The first European navigator to visit the beaches and cliffs of what one day would become

Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" is a s ...

was

Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 (t ...

in his 1577

circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical object, astronomical body (e.g. a planet or natural satellite, moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first recorded circ ...

voyage. He introduced the name ''Cape Lobos'' in the

cartography Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

of his time, due to the large colony of sea lions (''lobos de mar'' in Spanish) around the cape today known as Cabo Corrientes. Just four years later, the Spanish Governor of the River Plate, Don Juan de Garay (second founder of

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

) explored the area by land, and paid tribute to the beautiful landscape by describing it as a ''muy galana costa'' (a very elegant shore). This is today one of the city's favourite mottos.''Historia de Mar del Plata: Descubrimiento''
In 1742, during the

War of Jenkins' Ear The War of Jenkins' Ear, or , was a conflict lasting from 1739 to 1748 between Britain and the Spanish Empire. The majority of the fighting took place in New Granada and the Caribbean Sea, with major operations largely ended by 1742. It is con ...

, eight survivors of , part of

Admiral Anson Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson, (23 April 1697 – 6 June 1762) was a Royal Navy officer. Anson served as a junior officer during the War of the Spanish Succession and then saw active service against Spain at the Battl ...

's expedition, lived through a ten-month ordeal before being decimated and captured by the nomadic tribe of the

Tehuelches The Tehuelche people, also called the Aónikenk, are an indigenous people from eastern Patagonia in South America. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Tehuelche were influenced by Mapuche people, and many adopted a horseriding lifestyle. Once a ...

, who eventually handed them to the Spaniards. In 1746, by order of the

Spanish Kingdom , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, a

Jesuit Order , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

's mission was established on the northwestern shore of what is now

Laguna de los Padres Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to: People * Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay * Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist * Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet ...

, some west of the modern city, but it was abandoned after a series of northern Tehuelches attacks, led by native chieftain

Cangapol Cangapol was a Tehuelche cacique from the area of Huilin, in the Negro River Valley in today's Argentina from 1735 to 1757.Luján and led by Captain Juan Antonio Hernández, with the help of friendly natives, defeated a group of Tehuelches who had been harassing and plundering a number of farms and hamlets beyond the Salado River. The battle took place at the Vulcan Heights, near

Sierra de los Padres Sierra de los Padres is a string of rocky hills and ridges about 14 miles west of Mar del Plata. They are part of the Tandilia's mountain range, actually a series of low, rocky hills extended from the central Buenos Aires Province to Cabo Corri ...

, where 102 Tehuelches were ambushed and killed. In 1772 another Spanish expedition commanded by Captain Pedro Pablo Pabón surveyed the area. The region was not populated again by Europeans until 1856, when a meat- salting facility was built by Portuguese entrepreneur Coelho de Meirelles, and a stable population settled there.

Foundation and development (1874–1930)

The town was founded on February 10, 1874 by governmental

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

, and by initiative of Patricio Peralta Ramos. It is said that Pedro Luro, a Basque merchant, had the idea of turning the growing town into a European-style bathing resort three years later. As the railway began to expand into the province, previously isolated settlements became accessible to visitors from the capital; the first passenger train arrived here from Buenos Aires in September 1886. The subsequent opening of the town's first hotel - the luxurious

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

Hotel- in 1888 was a great occasion for the Buenos Aires elite, many of whom travelled down for the opening on an overnight train. Teodoro Bronzini-1919

The railroad also paved the way to the arrival of European immigrants, mainly

Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance peoples, Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of National and regional identity in Spain, national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex Hist ...

and French. Among the Italians,

Sicilians Sicilians or the Sicilian people are a Romance speaking people who are indigenous to the island of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the largest and most populous of the autonomous regions of Italy. Origin and i ...

and

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

ns started the first fishing activities in the 1890s, although the port of Mar del Plata would only be built in 1916 by a French company. The project was designed and directed by the local engineer Federico Beltrami, son of a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

