Background Argentine legislative election, 1954

alberto teisaire

the death of wife , closest advisor, evita, stuck president juan perón amid serious difficulties. severe drought in 1952 , years of pessimism in argentina s important agrarian sector depleted foreign reserves , forced perón curtail public lending , spending programs. recession (and bumper crop) did, however, allow central bank reserves recover , brought inflation (50% in 1951) single digits.

controversy surrounding perón s in-laws , political violence both , against peronist movement had dogged president in first half of 1953, , took opportunity of upcoming legislative polls test popularity. argentine constitution did not require @ time; president announced special election replace late vice president, hortensio quijano. dr. quijano had died on april 3, 1952, 2 months , 1 day before term vice president of argentina have ended on june 4, 1952, caused perón nominate senator alberto teisaire, candidate named partido peronista (peronist party).

crisólogo larralde

teisaire familiar perón 1943 coup d état; former rear admiral had helped retain restive navy s support populist leader before , after perón s 1946 election and, after 8 years in senate, remained close military - far trivial consideration.

in opposition since 15 years before perón took office, centrist ucr had been burdened censorship , sundry forms of harassment since 1930, , 1953 had been marked jailing of of leaders. among few prominent figures in party available run vice-presidency crisólogo larralde. larralde had opposed ucr s 1945 alliance conservatives , socialists against perón, , well-known figure in ucr s dissident, pro-perón renewal group. did not, however, ease ucr s restriction access mass media, , party defeated similar numbers 1951 loss.