Argentina Bicentennial

The Argentina Bicentennial (Spanish: bicentenario argentino) was a series of ceremonies, festivals, and observances celebrated on May 25, 2010, and throughout the year. They commemorated the 200th anniversary of the May Revolution, a sequence of historical events that led to the Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros being ousted from office and replaced with the Primera Junta, the first national government.

Official logo of the celebration.

The Argentina Bicentennial commemorates the 200 years of the May Revolution.

Bicentennial celebrations began on Friday, May 21 in Buenos Aires, with millions of people in attendance, making them the biggest outdoor festivities Argentina had seen since it celebrated its return to democratic rule after seven years of military dictatorship in 1983.^[1]

Background and leading events

Celebrations for the bicentennial started early in 2010 and continued through the year. These events were not related solely to the May Revolution, but also to many factors pertaining to the history and culture of Argentina.

It started on January 20 with the Cosquín Festival, a yearly folk music event which lasts for 12 days. The armies of Argentina and Chile recreated the crossing of the Andes, led in 1817 by José de San Martín, Bernardo O'Higgins, and the Army of the Andes, on January 28.^[2] Many historical events of Argentina were performed on a stage in Mar del Plata on February 10, with more than 600 actors,^[3] and an audience of more than 100,000 people.^[4]

At the beginning of May, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner signed a decree declaring May 24 a holiday, but only during 2010.^[5]

Main events

Buenos Aires

 

The Buenos Aires Cabildo, site of the May 25, 1810, proclamation, is festooned in lights for the bicentennial.

The 9 de Julio Avenue was closed to the traffic between Corrientes and Belgrano avenues during the festivity days, and was used to host the main celebrations. Celebrations started on May 21, with a concert of Argentine rock bands. Litto Nebbia acted as host, and performers included Fito Páez and León Gieco.^[6] Temporary installations on the avenue were complemented by the earlier opening of the interactive National Bicentennial House,^[7][8] in the Recoleta section of the city, and of the initial phase of the Bicentennial Cultural Center, in the former Buenos Aires Central Post Office;^[9] the cultural center was scheduled to be completed in 2012.

A number of military parades of modern and historical regiments and units, including the Regiment of Patricians and the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers, were staged on May 22. They were followed by parades representing the provinces of Argentina and their local cultures; for instance, Jujuy included llamas and Córdoba included a traditional cuarteto band. In the night there was a concert of Latin American music, hosted by León Gieco and with the presence of Uruguayan Jaime Roos, Brazilian Gilberto Gil, Víctor Heredia, Gustavo Santaolalla, Colombian Totó la Momposina, Mundo Alas, and Cuban Pablo Milanés.

 

South American presidents at the celebrations. From left to right: President Sebastián Piñera of Chile, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina, President Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, President Evo Morales of Bolivia, President Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Pepe Mujica of Uruguay, and UNASUR Secretary-General Néstor Kirchner.

Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Sebastián Piñera of Chile, José Mujica of Uruguay, Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, and Evo Morales of Bolivia,^[10] and former presidents Manuel Zelaya of Honduras and Martín Torrijos of Panama arrived in Buenos Aires for the closing parade.

Córdoba

The city of Córdoba prepared the Expo 200 Bicentenario fair.^[11] Held at the Complejo Ferial Córdoba, it opened on May 22 and featured more than 300 stands from the productive, industrial, touristic, cultural, and technological sectors of the province.^[12] The convention included many scheduled events, seminars, parades, conferences, and musical, cultural, and gastronomic spectacles.

The city of Villa María prepared the largest dish of locro in the world, served for free to 10,000 people.^[13]

Rosario

The city of Rosario started the celebrations on May 22 at the National Flag Memorial,^[14] which was covered with blue and white, as the flag of Argentina. It made an opera concert under the slogan of "founding the second Argentina", and the tenor Darío Volonté invited the people to sing "Aurora".^[15] There were also works to restore the Libertador San Martín theater.

San Luis

The government of San Luis prepared a replica of the May Square, the Buenos Aires Cabildo, and the May Pyramid, in their 1810 designs.^[16] The replica would differ from the Cabildo's present appearance, as urban development in the twentieth century led to the removal of several outside columns to make room for avenues. The project is planned for the town of La Punta, and Governor Alberto Rodríguez Saá intends to keep it as a cultural and educational center.^[17]

Political disputes

 

Teatro Colón outdoor show.

The celebrations led to a number of disputes among politicians. Judge Norberto Oyarbide had named the mayor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, a person of interest in an investigation about a warrantless wiretapping case originally reported in 2009 by Sergio Burnstein, a Jewish activist known for his work in the name of the victims of the 1994 AMIA bombing.

