After years of political instability and inflation, a military junta took over and began a campaign of kidnappings and murders known as "The Dirty War" to quell opposition. In 1982, they tried to bolster public opinion by recapturing the Falkland Islands from the UK, but miscalculated and lost a large number of soldiers, and the regime fell. Today, Maldives Day celebrates the lost lives of the failed Falkland invasion, and Memorial Day for Truth and Justice celebrates the lost lives of the los desaparecidos, the disappeared ones, who were murdered by the military.
In the years after the end of The Dirty War, Argentina restructured and reinstated democracy, but an economic crisis in 2001 led to the latest round of immigrants.
Nearly 60% of Argentinians living in the US arrived after 1990. Traffic was especially heavy in the early 2000s, as people tried to find better economic opportunities (Arredondo). In 2001, an economic crisis hit Argentina. The peso, which had previously been pegged to the US dollar, was allowed to fluctuate and loss a quarter of its value. The economy shrank, the International Monetary Fund cut $1.3 billion in aid, and banks began to shut down. Riots lead to the death of 25 people and the President resigned. Argentina paid off its debt to the International Monetary Fund in 2006, but in 2011 the IMF Censured Argentina for misreporting CPI and GDP data (World Trade Press). Economic crises continue to shake the country, and many Argentinians have left the country as a result.
Arredondo, Patricia (2018). Latinx Immigrants Transcending Acculturation and Xenophobia. Springer. pp. 15–32
World Trade Press. (2022, August). Argentina: Historical Timeline. Global Road Warrior. Retrieved August 08, 2022, from https://www-globalroadwarrior-com.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/argentina/historical-timeline.html
Argentina: The Pots and Pans Revolution
December 2001, Buenos Aires—five days before Christmas a disturbing silence pervades the city. The day before, frustrated Argentineans looted supermarkets. The government reacted immediately by proclaiming a state of emergency. The situation approaches anarchy for 12 days, in which time five presidents will succeed one another. With never before shown footage, this documentary provides a critical analysis of the events around Christmas 2001. It further includes interviews with militants, victims, cameramen and experts, helping to comprehend the connections between, and ramifications of, the many events that led up to chaos. Who holds the future in the years to come, for this young democracy in danger?.
