The original Amerindian inhabitants of Argentina were nomadic hunters and gatherers more warlike than agricultural. They killed the first Spanish explorers to arrive in 1516 and even forced the abandonment of the first Buenos Aires settlement some twenty years later. Their ultimate fate was similar to that of their North American brethren: they were defeated and hunted down.

Buenos Aires gained importance late during the Spanish reign, when it was designated as the capital of the new viceroyalty of Río de la Plata in 1776. This Spanish viceroyalty lasted for scarcely four decades.

Napoleon’s conquest of Spain prompted the Argentines to declare temporary self-rule in 1810. This led to a full declaration of independence in 1816, under the grandiose title of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata.

Fighting quickly broke out, as many provinces refused to be ruled by Buenos Aires. The territory of Río de la Plata divided into modern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Chile. Even the old, established cities of northern Argentina resisted domination by the upstart port of Buenos Aires. Not until 1880 was Argentina fully united.

Military coups preceded and followed Juan Perón’s dictatorship between 1946 and 1955. After Perón’s banishment to Spain, Argentina had another thirty years of military rule (there were some short episodes of civilian leadership during those decades). In 1973 he returned briefly to office, and when he died, power was transferred to his wife, Isabel Perón. 

In 1976, threatened by terrorism and hyperinflation, most Argentines were relieved when the military seized power. But stability was restored at the cost of human rights. The plight of the desaparacidos (the “disappeared”) began to be covered in the media when the mothers of thousands of missing Argentine citizens started keeping a public vigil for family members who had become victims of the military. The “Dirty War” lasted until 1983, and up to 30,000. Argentines disappeared—kidnapped, tortured, and illegally executed.

After a few years, brutality, corruption, and bad monetary policy made the junta unpopular. The junta decided to distract the populace by invading the British-held Malvinas (or Falkland) Islands in 1982. To the junta’s surprise, the United Kingdom fought to hold the territory. Argentina lost the Falkland War, and the humbled junta ceded power to an elected government in 1983.

The economy of Argentina suffered through a loan default in 2001, which was the largest in history to that point. Riots and resignations followed. After a series of five presidents in two weeks, Eduardo Duhalde became president and made some significant economic decisions to be eligible for aid again from the International Monetary Fund. In May of 2003 Nestor Kirchner was elected president, and he became noteworthy for his decision to persecute those responsible for the human rights abuses between 1976 and 1983.

Type of Government

La República Argentina is a federal republic. Argentina has twenty-three provinces; its capital is Buenos Aires. The president is both the chief of state and head of government. The cabinet is appointed by the president. The legislative branch is a bicameral National Congress. It consists of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. In the judicial branch, nine Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with the Senate’s approval. Current information on the government of Argentina can be found with the Embassy of Argentina,

Cultural Note

Juan Domingo Perón founded a political dynasty. But despite her fame, Eva (Evita) Perón, his second wife, was never president—she died while her husband was in office. Perón’s third wife, Isabel, succeeded to the presidency after he died in office in 1974. And Carlos Saul Menem, president from 1989 to 1999, was a member of the Justicialista Party—the modern-day Peronist Party.

Language

Spanish is the official language, although many people speak English, and an estimated 1.5 million people speak Italian. German and French are also commonly spoken. The heavy influence of Italian on Argentine Spanish makes it unique on the continent. Ethnologue, a catalogue of world languages, references twenty-six languages in Argentina—one of which is extinct.

The Argentine View

Church and state are officially separate, but about 90 percent of the population consider themselves Roman Catholic. Protestants, Muslims, and Jews account for the remainder. Like the French, Argentines tend to consider themselves more cultured than people from most countries. This can hamper their business dealings with people from nations Argentines have been known to look down upon.

For a country with many European attitudes, the Argentines still may exhibit a substantial amount of machismo. Antiglobalization sentiment has increased in Argentina since the nation’s 2001 economic crisis.

Know Before You Go

Most of Argentina is relatively safe from natural disasters. The exceptions are the San Miguel de Tucumán and Mendoza areas in the Andes, which are subject to earthquakes. Violent windstorms (called pamperos) can strike the Pampas and northeast; heavy flooding may also occur.

The greatest risk to travelers is from street crime, which has often been an issue in Argentine politics. Such crime is not usually violent but often manifests as scams and car theft. Corrupt officials, especially rural policemen, have been known to extort fines from travelers. This seemed to be on the increase since the economic dislocations of 2001.

In 2005, Argentina ranked ninety-seventh out of 158 countries (they tied with Algeria, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Serbia, and Montenegro) in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. The convergence of the Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is a locus of money laundering and smuggling. Travelers to this region may find themselves interrogated upon their return to their home country.

Cultural Orientation

Cognitive Styles: How Argentines Organize and Process Information Strong European influences make Argentines less open to discussion of new ideas than the citizens of most other Latin American countries. Those with higher educations are more apt to be abstractive in their thinking, although associative, experiential thinking is the rule of thumb. Strong personal relationships make Argentines more concerned about the consequences of an action than about the action itself.