Macri accused Néstor Kirchner and President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of being behind Oyarbide's action.^[18] On May 23, Macri expressed his disgust towards the Kirchners, stating to the media that "if she is coming with her husband, the consort, I will have to sit there".^[19] Two days before, Macri also referred pejoratively to the President as "la señora de ahí enfrente" ("the woman across the street"). On May 21, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner canceled her earlier acceptance of Macri's invitation to the Teatro Colón's May 24 reopening gala. Macri requested that the President reconsider her decision, though without offering apologies for his earlier remark;^[20] ultimately, Mrs. Kirchner did not attend the event.

The administration scheduled an honor luncheon at the White Room of the Casa Rosada during the night of May 25. It included nearly 200 guests, among them notable people from the Church, industry, media, culture and sports. Vice President Julio Cobos was not invited,^[21] however, due to an ongoing conflict between Cobos and the President stemming from his decision to join the opposition during the 2008 Argentine government conflict with the agricultural sector. Likewise not invited were former Presidents Carlos Menem, Fernando de la Rúa, and Eduardo Duhalde.^[22]

Media and literature

The Argentine Bicentennial motivated the making of historical movies such as Revolución: El cruce de los Andes, which recreates the crossing of the Andes, and La Patria Equivocada, that narrates part of the history of Argentina through a family from the time period as witnesses of the events. Manuel Belgrano was another film, focused on the life of the politician and military leader of the same name. In addition, many books related to the topic were published in advance of the event, such as 1810, Enigmas de la historia argentina, Hombres de Mayo, and Historias de corceles y de acero.^[23]

Comparison with the centennial

 

Centennial of the May Revolution, 1910.

A recurring topic of debate in Argentine newspaper editorials was the comparison between the bicentennial and the centennial in 1910. Some authors, such as intellectual Rosendo Fraga, described the centennial as having been better, arguing that Argentina enjoyed a more favorable context when economic measures such as relative GDP per capita, quality of public education, and the public's optimism or its perceived will to improve are considered.^[24] The centennial, moreover, took place only two years before the enactment of the Sáenz Peña Law, which helped make universal suffrage effective to all male citizens in Argentina aged 18 and over.

Others, such as historian Felipe Pigna, stated instead that Argentina in 1910 did not compare favorably with Argentina in 2010, when the lack of social legislation and labor laws, as well as the significant wealth gap between the rich and society in general, are taken into account. Pigna argued that praising the centennial would be tantamount to praising the policies that led to and perpetuated such conditions.^[25]

