War, diplomacy and consensus production: the psychological action plan of the Argentine Army in the context of the conflict with Chile over the Beagle Channel (1981-1982)

Authors

  • Julia Risler IIGG, Universidad de Buenos Aíres
  • Laura Schenquer IHUCSO, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Argentina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v8i17.565

Keywords:

dictatorship, psychological action, Beagle, consensus, public opinion

Abstract

Until very recently, historiographies on the last dictatorships in Argentina (1976-1983) and Chile (1973-1990) had eluded the problem of social acceptance of both regimes. The imposition of dictatorships and their continuity over time, together with popular obedience, had been merely circumscribed to the action of a coercive and repressive apparatus. However, recent studies have begun to problematize other types of mechanisms that also occurred during the period, among which psychological action stands out: a set of techniques, knowledge and military procedures aimed at driving, regulating and controlling social behaviors and attitudes. 

In this work we seek to provide a broad overview on the strategic design of the public and private negotiations with the Chilean dictatorship led by the Argentine military government. In our analysis of psychological action, we will focus in particular on its use for “national security” reasons and, more specifically, its adaptation and implementation in times of what Colonel Jorge H. Poli defined as a stage of “political tension” previous to actual warlike confrontations. To do so, we will examine a series of documents from the Historical Service of the Army wrote by the General Staff of the Army, centering on the Plan del TOO as a set of psychological operations scheduled between 1981 and 1982, when the dispute with Chile over the Beagle Channel seemed to have come to a deadlock. 

The discovery of this psychological action plan is a significant finding in at least two senses. On the one hand, it seems to be but one of the many plans designed by military officials to create social consensus in Argentina back in the dictatorship years. On the other, it unveils aspects so far not addressed of the conflict over the Beagle Channel, traditionally studied from the perspective of Argentina and Chile’s preparations for the armed conflict or from the point of view of diplomatic negotiations.

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Author Biographies

  • Julia Risler, IIGG, Universidad de Buenos Aíres

    Julia Risler es licenciada en Ciencias de la Comunicación de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (2005). Doctora en Ciencias Sociales por la Universidad de Buenos Aires (2015). Docente de la materia Teoría de los medios y de la cultura en la carrera de Edición de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras (UBA). Ha impartido cursos en el Centro Cultural Rector Ricardo Rojas (UBA) y en la Universidad Nacional de las Artes (UNA). Miembro del Grupo de Estudios sobre el Gobierno de la (In)Seguridad (GEGInSeg), radicado en el Instituto Gino Germani (UBA). 

  • Laura Schenquer, IHUCSO, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Argentina

    Laura Schenquer es Licenciada en Ciencia Política por la Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina (2004) y es Doctora en Ciencias Sociales por la Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina (2013). Investigadora Asistente de CONICET y Docente Ayudante de Primera de la materia Ciencia Política del Ciclo Básico Común de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Ha publicado artículos en diferentes revistas académicas sobre cultura y política en dictadura, y sobre políticas públicas de represión y consenso. Forma parte de lo siguientes equipos de investigación: Grupo Interdisciplinario de Estudios Socio-histórico (IHUCSO); CESIL (Centro de Estudios Sociales Interdisciplinarios del Litoral); y el Grupo de Estudios de Arte y Política (IIGG, UBA).

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Junta Militar, Acta de reunión nº 119, en Actas de la dictadura. Tomo 3: Actas 66 a 123, 11 de julio de 1978 a 11 de diciembre de 1979. Disponible online https://www.argentina.gob.ar/defensa/archivos-abiertos/instituciones-de-archivo/archivo-del-ministerio-de-defensa/edificio-condor/documentos-digitalizados, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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___ Acta de reunión: “Nota de acción psicológica para el caso Beagle”, 27/08/1979, Ministerio de Defensa catalogación: A3-00-00-17-01-00-110

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- Documentos de la Dirección General de Publicaciones del Ministerio del Interior. Archivo BANADE- Archivo Nacional de la Memoria, Carpeta 3, 4 de mayo de 1979 y 4 de abril de 1982.

- “Documentos del Miedo” (publicados por el diario La Nación de Chile):

Secretaría General de Gobierno (1973). “Campaña de penetración psicológica masiva”, Dirección de Relaciones Humanas. Departamento de Psicología, Santiago, Chile.

___ (1973). “Orientación Psicológica para los Planes de Difusión del Gobierno”, Santiago, Chile.

___ (1973). “Preparación psicológica de la población para contrarrestar la acción marxista”, Departamento Relaciones Humanas y Conducta social, Santiago, Chile.

Ministerio del Interior (1978). “Plan de Operaciones Epsilon”, Santiago, Chile.

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___ (1980). “Orden especial del Comandante en Jefe del Ejército nº 701/80. Para el desarrolo de la Campaña de Cs. ‘El niño, la escuela, el Ejército’” (EMGE 333), Servicio Histórico del Ejército, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

___ (1980). “Orden especial del Comandante en Jefe del Ejército nº 299/80. Difusión de temas de interés nacional e institucional para la Fuerza” (EMGE 334), Servicio Histórico del Ejército, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

___ (1980). “Orden del Comandante en Jefe del Ejército nº 710/80. Organización del Ejército” (EMGE 335), Servicio Histórico del Ejército, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

___ (1981). “Plan del TOO nº 001/81” Tomos I y II (EMGE 410 y 411), Servicio Histórico del Ejército, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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Published

2019-12-16

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 17 (2019): Terrorismo de Estado en Latinoamérica durante la segunda mitad del siglo XX

Section

Dossier

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How to Cite

War, diplomacy and consensus production: the psychological action plan of the Argentine Army in the context of the conflict with Chile over the Beagle Channel (1981-1982). (2019). Revista Universitaria De Historia Militar, 8(17), 48-70. https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v8i17.565

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