Negotiation Strategies: What Argentines Accept as Evidence

There is a decided conflict among the forces of feeling, faith, and facts. Argentines look at problems from a subjective perspective, but these feelings are usually influenced by faith in some ideology (primarily the Catholic Church, a political party, or ethnocentrism). Facts are always acceptable as long as they do not contradict either feeling or faith.

Argentines have been evaluated to have a higher-than-average ranking in uncertainty avoidance. This may make Argentines averse to risk and somewhat unwilling to accept change.

Value Systems: The Basis for Behavior

Humanitarian values are strong, but consumerism is resulting in a more materialistic society. The following three sections identify the Value Systems in the predominant culture—their methods of dividing right from wrong, good from evil, and so forth.

Locus of Decision-Making

A single, high-ranking individual usually makes business decisions, but decisions are also made with the best interest of a larger group in mind. The most honored group is the extended family, from which one gains his or her self-identity. Kinships and friendships play significant roles in decision-making. Some cultural anthropologists believe that Argentines are less collectivist than their Latin American neighbors and chart a high individuality index.

Sources of Anxiety Reduction

Although the older generations are still attached to the Church and the extended family for their security, the younger generation is putting more faith in the social structure. This sometimes leads to unrealistic allegiance to a strong political figure or ideology.

Issues of Equality/Inequality

Those who are in power consider themselves entitled to the privileges that come with the office. Argentines have been measured to have a higher-than-average masculinity index. Although machismo is still very strong, it is being challenged on all fronts. There are now more women than men in school, and women are taking a leading role in both politics and business.

Business Practices

Punctuality, Appointments, and Local Time

● Visitors are expected to be punctual. However, do not be surprised if your Argentine counterpart is late. In general, the more important the person, the more likely it is that he or she will keep you waiting.

● Guidelines for punctuality are different for social occasions. Even North Americans are expected to be thirty minutes late (or more) for dinner or parties; to show up on time would be impolite. But be on time for lunch and for events with a scheduled starting time, such as the theater.

● When it is important to know if your Argentine counterpart expects promptness, you can ask, “.En punto?” (on the dot?).

● Remember that many South Americans and Europeans write the day first, then the month, then the year (e.g., December 3, 2010, is written 3.12.10 or 3/12/10). This is the case in Argentina.

● Your first appointments in Argentina should be with potential representatives (sometimescalled enchufados)—individuals who have high-level contacts in your industry segment. The person you ultimately select opens the doors and can greatly facilitate the process of doing business in Argentina. Get a list of potential enchufados or local representatives through your embassy or your company’s legal or accounting firm.

● Be certain you hire the correct Argentine personnel; it can be very difficult to change or fire your local representative.

● Argentine executives may put in a very long day, often lasting until 10:00 p.m. The ability to keep irregular business hours is the prerogative of an important executive.

● Argentina is three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T. –3), making it two hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time (E.S.T. +2).

Negotiating

● Visitors are often surprised that, despite its European manners, the pace of business negotiations is much slower than in Europe. Do not be surprised if it takes you several trips to accomplish your goal. One reason business moves slowly is that Argentina is a bureaucratic and litigious country. Even after the top decision-maker has agreed to something, many others must concur.

● Argentine negotiators have a reputation for toughness, yielding very little. Part of their immobility is due to the fact that they are generally averse to risk.

● Personal relationships are far more important than corporate ones. Each time your company changes its representative, you will virtually be starting from scratch. New alliances must be built up before business can proceed.

● Whenever you want to deal with the Argentine government, it is vital to have an Argentine contact to act as an intermediary. Without one, you probably won’t even get an appointment.

● Don’t assume that each portion of a contract is finalized once agreement on that section has been reached. Until the entire contract is signed, each part is subject to renegotiation.

● Expect the final contract to be long and detailed. 

Business Entertaining

● Business meals are popular and are usually held in restaurants; offers to dine in Argentine homes are relatively infrequent.

● To summon a waiter, raise your hand with your index finger extended or call out mozo (waiter) or moza (waitress). Don’t adopt the local habit of making a kissing noise to attract a waiter; although common, it is considered impolite.

● Business lunches are less common outside of Buenos Aires; it is still common for people to go home to eat lunch.

● Argentines do not usually discuss business over meals; meals are considered social occasions. 

● Since dinner does not begin until 10:00 p.m. (or later on weekends), Argentines have tea or coffee and pastries between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. If you are in a meeting during that time, you will be offered something. Accept something to drink, even if you don’t want it. 

● When dining, keep your hands on the table, not in your lap.

● There are several complexities involved with pouring wine, which a foreigner can unknowingly violate. For example, pouring with the left hand may be an insult.

● Taxes on imported liquors are enormous. When you are invited out, your host will be paying, so don’t order imported liquors unless your host does so first. Try a local drink instead; most types of liquor are produced in local versions.