References

1. "Argentina celebrates 200 years of its revolution". Google News. Agence France-Presse. May 24, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Bicentennial celebrations began on Friday in Buenos Aires, with millions of people in attendance, making it the biggest outdoor party Argentina has seen since it celebrated its return to democratic rule after seven years of military dictatorship in 1983.
2. [For the Bicentennial, Mendoza will recreate the Crossing of the Andes]. Los Andes (in Spanish). Mendoza, Mendoza Province. January 3, 2010. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Los ejércitos de Argentina y Chile recrearán el Cruce de los Andes dentro de los festejos del Bicentenario en Mendoza con actos que se inician el 27 de enero en esta provincia y culminan el 12 de febrero en Chile. La ceremonia de inicio será el 27 de enero, a las 18.30, en el Cerro de la Gloria y se espera la presencia de los presidentes de Argentina y Chile. El jueves 28, a las 8.30, desde el Campo Histórico de El Plumerillo partirán la Columna Norte y Sur.
3. [The city's birthday also marks the Bicentennial of the Fatherland]. La Capital (in Spanish). Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province. February 9, 2010. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2011. De modo que además del acto oficial (ver página 4) el aniversario de la ciudad se festejará con un megashow artístico, musical y lumínico que tendrá a la plazoleta Almirante Brown como locación principal, donde se montó el escenario de mil metros cuadrados -cuando uno habitual no supera los 250 metros cuadrados- por el que desfilarán más de 600 artistas y se desplegará una moderna tecnología multimedia.
4. [About 100 thousand people in the celebrations for the Bicentennial in the city]. La Capital (in Spanish). Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province. February 11, 2010. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2011. La ciudad de Mar del Plata dio anoche el puntapié inicial a los festejos por el Bicentenario, con un espectáculo junto al mar del que participaron más de 100 mil marplatenses y turistas que disfrutaron de una mega-show de música, arte, danza y fuegos artificiales.
5. "Cristina declaró feriado el 24 de mayo" [Cristina declared May 24 a holiday]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 3, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. La presidenta Cristina Kirchner anunció esta tarde que firmó el decreto para declarar el 24 de mayo feriado "por única vez", como parte de la conmemoración del Bicentenario.
6. "Bicentenario: una multitud asistió a los festejos oficiales en la 9 de Julio" [Bicentennial: a crowd attended the official celebrations on 9 de Julio]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 21, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Durante más de cuatro horas, con Lito Nebbia como maestro de ceremonias, bandas de rock, solistas y demás figuras consagradas de la música popular hicieron vibrar a un público heterogéneo y diverso en edades, que se ubicó a lo largo de la avenida 9 de Julio, consignó la agencia DyN. Una versión de "La Balsa" interpretada por Lito Nebbia, León Gieco, Fito Páez, Silvina Garré, Miguel Cantilo, Antonio Birabent y Ricardo Soulé, entre otros, fue el momento culminante de la noche.
7. "Presentaron la Casa del Bicentenario" [The Bicentennial House was presented]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. December 17, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2011. El secretario de Cultura de la Nación, José Nun, anunció hoy que el año próximo abrirá al público la Casa del Bicentenario, un moderno espacio destinado a recuperar la historia viva de los argentinos.
8. "Cultura con espejo retrovisor" [Culture with a rear-view mirror]. Página/12 (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. March 17, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Los ojitos "mutantes", el logo estilizado con los colores de la bandera argentina, invitan a ingresar a la Casa Nacional del Bicentenario, "un espacio inédito de reflexión" para la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, como lo definió la presidenta Cristina Fernández, durante la inauguración de este edificio pensado en forma interactiva, "exquisitamente diseñado", que será dedicado al debate y la reflexión sobre la historia del país.
9. Cruz, Alejandro (May 25, 2010). "Un centro cultural a escala internacional" [An international-level cultural center]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. Retrieved December 9, 2011. El Centro Cultural del Bicentenario, que inauguró ayer la Presidenta en el edificio del ex Palacio de Correos, tiene una primera etapa de obras que podrá ser visitada hasta fin de mes.
10. "Sin Cobos ni ex presidentes en la mesa, Cristina encabezó la cena de gala en la Rosada" [With neither Cobos nor former presidents at the table, Cristina led the gala dinner at the Pink House]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 25, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. La mesa principal, que la Presidenta compartió con sus pares Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), José Mujica (Uruguay), Sebastián Piñera (Chile), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brasil), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), Fernando Lugo (Paraguay) y Evo Morales (Bolivia), tuvo en cada servilletero una escarapela, también en pedrería.
11. "El interior disfrutó de sus festejos" [The interior enjoyed their celebrations]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. En Córdoba, se abrió ayer la Expo 200 Bicentenario en el complejo ferial de la ciudad.
12. [The most important multisectoral fair in the country]. Expo 200 Bicentenario (in Spanish). Córdoba, Córdoba Province: modus. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Expo 200 Bicentenario, la feria multisectorial más importante del interior del país se desarrollará desde el sábado 22 hasta el domingo 30 de mayo en el Complejo Ferial Córdoba y reunirá alrededor de 300 expositores entre empresas, entidades e instituciones del ámbito productivo, industrial, turístico, tecnológico y cultural de Córdoba.
