as for state commercial with the of to that was a political a on as an of Peronist in leaders to market a particular and and at their to consumer the were in the of their public to state a but on the that the to markets of the with of consumer were among the of Peronist political among the Peronist the and the of consumer for state a to to and for the and with the government a to of labor to and other policies the In their for the between and as labor but with Peronist and from the problem of commercial at a in a for the of to a to the and corrupt rather the of the and the to and people.” the government with a of and not were — government officials on the to a — labor on public in the of the on and in as consumers the between the Peronist for commerce and In and the government to In from national in the of a for to and to the local Peronist to the problem of prices and to the of their in and to government officials that the problem of consumption in Perón’s a from the of to the of that the government an to the of the of he were of consumption and commerce an partisan for prices were for but the of the and in with of the As Perón’s of the of and not to his as a a political to that Peronist in populist a between a greedy elite and an that this a to Peronist of this was an of a to with or an of but in the the of Peronist however, were of Peronist consumer politics. their to to that of were the local for the he a of and of this Perón consumer was to between and not to the of the of in this a to have in of but in the of their to political their with goods as the were that the and that the national government not at the local on the not the the of commerce a to a of the that the the enemies were to were the of who the of political and of the of Peronist commercial their but at were of the between and public in a the and of owners. the problem was not state but what as the of the on of business were among the of Peronist consumer politics. between and the state Peronist to state in with the the of but the on Argentine and at in at the Peronist to policies with a of commercial that to or and that the of the of commerce in the between the and of business and the of was far from 1947 the Argentine of and to a with a that were on in the of a on who to not and or a of as to business or of the and and the and have to business that be the an of the commercial public the of business in Perón’s the partisan of and have the of the of of the Peronist in a of the to political have an of were a of other who Peronist Argentine of Peronist their in the or in an of consumer on the of and of the profit but not state for that the of consumption be In as and the of Perón’s on of inflation on to government and as the of climbing like the a Peronist as a to up partisan that was a problem but that and were the was the who for Peronist and however, the Peronist commercial the – for of and state of the Perón’s government was to business on to the to the and to the goods to a of and consumers. have the of business but not to as the Peronist the of was not to in the of and as the policies of with a of consumer to Peronist authorities as of their against corrupt and other enemies of the the on the authorities in the of the political of As in the Perón’s the at the of to for to inflation in and commercial officials a to an political for consumers. the on markets Perón and from the of commerce to the and partisan of consumers. As with other political to Peronist authorities among the and a on the and were for against the but public officials of their of the and to in a between Peronist leaders and this of consumer a on the of on the other the of state as a for and not was the that the commercial policies the of prices in inflation to of consumer goods in major and of and other as a of and in As in other at the to and consumer markets in at but a of and to of consumption, two for government First, the of commerce a As state a of commercial the black market or — in that from street to the of Peronist the of the was a political the of and to that was a to a In the between and the labor was not to for for from and for from the between two — to the in and the other to inflation and business — and in the Perón to a of in and for foreign on consumers was part of a larger to and the the to the against a the problem of As the Perón to at the and he focused on the of Argentine who he with the of Peronist in particular the of — the of and the of and or as Perón the to the that are that at and to were president that were and who inflation but or on as at the an that he Perón the and that he in the on his to in the postwar in the president to their of the with Peronist leaders was an of but a that the and the with and a officials were in their the prices the this were consumers to Peronist of a lack of concern or but the and to goods at prices or to the for Perón a — the consumer — to the in the of the of consumer on and to Peronist leaders as who in the of a political and of the Peronist to among was in Perón’s that Argentine be his the president his public on to to he a of in the the and he not the and have to Perón be in a for on that the of state to the and Perón’s populist discourse at the of political between the public and Argentine campaigns to but president to the of on to for to were as in the against were in Perón to as of the of the in their and their at on the of state officials the political importance of — and not as of and Peronist authorities the with the — and of and — to the of the national as a In at were as to state to in the of national the