● Argentina produces some of the best beef in the world; expect to see a lot of it at meals. Parrillada, a mixed grill of beef, beef, and more beef is very popular. Every variety of cut is included, from the udders on up. Many Argentines eat meat twice a day.

Cultural Note

Try to avoid offering any political opinions. Be especially cautious about praising Argentina’s neighbors (notably Chile).Argentina has fought wars with all of them.

Most Argentines are anxious to put the Falkland Islands War behind them, so avoid bringing up the subject. However, if it is discussed, remember to refer to the islands by their Argentine name, the Malvinas Islands. Argentines are great sports fans. Talking about sports is always a good way to open a conversation. Soccer (called fútbol) is the most popular sport. U.S.–style football is fútbol americano.Many older Argentines love opera, so it may be a good topic to discuss. Restaurants and sightseeing are also fine topics.

Protocol

Greetings

● Except when greeting close friends, it is traditional to shake hands briefly and nod to both men and women.

● Close male friends shake hands or embrace upon meeting; men kiss close female friends. Close female friends usually kiss each other. The full embrace (abrazo) may entail a hug, a handshake, and several thumps on the shoulder, ending with another handshake.

Titles/Forms of Address

● Travelers should be attentive to Argentina’s unique naming conventions; they are different from many other Spanish-speaking cultures.

● Rather than include the surnames of both parents in their full names, Argentines generally use just one surname (or family name). For example, a business card might say: “Señor Alberto Paz,” or “Señor Alberto Paz Esteban.” In both cases, Paz, or Paz Esteban would be his father’s name. His mother’s surname will probably not appear.

● The word de may be used in surnames, particularly by women who want to add their husbands’ family names to their own.

● While Argentines may have double first names on their business cards (like María Teresa or José Antonio), they might not use both those names in person—or in print. If you have not been told which first name they use, you should address them by their surnames.

● Appendix A contains further data on Titles and Forms of Address.

Gestures

● The Argentine people converse at a closer distance than North Americans or northern Europeans are used to—often with a hand on the other person’s lapel or shoulder. Restrain yourself from backing away; an Argentine will probably step forward to close the distance.

● Maintaining eye contact is very important—something that North Americans may find difficult while speaking to a person at such close quarters.

● A pat on the shoulder is a sign of friendship.

● The gesture that some North Americans use to mean “so-so” (twisting the flat, open hand from side to side) is common in Argentina. The meaning is the same.

● A sweeping gesture beginning under the chin and continuing up over the top of the head is used to mean “I don’t know” or “I don’t care.”

● With thumb and middle finger touching (as if holding a pinch of salt), one taps them with the index finger to indicate “hurry up” or “a lot.”

● Avoid placing your hands on your hips while speaking.

● Sit only on chairs, not on a ledge, box, or table.

● Eating in the street or on public transportation is considered impolite.

Gifts

● High taxes on imported liquor makes this a highly appreciated gift. Scotch and French champagne are popular. Don’t bring wine; the Southern Cone produces an abundance of quality wines.

● As in any country, gifts should be beautifully designed and of superior workmanship. If the item is produced by your corporation, the corporate name or logo should appear discreetly, not be emblazoned over the whole surface.

● Avoid giving knives; they symbolize the severing of a friendship.

● Electronic gadgets like iPods are popular.

● Argentina is a major cattle producer, and thus a major leather producer. Avoid bringing leather gifts.

● If you are invited to an Argentine home, bring a gift of flowers, imported chocolates, orwhiskey. Bird of paradise flowers are appreciated.

Dress

● Dress is very important for making a good impression in Argentina. Your entire wardrobe will be scrutinized.

● While Argentines are more in touch with European clothing styles than many Latin Americans, they tend toward the modest and the subdued. The provocative clothing popular in Brazil, for example, is rarely seen in Argentina.

● Business dress in Argentina is fairly conservative: dark suits and ties for men; white blouses and dark suits or skirts for women.

● Men may wear the same dark suit for evening wear. Women should wear a dress or skirt.

● Both men and women wear pants as casualwear. If you are meeting business associates (outdoor barbecues, called asado, are popular), avoid jeans and wear a jacket or blazer. Women should not wear shorts, except when invited to a swimming pool.

● Indian clothing is for Indians; don’t adopt any native costumes, no matter how attractive. The same goes for gaucho outfits.

● Bring lightweight clothing for the summer, and topcoats and sweaters for the winter (especially since central heating is not universal). Don’t forget that the seasons in South  America are the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere.

● Don’t wear anything outside that can be damaged by water during Carnival. Drenching pedestrians is a favorite Carnival pastime of the young.

Cultural Note

A common Argentine saying is that Argentina has always been “blessed by resources but cursed by politics.”

Despite its turbulent political history, Argentina has remained one of Latin America’s most prosperous nations. Today the Republic of Argentina is once again a democracy. Its military junta stepped down after the country’s loss to Great Britain in the 1982 Falkland Islands War.