-Italian immigrant, Francesco Beltrami, himself the first recorded builder in the town. Mar del Plata's initial success aside, the richest of Argentina's very rich continued to make their regular pilgrimages to Europe. It took the outbreak of war in Europe to dampen Argentine enthusiasm for the journey across the Atlantic and to establish the town as an exclusive tourist destination. Indeed, the building industry also began in this period, in order to satisfy the demands of the new resort. The different guilds were led mostly by residents originally from Northern Italy, but the next generation included people of Spaniard and Southern Italian stock. In the late 1920s wealthy Argentine families began to build chalets and mansions near Bristol Hotel, and spent their days at the Playa Bristol beach. They would live in Mar del Plata from November until Easter. This social background increased the tensions between the elite and the established population. The political intervention of the central power, held by the Conservative Party, in the Municipality's institutions prompted a 1911 '' Manifiesto'' from some residents seeking to diminish the national

oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...

influence over local affairs. The following moves brought the

Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

s to power in 1919 (see

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

in the main article about Mar del Plata), an audacious shift in the ''summer residence'' of the Argentine ''aristocracy''. The national Government was also taken over by the

Radical Civic Union The Radical Civic Union ( es, Unión Cívica Radical, UCR) is a centrist and social-liberal political party in Argentina. It has been ideologically heterogeneous, ranging from social liberalism to social democracy. The UCR is a member of the So ...

, its leader,

Hipólito Yrigoyen Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Yrigoyen (; 12 July 1852 – 3 July 1933) was an Argentine politician of the Radical Civic Union and two-time President of Argentina, who served his first term from 1916 to 1922 and his second ...

becoming President of the Republic.

Mass tourism (1930–1970)

The first military coup in Argentina's history took place on September 6, 1930, restoring the conservative hegemony in all levels of Government, including the local one. Although unpopular and fraudulent, this old ''new order'' brought some progress and investment to an ailing country in the climax of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Mass tourism began to arrive in this decade, helped by improved roads, but it took off in the 1940s and 1950s, when the development of union-run hotels under the Perón

presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...

put the city within the reach of Argentina's middle and working classes.

Peronism Peronism, also called justicialism,. The Justicialist Party is the main Peronist party in Argentina, it derives its name from the concept of social justice., name=, group= is an Argentine political movement based on the ideas and legacy of Ar ...

, even if elected by overwhelming popular vote, kept some of the Conservative hegemonic practices. This was especially noted in Mar del Plata, where the internal disputes inside the party led to a succession of ''Comisionados'';

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

Mayors imposed by the provincial Governor. None of the Peronist Mayors elected by vote completed his term in office in this nine-year period. On the other hand, the social changes promoted by Perón boosted Mar del Plata's economy and middle class as never before. But allegations of

populism Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...

, corruption and mismanagement reached the point of no return. The ''

Revolución Libertadora ''Revolución Libertadora'' (; ''Liberating Revolution'') was the coup d'état that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on 16 September 1955. Background President Perón was first elected in 1946. In 1949, a ...

'', a combined military and civilian uprising, overthrew Perón on September 16, 1955. In Mar del Plata, as in other places of the country, the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

supported the rebels and the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

remained loyal to the Government. The naval base outskirts and some points of the city were subjected to heavy shelling from the sea, before the loyalist forces could be dispersed. The action was carried out by the

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

, a squadron of destroyers and the

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

ARA ''Republica'' (former ), the latter inside the port itself. Two fishing boats (''Miguel Angel'' and ''Corsario'') evacuated non-essential personnel from the base, the latter running aground in the process. If the 1950s were years of economic boom for Mar del Plata, the 1960s saw a skyrocketing development of the building industry, which reached the peak of its activity. The rate of construction per square feet was the highest in the world, surpassing even that of

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil. Like in the 1930s, the growth took place during a period of political turmoil. Peronism was proscribed by the military, but there were some constitutional intervals, all of them dominated by the Socialists at local level. It was certainly one of the most successful decades in Mar del Plata's history.

The last U-boats and other World War II stories

On July 10, 1945, two months after

V-E day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

, a fishing boat leaving the port of Mar del Plata was surprised by coming upon a rusty German submarine. This

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

, , departed from

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...

