The perfect model of a tyrant

By Amal Hewavissenti

Juan de Peron of Argentina was a dictator in the literal sense and was the Latin American counterpart of Adolf Hitler, Jean Bedel Bokassa or Idi Amin. Peron won a landslide victory at the Presidential election held in 1946 but his victory was the direct offshoot of the intimidation and coercion by his own team of supporters.

The first move he adopted in the first few weeks of his presidency was to appoint his supporters in control of the fourteen provinces of Argentina and to establish his power through his own representatives in the parliament.

Juan de Peron was the person who led one of the world's most oppressive and tyrannical regimes in the twentieth century. The people of Argentina did not take it long to realise that they had made a lamentable misjudgement in electing him president and began to taste the bitter consequences of their choice.

Evita

Another reason for his victory was the attractive image that his wife Evita had projected before the public as the sole saviour of the oppressed in Argentina. Being born in a slum, he attained the apex of political power under the pretext of a freedom fighter for the oppressed and maintained his presidency with the support of an army of criminals.

He thwarted all possibilities of free thinking among people and went into the extent of crowding prisons with those who held opposing views and amending laws to suit his personal needs. President Juan de Peron spent a massive amount of state wealth to promote his image and had a number of torture houses built throughout the country - a warning to discourage and moves by those who upheld views opposite to him.

Juan de Peron interdicted most of the university professors who opposed his educational policies and valuable libraries were reduced to ashes under his command. University students who mounted a massive strike against this were taken into custody by Peron's bodyguards and were tortured for days.

A top priority in the early phase of his presidency was to ensure his safety and that of his supporters who were in the highest positions in his government. Newly amended Argentina law dictated that one who criticised the role of the president or any government officer was condemned to capital punishment.

Moreover, Peron made legal provisions to curb any attempt by political parties to form a political alliance to defy the stability of government.

"We shall now identify our friends and enemies. We shall equip our friends with the best and deprive our opponents of everything possible. We shall let none who disagree with us to have even the benefit of the law. We know that this is pretty difficult for some to tolerate but it is the life and justice of our government....." - President Peron to the central committee members and provincial representatives of the workers' congress on August 9, 1950.

During Peron's regime, the prisons of Argentina were crowded not with criminals but with the people who had views contrary to those of the president. Moreover, they were kept in detention even without any trial.

Inhuman

Meanwhile, his wife Evita continued to deify his image and justify all his inhuman actions. As she addressed large gatherings of people, she kept her eyes on the listeners in a solemn manner and spoke in an attractively soft voice which appealed to the uneducated common people. In some instances, the people mesmerised by her voice and words, would shout "Evita" and throw flowers on her.

This was definitely a diplomatic move by a wife whose husband flagrantly violated all rules of the country and was beginning to degenerate before the public.

Using surprising craft and tact, she tried to convince the public that Peron's role as the President of Argentina was the "Second emergence of Jesus Christ" on earth.

She called Peron the life blood of the people of Argentina and the god of sun for the oppressed and down trodden.

She claimed that intellectuals, the rich and those greedy for power are totally incapable of seeing Jesus Christ. And the poor only could have access to Jesus Christ because the poor were not governed by selfishness or jealousy. She said. "I now live to bring you (the people) to that supreme struggle launched by him (Juan de Peron) to bring salvation to the oppressed people.

I live to safeguard his strength and carry his mission to the future. I am an average woman like you and I am here to bring Peron's great service to you..."

Apart from that, posters with photographs of Peron and Evita which were printed with an enormous among of money, were displayed on almost every government building - in hospitals, post offices, schools, vehicles and other buildings.

Under the project 'Young Juan Peron library"' were two books published which contained eulogies of President Peron and his wife Evita. These books were distributed among students of all schools. On every page of the books were devotional songs depicting the "Virtues" and "Greatness" of Juan de Peron and Evita.Juan de Peron banned all private broadcasting stations and Laprense, the national newspaper of Argentina which was then regarded as the symbol of free media.

He made arrangements to check the contents of all letters at post offices and if ever a letter contained anything to criticise any government ministry, it was destroyed.

A massive protest against the Peron regime was mounted by clergy, military officials and the people in 1955 but Peron responded with destruction of churches and massacres.

When struggles and protests against him became more intense, he fled in a military ship to Paraguay.