on and with of consumers with a that consumption as a business of political for however, with Peronist leaders a of in the and were the for Argentine to a between the and a of labor in and to at was a to the of consumer politics. were as who the of the and who were to be not but to partisan of consumers the of Perón and dimension of consumer of the of the Peronist the and the on and on Perón and a of on that and In to the of consumers to partisan politics. have that from the Perón’s to the of labor to the and other not consumers or in their were in and on were in with of both and of and consumers an to the distinction why Peronist authorities focused on consumer and Perón and was less in in the of at the partisan to consumers in with the of the the of among his Perón a to a the government and for two but between and this of national government a the policies as a of as an of the to their on to the of the on and on were with and that the of for and of of of to in the on for was the and inflation the policies to consumption the the government the of in and on in order to an with and the to the government to the of — with and of the two on a in a and were in the the of the postwar the and of inflation to a as an the a for national During the of Peronist the government from to consumption, business and the of between and but of postwar in to and other to and were the and foreign that of government the the on Peronist In his of this cultural the as a to and called but in and the government who Peronism not their of Perón and of the on the Peronist a of with Perón’s of the Argentine In a of to the in to the of the that that in their on was who were for of other however, the for prices lay a to a from a in local who were local and were with the in on the to consumers Peronist their with and for in the on and and other to Perón that be in of commercial in their from exclaimed, and to to who with the of not for the to the of this Peronist have with the for but not their for was less of a or who their public the the of with Peronist their enthusiasm for Perón and his but that the on be in and in their as in the in the of consumption, not the of state the of that in the the with the political to state to at with the of the were major labor or other Peronist in the of in of of Perón in an of partisan the government and was with of against the – of however, not to major among the and other Peronist his of state Perón to In the to inflation with and of to were the of and and the of of in the and — the government of to Peronist leaders to a as and state policies In a Perón to a national have to this or the the in of as of the for the public for and to of and for labor between the and to the Peronist at the as in the of the in the consumer the of government officials but and political the – period, can a in from commerce to the the between two was the that Peronist authorities on a be both the who goods and the who Peronist to markets on of populist in between and between the political of and between the to consumer and on to of the campaigns and other state policies partisan was among that the of the a of the president in In the that a of and to the of or to officials from the that the and consumption of goods the be the of In the of Peronist policies the for to this the of the consumer politics. the Peronist of consumption that the and with other the of Peronism in In the Perón’s the Peronist and to as against of in the as a against the populist but to market Peronist president in from his to the of his attacks on the of prices in this was a of state — the — that was as the Peronist political a in to and consumer among the partisan and at the have at in and other As as Peronist president called for to for prices against his for or with a to a of that a to as as the of and consumer consumer in the – the of the populism — or the of postwar was at in the consumer controversies a to partisan or a concern for on the part of consumers. were but were cultural norms the of commercial of to officials and to the of state the in this can of and their political as on a of between and not prices but and from this cultural like and black with for the and were of Peronism in of a of the between and quotidian and of national to a to the commercial and consumption of As this essay has that their and the the however, consumer Peronist of leaders a in the of national government and the of this of at the of Peronist consumer a of political the be the on state of the and of Perón’s lay in a of consumption that and — an of a with the of consumers. not as the that Perón and his but the Peronist as state leaders to their for to as the partisan with consumer the of and the particular of be however, to that Peronist an with to the of have in that to market familiar as labor but and other the of and other on in consumption and with and their of commercial not consumption in the as and to concerning the of in and the of to as political their of on a national that for and market the Peronist consumer policies were on a larger of with populist politics. Argentine officials the of order on and as the commercial of the Peronist of and a but the problem of consumption was in the to that in this case, was to the political of a period’s consumer were at a for an to from government for a to defend and a for and Peronist commercial exchange were a to the of and a of this of not that the of markets and like to and the two for their and at the and in were to the for to the like to to the that on of this to the and

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