Snapshots of citizen participation at the local level during first Peronism

Abstract

One of the contradictions contained in first Peronism refers to the exercise of democracy. On the one hand, the extension of the electoral base and the incorporation of popular sectors promoted a policy of mass democracy. However, this was undermined by government speeches and practices that violated the balance of powers and pluralism. It is from this tension that arises the interest to inquire about forms of citizenship at the local level, particularly in areas remote from the centers of power. Was there a democratization of the local public sphere or heteronomy restricted municipal civic engagement in a context marked by the denial of space for public deliberation? The objective of this article is to illustrate experiences of participation of sectors that lived in locations of Buenos Aires between 1949 and 1952, in a context characterized by the reorientation of economic policy, electoral disputes and growing signs of verticality. Using newspapers as sources, we will try to illuminate the social actors, scenarios and dynamics that drove and defined the processes that shaped political citizenship in the villages. The hypothesis is that the combination of mobilization “from below” and the disciplining and leadership “from above” as part of an opening of political opportunities outlined a particular way of being citizen at the municipal level.

Keywords: Peronism, local participation, democracy.