"El secreto de sus oídos". Patronage and politics under Agustín P. Justo (1930-1943)

HATTINGH, ALISTAIR; LÓPEZ, IGNACIO ALEJANDRO

Charlottesville

Conferencia; MACLAS Conference; 2017

Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies (MACLAS)

Agustín P. Justo (1876-1943) was a central figure in Argentine politics in the interwar period. At the time he became president in 1932, he was a prestigious general in the military, former minister of War, and a key conspirator in the military coup that brought down Hipólito Yrigoyen´s second government in September 1930. He remained a central figure in the Argentine political system until his sudden death in January 1943. During Justo´s administration (1932-1938), he was able to build different resources of power that made him one of the most well-informed and influential statesmen in the country. In this paper we analyze how Justo seized political power, how he established a strong informational, military and partisan network of connections, and how he used his influences and resources for political patronage.We claim that Justo´s network was visible in three key elements that explain his successful political career: the military and police, a strong link that he built during his period as Minister of War and that he reinforced later in his presidency; connections he established in the national communication system, including the telephone, mail, and telegraph networks, where a vast number of staff responded and delivered to him daily information; and his approach to patronage, in which he developed a particular personal and partisan style.