Anti-demonstrator barriers in front of the Presidential Palace

Politics

Still Looking for a North

Argentine politics have been in an almost continuous crisis since 1930, when a military coup overthrew the government of Hipolito Irigoyen. The coup destabilized a system that had enjoyed institutional continuity since 1853 and started a series of coups, counter-coups and populist politicians that reached its apotheosis with General Juan Domingo Peron and his wife, Evita.

Today's political landscape is dominated by the Justicialista party, a legacy of Peron - a huge, multi-facetic electoral machine with no clear ideology, and which produced populist presidents such as Carlos Menem. The Justicialistas' main rival, the Radical party, is a collection center-right movements, and its last term in government under Fernando de la Rua was cut short by massive protests in December.

The apparent consensus is that politicians - civilian or military - have been unable to stop Argentina's fall, and the country suffers a governability crisis comparable to that of the Weimar's republic in 1920's Germany.

On March 24, 2002, more than fifty thousand people hit the streets to mark the 25th anniversary of the military coup d'etat that was responsible for the disappearance of more than 30,000 leftist militants. Many of the demonstrators carried pictures of the disappeared during the so-called 'Process.'

But in addition to the human rights groups that traditionally commemorate this date, there was a strong presence of radical opponents to the current state of politics. Many of them came from the miserable outskirts of the city, and belonged to anarchist and socialist organizations that protest not only against the measures taken by the Duhalde government, but also against neo-liberal globalization.

Video: Avenida de Mayo's March

Since the popular rebellion of last December forced President de la Rua out, Argentines have resorted to grass-roots political organizations called 'Asambleas Barriales', or popular assemblies, of which there are more than 100 in Buenos Aires alone.

These groups meet every week to discuss political issues, prepare cultural activities and organize demonstrations. This is an experiment in participatory democracy - where neighbors organize themselves to deal directly with government bureaucracy, ask for health and unemployment benefits, and even block highways to push for their demands.

While ineffectual in many regards, is seen as a hope by many Argentines disillusioned with their corrupt political system, and provides an outlet for the politically disorganized left.

Video: Lila de Carolis, Activist and Tanguera