Argentina: The 1955 coup against Juan Domingo Perón

On September 16, 1955, a military uprising began in Argentina that would eventually overthrow the second constitutional government of Juan Domingo Perón. Known by its proponents as the ‘Revolución Libertadora’ and by Peronist supporters as the ‘Revolución Fusiladora,’ the coup aimed to dismantle the Peronist political movement.

The uprising led to the dissolution of the Peronist Party, the persecution of its leaders, and the prohibition of its symbols, initiating a long period of political proscription for the movement. The conflict arose from increasing violence and confrontation between the Peronist government and an opposition composed of military, ecclesiastical, business, and civil sectors.