, Norway, on March 3, with a complement of 54 men, under the command of 24-year-old Otto Vermouth. After a failed attack on an

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

convoy off

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, the boat received a clear message ordering the surrender at the nearest Allied base. The situation looked suspicious to the confused Vermouth, who just a couple of hours before had heard on the wireless station the codename '' Regenbogen'' (rainbow), imparted by Admiral

Karl Dönitz Karl Dönitz (sometimes spelled Doenitz; ; 16 September 1891 24 December 1980) was a German admiral who briefly succeeded Adolf Hitler as head of state in May 1945, holding the position until the dissolution of the Flensburg Government follo ...

, which ordered the immediate scuttling of all operational U-boats. Facing these conflicting reports, he decided instead to continue on a southern course, finally reaching the Argentine coast during the early days of July. Unlike the usual procedures of the German military, the decision was taken by consensus. Before entering port to surrender to the Argentine authorities Vermouth threw overboard the codes and code machines, and discarded the 88 mm deck gun and torpedoes. The boat had been launched in 1941, and in 1943 had sunk the freighter ''Milos'' and the tanker ''Sunoil'', and torpedoed and damaged the oiler ''Chapultepec''. The crew was immediately interned by presidential decree and taken by bus to Buenos Aires. On August 17 the German submarine U-977(commander Heinz Schaeffer) was surprised on the surface, off the naval port, by the minesweeper ARA ''Py'' and the submarine ARA ''Salta''. ''U-977'' was boarded and towed to the military docks. Unlike Vermouth, Schaeffer released his U-boat intact, giving up to the Naval Authorities codebooks, code machines, guns and torpedoes, as a goodwill gesture. ''U-977'', launched in 1942, had been damaged on her maiden trip by collision and spent her days as a

school ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classr ...

in the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

. Schaeffer learned about the death of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

a few days after departing from

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...

. As with ''U-530'', the crew were allowed to vote on their fate. The married personnel opted for return and landed in Norway; the other seamen decided to make the long and dangerous trip to Argentina. After sailing for more than 100 days, Schaeffer had the Argentine coast on sight. On August 22, ''U-977''s 31-man complement was transported to the capital. There was speculation about the submarine carrying some of the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

Regime's prominent figures, but according to Canadian historian Ronald C. Newton, this proved to be just a legend born largely before the surrender of any German unit in Argentina. Both commanders were interrogated about the landing of personnel before the surrender, with a young Argentine sailor of German ancestry acting as interpreter. Analysis of ''U-977''s

log Log most often refers to: * Trunk (botany), the stem and main wooden axis of a tree, called logs when cut ** Logging, cutting down trees for logs ** Firewood, logs used for fuel ** Lumber or timber, converted from wood logs * Logarithm, in mathe ...

and the fuel consumption of ''U-530'' left no extra time for the boats to have executed any suspicious activities before reaching Mar del Plata. The German sailors and the submarines were eventually turned over to the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

This episode was not the only World War II affair involving Mar del Plata. A less well-known German landing had taken place the year before: early on July 3, 1944 the

yawl A yawl is a type of boat. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put. As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast p ...

''Santa Bárbara '' anchored a few yards off the coast near

Punta Mogotes Punta Mogotes is an open beach area and an adjacent neighbourhood located in Mar del Plata, Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South Ameri ...

, then an area with extensive sand dunes, some southwest of the port. The vessel had been chartered by the ''Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD) with the mission of infiltrating two fully equipped spies in Argentina and to repatriate another three. The operation was a complete success, and the Allies only learned about ''Santa Bárbara'' several months later. The sailboat had departed from Arcachon, France, on April 16. The

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

landings prevented the return to France, and the sloop delivered her passengers to

Vigo Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Penins ...

