The Nationalist Liberation Alliance (Spanish: Alianza Libertadora Nacionalista, ALN), originally known as the Argentine Civic Legion (Legión Cívica Argentina, LCA) from 1931 to 1937,[1] the Alliance of Nationalist Youth (Alianza de la Juventud Nacionalista, AJN) from 1937 to 1943,[2] and then using its final name from 1943 to 1955, was a Nacionalista and fascist movement.[1]
It was violently anti-Semitic, with its journal Combate issuing a "commandment" to its members: "War against the Jew. Hatred towards the Jew. Death to the Jew."[7]
History
It was recognized as a political entity on 20 May 1931 and received juridical personality on 11 January 1932.[8] The movement was formed by Argentine President General José Félix Uriburu officially as a reserve for Argentina's armed forces.[9] The movement's members were authorized to receive military training.[9] The Legion declared itself to be made up of "patriotic men" who embodied "the spirit of the September revolution and who morally and materially were ready to cooperate in the institutional reconstruction of the country".[10] The Legion was the largest nationalist organization in Argentina in the early 1930s.[11] The movement is known to have committed acts of violence against its political opponents and tortured those that were captured.[3] It collapsed in 1955 after anti-Peronist forces seized control of Argentina with its leader fleeing the country.
It had a student wing called the Nationalist Union of Secondary Students (Unión Nacionalista de Estudiantes Secundarios, UNES).[7] Unlike other Argentine nationalist organizations of the time, the Legion had a women's section, while other nationalist groups excluded women from their organizations.[12] The Legion's women section called Agrupación Femenina de la LCA promoted women to love the armed forces and respect for order, authority, and hierarchy in the home and school.[12] These women were to provide aid to the poor to assist in establishing social peace.[12]
During the 1946 Argentine elections, the ALN was the largest Nacionalista movement but only gained 25,000 votes in a few areas in which it fielded candidates.[13] This coincided with the election of Juan Perón as President of Argentina.[13] Following the 1946 election, ALN members attacked the headquarters of several liberal and leftist newspapers, including La Hora, the Communist Party newspaper, as well as attacking a bar in downtown Buenos Aires that was frequented by Spanish republicanrefugees.[13] A number of Jewish associations became also the target of blast bombs planted by ALN members.[14]
In 1953, the ALN condemned the nationalist newspaper La Prensa for publishing too many articles by Jewish writers.[15] ALN leader Juan Queraltó was ousted from leadership of the party in 1953.[16] Queraltó was succeeded by Guillermo Patricio Kelly.[17] Kelly sought to distance the party from its anti-Semitic past and met with Israel's ambassador to Argentina, Dr. Arie Kubovy during which Kelly informed Dr. Kubovy that the ALN had forsworn anti-Semitism.[18] In 1954, anti-Semitism was dropped from the party.[16] The headquarters of the ALN were stromed and destroyed by rebel Sherman tanks during the anti-Peronist Revolución Libertadora on 21 September 1955.[19] Kelly was arrested in the aftermath by Argentine authorities, but eventually managed to escape and flee the country in 1957.[20]
In 1973, after the comeback of Perón to power, former members, including Kelly and Queraltó, attempted a revival of the ALN,[21] but were overshadowed by newer far right groups which eventually became subordinated to the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance.[22]
Party symbols
The Nationalist Liberation Alliance used the Andean condor as the symbol of the movement.[23] The Andean condor is a national symbol of Argentina.[24]
Gallery
General José Félix Uriburu, President of Argentina (1930-1932), founder of the movement.
Headquarters of the ALN in Buenos Aires after being assaulted by rebel tanks, 21 September 1955
^ abRodney P. Carlisle (general editor). The Encyclopedia of Politics: the Left and the Right, Volume 2: The Right. Thousand Oaks, California, USA; London, England; New Delhi, India: Sage Publications, 2005. p. 525.
^ abcRobert A. Potash. The Army & Politics in Argentina: 1928-1945; Yrigoyen to Perón. Stanford, California, USA: Stanford University Press, 1969. p. 119.
^ abPaul H. Lewis. Guerrillas and generals: the "Dirty War" in Argentina. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Praeger Publishers, 2002. p. 5.
^Sandra McGee Deutsch. Las Derechas: The Extreme Right in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, 1890-1939. Stanford University Press, 1999. p. 210.
^David Rock. Authoritarian Argentina: The Nationalist Movement, Its History and Its Impact. Paperback edition. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, USA: University of California Press, 1995. p. 115.
^ abSandra McGee Deutsch. Las Derechas: The Extreme Right in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, 1890-1939. Stanford University Press, 1999. p. 229.
^Alberto Ciria. Partidos y poder en la Argentina moderna (1930-1946). English translation. Albany, New York, USA: State University of New York, 1974. p. 130.
^ abRobert A. Potash. The Army & Politics in Argentina: 1928-1945; Yrigoyen to Perón. Stanford, California, USA: Stanford University Press, 1969. p. 67.
^Alberto Ciria. Partidos y poder en la Argentina moderna (1930-1946). English translation. Albany, New York, USA: State University of New York, 1974. p. 154.
^Sandra McGee Deutsch. Las Derechas: The Extreme Right in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, 1890-1939. Stanford University Press, 1999. p. 201.
^ abcSandra McGee Deutsch. Las Derechas: The Extreme Right in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, 1890-1939. Stanford University Press, 1999. p. 236.
^ abcDavid Rock. Authoritarian Argentina: The Nationalist Movement, Its History and Its Impact. Paperback Edition. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, USA: University of California Press, 1995. p. 164.
^Institute of Jewish Affairs. Patterns of prejudice , Volumes 6-8; Volume 6. Institute of Jewish Affairs, 1972. p. 95.
^ abRaanan Rein. Argentina, Israel, and the Jews: Perón, the Eichmann capture and after. University Press of Maryland, 2003. p. 68.
^Alberto Ciria. Partidos y poder en la Argentina moderna (1930-1946). English translation. Albany, New York, USA: State University of New York, 1974. p. 68.
^Benno Varon. Professions of a lucky Jew. Cranbury, New Jersey, USA; London, England; Mississauga, Ontario, Canada: Cornwall Books, 1992. p. 206.
^Alaniz, Rogelio (13 November 2013). "Un final a sangre y fuego". El Litoral (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-06-04.