13. "El interior disfrutó de sus festejos" [The interior enjoyed their celebrations]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Además, la Municipalidad de Villa María se propone realizar mañana el locro más grande del mundo, que será distribuido gratuitamente entre 10.000 personas.
14. "El interior disfrutó de sus festejos" [The interior enjoyed their celebrations]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. El Monumento a la Bandera, en Rosario, se vistió ayer de fiesta para sumarse a la celebración por los 200 años de la patria, que se desarrollan con múltiples iniciativas en todo el país.
15. "El interior disfrutó de sus festejos" [The interior enjoyed their celebrations]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Con emoción, el tenor Volonté invitó a todo el público a cantar "Aurora" , lo que cautivó a la concurrencia.
16. "El interior disfrutó de sus festejos" [The interior enjoyed their celebrations]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. El gobierno de San Luis, en tanto, ultimaba los preparativos para inaugurar una réplica de la Plaza de Mayo, con el Cabildo y la Pirámide en sus dimensiones originales, en el acto central por el Bicentenario, que se hará en la ciudad de La Punta, a 25 km de la capital puntana.
17. "El interior disfrutó de sus festejos" [The interior enjoyed their celebrations]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. La intención del gobernador, Alberto Rodríguez Saá, es constituir allí un centro de actividades culturales, pedagógicas, históricas y recreativas.
18. [Macri: The Kirchners are those who handle the SIDE]. Publicar Online (in Spanish). May 15, 2010. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2011. "Esto es claramente una agresión de Néstor Kirchner. Por el apoyo que recibo de la gente, comprometo su continuidad en 2011", insistió este mediodía el jefe de Gobierno porteño. Eso fue tras el discurso que dio en Lanús. En ese discurso, cargó duramente contra los Kirchner, a los que endilgó los mismos males que hoy le achacan a él y por los que fue procesado: "Los que manejan la SIDE son ellos, los que utilizan al Estado son ellos".
19. [Cristina became angry at Macri and announced that she will not go to the soiree at the Columbus Theater]. La Razón (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 21, 2010. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Macri, ayer mismo, había mostrado su disgusto por un posible cruce con Néstor Kirchner en los palcos del Colón. "Si (Cristina) va con su marido, su consorte, como se dice, habrá que sentarse ahí" aunque eso no lo iba a poner "contento".
20. "El macrismo volvió a pedirle a Cristina que evalúe concurrir a la reapertura del Colón" [Macri's followers again asked Cristina to consider attending the reopening of the Columbus Theater]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Un día antes de la reapertura del teatro Colón, el macrismo volvió a pedirle a la presidenta Cristina Kirchner que evalúe concurrir al evento.
21. "Justifican no haber invitado a Cobos a la gala por el Bicentenario" [They justify not having invited Cobos to the gala for the Bicentennial]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 21, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Esta mañana, el Gobierno justificó no haber invitado al vicepresidente Julio Cobos a la cena de gala que Cristina Kirchner prepara como cierre de los festejos para el martes próximo.
22. "Justifican no haber invitado a Cobos a la gala por el Bicentenario" [They justify not having invited Cobos to the gala for the Bicentennial]. La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. May 21, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. Fernández también justificó que la jefa del Estado no haya invitado a la cena, al menos hasta hoy, a ninguno de sus antecesores, salvo a Néstor Kirchner, claro.
23. Pavón, Héctor (2010). "El espejo lejano del primer centenario" [The distant mirror of the first centennial]. Ñ (in Spanish) (343). Buenos Aires: Clarín: 29.
24. Fraga, Rosendo (May 14, 2010). "Especial Bicentenario: 6. Centenario vs. Bicentenario" [Bicentennial Special: 6. Centennial vs. Bicentennial]. Nueva Mayoría (in Spanish). Retrieved December 9, 2011. El Centenario encontró a la Argentina viviendo la euforia del éxito. No sólo era el primer PBI de América Latina, sino que además era el país con menor analfabetismo, superando en esto a varios países de Europa. Pero el Centenario generó también el debate sobre lo que era necesario cambiar. Por eso al año siguiente (1911) se sancionó la ley del voto universal, secreto y obligatorio, que era una asignatura pendiente. En cambio, el Bicentenario lo encuentra en una situación de decadencia. No solo el volumen de su economía ha caído, sino que también lo esta haciendo su nivel educativo. El problema del Bicentenario es que encuentra al país con menos voluntad de emprender la agenda de las asignaturas pendientes.
25. "Pigna visita el Bicentenario" [Pigna visits the Bicentennial]. Diario Río Negro (in Spanish). General Roca, Río Negro Province. April 4, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2011. A su juicio, el Bicentenario hay que diferenciarlo del Centenario, "que fue una cosa horrorosa y me parece que define mucho a la gente que lo reivindica. Lo interesante, como dice Umberto Eco, es lo no dicho". "Cuando uno dice añoramos aquel centenario donde el país estaba mejor no está diciendo que no había leyes sociales, que la gente no votaba -observa-. Cómo era ese país de doble cara: la avenida Alvear y su fasto parisino y a pocas cuadras la miseria de los conventillos y más adentro la miseria profunda del interior". La semana del Centenario "se produce una reacción con más de 4.000 presos. Socialistas, anarquistas y sindicalistas que hacen una huelga para mostrarle al mundo que esto no era el paraíso que contaba el gobierno y que había hambre, desocupación y miseria". En defensa de la memoria argentina de un siglo, recalca Pigna, decir que estamos igual es una falta de respeto, avanzamos muchísimo, hemos adquirido leyes sociales, incorporado minorías, tenemos una democracia de casi 30 años y nunca paso esta continuidad, por supuesto tenemos una deuda interna que hay que saldar pero añorar un país para pocos, reivindicarlo, es absurdo".

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bicentennial of Argentina.

• Flickr Group with pictures of this holiday (in Spanish)