, in neutral Spain. Another World War II related action was the interception of the German steamer ''Erlangen'' by the British cruiser 36 hours after sailing from Mar del Plata with a cargo of

tungsten Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isolat ...

and

molybdenum Molybdenum is a chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42 which is located in period 5 and group 6. The name is from Neo-Latin ''molybdaenum'', which is based on Ancient Greek ', meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lea ...

on July 23, 1941. The vessel was scuttled by her crew. From a wide point of view, the Second World War was an opportunity for the port of Mar del Plata to increase its commercial activities and for its incipient fishing industry to export much-needed

shark liver oil Shark liver oil is an oil obtained from the livers of sharks. It has been used for centuries as a folk remedy to promote the healing of wounds and as a remedy for respiratory tract and digestive system problems.

to Allied countries. During the war Mar del Plata, like all of Argentina, suffered from a severe shortage of materials such as fuel and metals.

Crisis and recovery (1970–2000s)

The 1970s and 1980s showed some decline. Newer resorts became more and more attractive for so-called ''alternative'' tourism, and the high-profile visitors of the past shifted their attention to the beaches of

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

and Brazil. The success of each summer season hinged on the financial fluctuations of the

currency A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general def ...

, amid periods of

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reductio ...

and crisis that discouraged the middle-class from investing in Mar del Plata. As a result of internal immigration from depressed regions of the country, the first ''villas miseria'' ( shanty towns) made their appearance in these decades. By contrast, these years marked the taking-off for the fishing industry and the birth of metal-mechanics factories. The Nacional University was also founded in 1975. In 1978, the town hosted some matches for the

football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

FIFA World Cup 1978 The 1978 FIFA World Cup was the 11th edition of the FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football world championship tournament among the men's senior national teams. It was held in Argentina between 1 and 25 June. The Cup was won by t ...

organized by Argentina. The Stadium José Maria Minella was specially built for the occasion.

The Falklands War

Army and Navy groups based in the town participated in the

Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

( es, Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur, links=no) of 1982 with Britain. Memorial Mdq 2009

Elite troops ( Comandos Anfibios ''and'' Buzos Tacticos) from Mar del Plata's Naval Base forced the surrender of the Naval Party 8901 and the British Governor of the Islands, Rex Hunt, on April 2 that year ( Operation Rosario). The British reaction,

Operation Corporate The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland I ...

, prompted the build-up of an Argentine garrison in

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

(renamed ''Puerto Argentino'' by the Argentine Government). The Argentine submarines, also based at the naval docks, saw some action too; one of them, the old 'Guppy'-class was lost in the

South Georgia Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = , song = , image_map = South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in United Kingdom.svg , map_caption = Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Oce ...

. Another one, the

Type 209 The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany. The original variant (Type 209/1100) was designed in the late 1960s. The class is exclusively designed for ...

harassed the British task force for several days. The Antiaircraft Artillery Group 601 (GADA 601), its permanent headquarters located north of Mar del Plata, was responsible for the troops anti-aircraft defense. They claim the shootdown of four British aircraft (two Sea Harriers and two RAF GR.3 Harriers), forcing the British to change tactics in order to avoid the 35 mm Oerlikon Contraves guns and

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

missiles threat. The Sea Harriers ground-attack operations were conducted from high altitude from the rest of the conflict, and it was not until the arrival of the first GR3 Harriers that limited low level missions were launched, most of them in close air support role, or against high-value targets, like artillery and radars. The army's group was supported by an Argentine Air Force detachment, the ''Grupo 1 de Artillería Antiaérea'' (1st Group of Antiaircraft Artillery) which had been transferred from

Tandil Tandil is the main city of the homonymous Partidos of Buenos Aires, partido (department), located in Argentina, in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province, just north-northwest of Tandilia hills. The city was founded in 1823 and its name originate ...

to Mar del Plata in October 1981. Both forces would operate together during the conflict in the defence of Stanley airport, renamed BAM Malvinas by the Argentines and Goose Green airstrip, designated BAM Cóndor (Cóndor Military Air Base). The Air Force group was reinforced with personnel from

Río Gallegos Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

. A small detachment (34 men) from GADA 601, deployed in Port Darwin and armed with two twin Oerlikon 35 mm cannons, also played a key role in the Battle of Goose Green, May 28, inflicting several casualties to the 2nd Para battalion before surrendering the next day. Thirteen personnel from Mar del Plata lost their lives in the conflict, among them the first Argentine casualty of the war, Captain

Pedro Giachino Capitan de Corbeta Pedro Edgardo Giachino ( Mendoza, 28 May 1947 – 2 April 1982, Port Stanley), was an Argentine Navy officer who became the first serviceman killed in action during the Falklands War. Falklands War Giachino was the le ...

