Argentine Patriotism and Nationalism: Pro-Kirchner Demonstration on May 25th

Politics in Argentina is a topic which could have an entire anthology of books written about it, so one blog post really only barely begins to scratch the surface. However; my experience at the pro-government rally on May 25^th was extremely interesting and it gave me some valuable insight into the modern-day political climate in Argentina.

            The politics of Argentina has been dominated by a series of very influential and dominant politicians. The first significant of these such politicians was Juan Domingo Peron. Peron's legacy in Argentina is by far the largest of any 20th century political figure. It seems as though modern Peronism can mean any number of things depending on who you ask, but it is undoubtedly the single largest political movement in Argentina. This wave of “Peronism” which lasts to this day might provide some insight into why politics in Argentina seem to be so heavily dominated by these big personalities of politicians. In Argentina, it seemed evident at the rally that it is just as much about who the politician is as it is about what they do or how they do it. It’s almost as if there are always new politicians on the scene who are attempting to make their own brand of politics in one way or another. Personality and image is everything; politicians seem not to be defined as “liberal” or “conservative” as they often are in the US, but more so by their charisma and a unique blend of politics which they try to make as their own. This has been the case with a few presidents and other prominent political figures in the US, but it seems to be much more dramatic here. Certain politicians, Cristina Kirchner being one of them, develop an almost cult-like following.

            Some insight can be gained by looking at the recent political history of the country; there has been a Kirchner in the presidency ever since Nestor assumed the position in 2003 following the financial crisis. The Kirchners, first Nestor and then Cristina, have been successful in seemingly bringing Argentina back from total economic meltdown to the growing economy it has today. These successes, though it is yet to be proven how long they will last, seems to have sealed the Kirchner name in Argentine history. And as evidenced by the turnout to the May 25^th rally in Plaza de Mayo in central Buenos Aires to celebrate the last independence day of which Cristina will be in office, the Kirchners have quite a lot of vocal supporters. Though as intense and loud as the crowd was, silence fell and people listened intently to every word of Cristina's speech when she came onto the stage to talk. The shear mass of people who came out to the rally is enormous on any scale, much less in comparison to similar rallies which occasionally take place in the US.

            I believe that there are several important factors which play into Argentina being able to host these enormous rallies while the United States has essentially nothing even close to this level of pro-government demonstrations. One of these factors is that people are more involved in politics here as compared with the United States, especially since voting is mandatory. Although politics can definitely create some very heated debates among people in the US, there doesn’t seem to be the level of involvement and passion that one finds in Argentina. In the US, People love to complain when things don’t go their way or when the candidate they support loses, but that’s where the involvement ends for most people. Here however, people seem to take politics much more personally, and showing support is just as important as showing disapproval.

            Secondly; the Argentina seems to be much less strictly bipartisan than the US. Even though the actions of the Kirchner administration still have plenty of criticism from certain groups, Cristina has the support of a majority of the country; something that many US presidents do not have when leaving office. Even though there are certainly those who disapprove of her and her policies, the majority of the country feels the need to back her and to back Argentina. She, along with her late husband, are essentially the icons of Argentina’s resurgence onto the global stage, and for many she is a new sort of national hero.

            Lastly, a cultural difference between the US and Argentina might contribute to these phenomena as well. In the US, politics is often viewed as a deeply personal issue, and not something which should be shared with the world. This is not the case in Argentina however, and people feel that openly discussing issues and politics is essential to the proper functioning and preservation of democracy. To many Argentines, showing up to the rally was them doing just that.