Peronism is arbitrary by definition, and ever since its inception it not only rejects free thinking but it fails to recognize the philosophy of one-sided thinking it supports. This is why it rewrites history in a partially successful attempt to embellish it because, in true fact, its own history is plagued with persecution.

Nowadays it is widely accepted that there are two different kinds of Peronists. But this difference, in any case, cannot be expressed in terms of good and bad, honest and dishonest, authoritarian and republican Peronists. Peronists can be classified according to whether or not they have held public office. It is only fair to give the benefit of the doubt to the ignorant masses that cannot prove their integrity because they are part of the anonymous universe of the rank and file. This is a mere recognition of their alleged innocence, one of the basic principles of our legal system nonetheless ignored by current political authorities. As for the rest, it has been widely proven that Peronists in public office have gradually perfected, sustained and nurtured a perverse system that sets the bases and creates the opportunities and impunity to commit a variety of crimes because corruption —and herein lies a common mistake— is not only the illegal appropriation of money. At the very least, Peronists in power are the necessary participants of an illegal association that enables and condones misconducts, and this makes each Peronist an accessory to the abuse of institutions and the trampling of independence of powers whenever, from a position supported by tax-payers, they fail to denounce this wrongdoing.

Hand in hand with its mentor, Peronism in power protected the worse murderers ever known to the civilized world in the twentieth century, thanks to which Argentina became a safe haven for prominent Nazi leaders. A few decades later, Argentina was a nest for the deadliest terrorist groups ever seen in the nation, which it still protects both actively and passively to this very day. In both cases, these movements used intolerance as the perfect excuse for the indiscriminate killing of Jews and dissenters, respectively.

We have heard Peronist complaints due to the generalization mentioned in our previous article. “Kirchnerism has proven to be Peronism in pure state” met with anger. It is not a generalization but a description. For the sake of analytical rigor, I add that a few examples with no other intention than that of refreshing our memories. Peronism in power, either turncoat or transvestite, can be Nazi as in the 50s and decree “the annihilation of subversive acts” as in the 70s. It can pass an amnesty bill in the 90s and repeal it ten years later. It can borrow money, make international commitments and then fail to fulfil them. With one hand, it can pay its ministers extra money from mysterious sources under secret laws and, with the other, design strict policies against tax evasion. It can deny its involvement in cases of corruption even in the face of incriminating evidence. It can send public funds abroad to unknown destinations like Governor Kirchner and refuse to repatriate them like President Kirchner. It can take part in weapons trafficking under an administration, fail to convict the culprits in the next, and even appoint as ambassador the officer who was head of the Military when this negotiation took place. And to hide the truth in this and other cases of corruption it can become the centre of parodies like the one described by newspaper La Nación when the Minister of Defence gave a report at the Defence Commission of the Lower House of Congress —presided by Miguel Ángel Toma, who was then a pro-government congressman— when efforts were being made to know the details of the irregular weapon shipment. “The more they speak, the more they sink in the dark well of political responsibility. Miguel Ángel Toma properly led the report in the Lower House. He extended the length of the report at the opposition’s request. He skilfully faced the attacks of Patricia Bullrich, who was eventually unable to speak” (La Nación, 16/05/96).

Peronism can nationalize and privatize, and claim that this is Peronist, but it will always be authoritarian. And for the Republic as well as for Republicans, authoritarianism is the worst of all corruptions.

* María Zaldívar is a TV journalist from Argentina and Bachelor of Political Science (UCA, Catholic University of Argentina).