, one of the commanders of the elite troops that seized Port Stanley. A memorial was erected to commemorate them in 1986.

Democratic process

The Socialists were replaced by the Radicals as the main political force in the 1983 election, after the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional, when a military dictatorship ruled the country. The city had been affected by both the

leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

militant organizations' campaign and the brutal overreaction of the armed forces, resulting in 10–30,000 '' desaparecidos'' across the country, well over 200 of them in Mar del Plata alone. After the resigning of President

Raúl Alfonsín Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín (12 March 1927 – 31 March 2009) was an Argentine lawyer and statesman who served as President of Argentina from 10 December 1983 to 8 July 1989. He was the first democratically elected president after more than ...

amid a financial quagmire in 1989, the Peronists returned to power. President

Carlos Menem Carlos Saúl Menem (2 July 1930 – 14 February 2021) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. Ideologically, he identified as a Peronist and supported economically liberal policies. H ...

made a huge reform of the Economy, established a parity between the

Peso The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the Dollar sign, same sign, "$", as many currencies na ...

and the Dollar and sold all the obsolete companies belonging to the Federal Government. The first years of his mandate brought some prosperity to the Argentine middle-class, and there was a rebirth of mass tourism for Mar del Plata. But the

trade deficit The balance of trade, commercial balance, or net exports (sometimes symbolized as NX), is the difference between the monetary value of a nation's exports and imports over a certain time period. Sometimes a distinction is made between a balance ...

, along with an increasing jobless rate harmed the city's investments, with the subsequent social crisis. For the first time in its history, Mar del Plata saw emigration and some pockets of extreme poverty in the environs of the city. But even in such a deep crisis, the Radicals, identified with the mid-classes, kept firmly in charge of the local Government. The Peronism was succeeded by an Alliance between the Radicals and other moderate leftist parties in the central power in 1999. However, after the unpopular administration of President Fernando De la Rua, and a period of riots and Institutional mess, the country had a swift recovery during the term of President Néstor Kirchner. The new situation was also felt in Mar del Plata. The local economy grew for the first time in years and the renewed touristic offer attracted investment, reviving the ailing market and consumers confidence. International events and conventions returned to the city, triggering the remodeling of public spaces. The Fourth Summit of the Americas is an example of the latter. The Summit took place on November 3 and November 6, 2005. The meeting of 34 countries in

the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...

was marked by large-scale

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...

s and a series of exchanges between

Venezuelan President The president of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de Venezuela), officially known as the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is the head of state and head of government in Ven ...

Hugo Chávez Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013, except for a brief period in 2002. Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Republ ...

and the

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

centering on the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. Ruiz Moreno, pp. 141-142

Notes

References

Sources

Unless otherwise indicated, all the sources are written in Spanish. * Anniversary Editions of ''La Capital'' newspaper: 1955, 1980, 1985, 2005. * Barili, Roberto T.: ''Mar del Plata, Reseña Histórica''. Published by the Municipality of Gral. Pueyrredón, Mar del Plata, 1964. *Gascón, Julio César: ''Orígenes Históricos de Mar del Plata''. Taller de Impressiones Oficiales, Provincia de Buenos Aires, 1942. * Newton, Ronald C.: ''The Nazi menace in Argentina (1937–1947)''. The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, 1992. * Pastoriza, Elisa: ''Los trabajadores de Mar del Plata en vísperas del peronismo''. ''Biblioteca Política Argentina'' series, Buenos Aires, 1993. * Ruiz Moreno, Isidoro: ''La Neutralidad Argentina en la Segunda Guerra''. Emecé Editores, 1997. {{ISBN, 950-04-1762-6 * Sebreli, Juan José: ''Mar del Plata: el ocio represivo.'' Editorial Tiempo Contemporáneo, 1970 * Zago, Manrique: ''Mar del Plata, Argentina''. Manrique Zago Ed., 1997. (Bilingual Edition). Mar del Plata