The Estatuto del Peón: A revolution for the rights of rural workers in Argentina?

JUAN MANUEL PALACIO

JOURNAL OF LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

Cambridge University Press

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2019 vol. 51 p. 333 - 356

0022-216X

The article addresses the history of the Estatuto del Peón (peon?s statute or rural worker code) one of the most emblematic measures of the so called ?first Peronism.? One of its central purposes is to try to weigh the importance of this legendary Peronist act, for the actors directly involved, and in particular to calibrate the magnitude of statute?s impact on the everyday life and working conditions of Argentina?s rural workers. I analyzes in detail how the decree was conceived and the novelties it brought in terms of rights and regulations for rural workers. It also uses trial records to explore the implementation of the statute and its concrete effects, both in terms of working conditions and the juridical protections offered rural peons.