Orthodox Peronism

Orthodox Peronism, Peronist Orthodoxy, National Justicialism, is a faction within Peronism, a political movement in Argentina that adheres to the ideology and legacy of Juan Perón. Orthodox Peronists are staunch supporters of Perón and his original policies, and they reject any association with Marxism or any other left-wing ideologies. Some of them are aligned with far-right elements. Orthodox Peronism also refers to the Peronist trade union faction that split from the “62 organizations" and that opposed the “legalists", who were more moderate and pragmatic. They were also known as “the hardliners", “the 62 standing with Perón" and they maintained an orthodox and verticalist stance, in accordance with the Peronist doctrine. Orthodox Peronism has been in several conflicts with the Tendencia Revolucionaria (opposite current in the Peronist movement), for example during the Ezeiza massacre.

Origin of the denomination
The term orthodox Peronism emerged during the years of the Peronist resistance after 1955, when historical revisionism was consolidated and enabled a closer connection between Peronism and nationalism. Although there was some relationship between the Peronist government and the nationalists, the former was not revisionist in its historical interpretation and the latter did not have a dominant role in the government. It was only from 1955 onwards, in the context of the resistance and influenced by historical nationalism, that an orthodox Peronism began to take shape. This implied not only an adaptation of Peronism to nationalism, but also a reappropriation and reformulation of some of the original concepts of Perón’s discourse by the nationalists. This convergence between nationalists and Peronists was not without tensions or difficulties. During those years, they formed the most intransigent and uncompromising sectors of Peronism, who rejected any kind of agreement with the government. They distanced themselves from the neoperonist, vandorist or conciliatory tendencies that emerged in the movement in the sixties. Also when we refer to the traditional orthodox current, we account for a conglomerate of unions and groups that, although strongly identified by the justicialist verticality, were initially opposed to the leadership of Rodolfo Ponce and the right-wing unionism. In most of them, the union leaders had a wide trajectory, which they had acquired in the conflicts of the first half of the 60s (Plan de Huerta Grande and Plan del Lucha del 64"), This current would be mainly represented by the Secretaries of the AEC (Ezequiel Crisol) and the UOM (Albertano Quiroga), counting on the support of the unions with the largest number of affiliates in the city, but which in turn did not have a greater political weight during the decade. Peronism underwent a profound political transformation from the campaign of the luche and vuelve, which culminated in Perón’s return to power in 1973. The tensions between the union sectors and the Peronist left, which had supported Cámpora’s government, worsened with the turn to the right that Perón promoted from his inauguration. The sectors of traditional Peronism, union orthodoxy and Peronist right-wing joined in a verticalist triad that had just formed a new Peronist orthodoxy, and offcorse it had sought to marginalize and repress the Peronist left, which resisted giving up its revolutionary ideals. Since then, orthodox Peronism encompassed those sectors that, invoking verticalism, opposed any kind of alignment with the so-called marxism or the left-wing peronism. The orthodox Peronists began to be recognized those who, professing their loyalty to Perón and his wife (Estela Martínez de Perón), defended the “Peronist homeland" against the “socialist homeland" proposed by the left-wing faction of the movement, known as the Revolutionary Tendency. During Lastiri’s government and after Perón’s death, the new orthodox entente used institutional and extra-institutional mechanisms to expel and corner the new heterodoxy, made up of the Peronist left and the governors and officials aligned with it, political violence intensified within the Peronist movement, as well as the armed action of the guerrilla organizations. This resulted in several conflicts that marked this period as one of the most violent in Argentina’s history.

Until 1973
Initially, orthodox Peronism encompassed those centrist sectors that followed the Peronist ideals to the letter and opposed the neo-Peronist sectors of the time, as Perón expressed in his speeches: It was mainly organized under the orthodox union leadership. This traditional orthodoxy was part of the National Transference Table.

Since 1973
With the return of Perón, Orthodox Peronism mainly advocated its total adherence to the governments of Perón and Isabel Perón, highlighting that the twenty Peronist truths were relevant and nothing else (emphasizing it to the tendency); the opposition to the revolutionary youth sectors of Peronism and the "Homeland Socialist", considered alien to the movement; and the reaffirmation of the Third Position distancing itself from both United States and the Soviet Union. The term of right-wing peronism is included within the parameter of the orthodoxy, but not only, since the term could denote old Justicialists or centrists/centre-rightists who simply wanted to distance themselves from the postulates of the tendency. The distinction of the orthodox organizations of "far right" obeys to that these last ones assumed the fight against the Marxist advance within the Peronist movement through the armed violence, with a marked antisemitic, anticommunist and antisynarchist bias.

Fascism was also a qualification that various groups were pointed out, such as the Nationalist Liberation Alliance and the Tacuara Nationalist Movement, although both of their leaders Isabel Perón and José López Rega ("the wizard") showed tuning for fascism or falangism. Perón was seen performing the roman salute characteristic of the movements akin to fascism. And López Rega was part of the Masonic lodge Propaganda Due, led by the fascist Licio Gelli, and he collaborated whit fascist peronist groups. Economically both showed neoliberal profiles and appointed as minister of economy Celestino Rodrigo, who applied an ultra-liberal economic program vulgarly known as "Rodrigazo".

Orthodoxy organizations
In the seventies, there were several terrorist organizations that adhered to this Peronism. Among the main groups of Orthodox Peronism include the Orthodox Peronist Youth, with Adrián Curi as executive secretary; Concentration of the Peronist Youth, with Martín Salas as organization secretary; Peronist Union Youth, which has Claudio Mazota in t.he union secretariat; the Iron Guard, the Falangist National University Concentration; the Peronist Youth of the Argentine Republic, National Student Front, which had Víctor Lorefice as press and finance secretary, and the neo-Nazi and Antisemite organization the Tacuara Nationalist Movement is also part of this movement. The Alianza Anticomunista Argentina (AAA) also Is included, although it is not yet clear if it is its own political organization, a mere death squad, or a confederation of right-wing groups. Other minor groups such as the Comando Rucci are also part of this denomination.

Present
Currently the term orthodox Peronism, is still used although sometimes it is not used with historical rigor. It is used to describe groups such as the Popular Dignity party (currently the Federal Republican Encounter), the Second Republic Project, the Popular Party, the Principles and Values Party,  Unite for Freedom and Dignity (successor of People's Countryside Party and Movement for Dignity and Independence ), Federal Patriot Front (previously known as New Triumph Party, Alternativa Social and Bandera Vecinal), parts of Youth and Dignity Left Movement  and Federal Commitment. Orthodox Peronism currently has its place in federal peronism, and is also characterized by rejecting the left wing of Peronism, Kirchnerism. Also some important current leaders of Peronism such as Alberto Rodriguez Saa, are classified within orthodox Justicialism. FPF leader Alejandro Biondini meanwhile rejects both Kirchnerism and Menemism.