Before these economic woes, democracy and human rights were the key issues, especially in the so-called 'Dirty War' year from the 1960s to early 1980s when tens of thousands of people deemed a threat to the country's military rulers were tortured or murdered. It is to Argentina's credit that key instigators of this undeclared civil war are finally being brought to justice. The years after WW2 were dominated by the complex figure of Juan Peron. Reviled on one hand as a fascistic dictator who ruled Argentina with an iron fist, he and second wife Eva ('Evita') were also social pathfinders in granting trade union and women's rights, and aiding the poor with housing and health initiatives.

Argentina's history began with indigenous tribes such as the Guarani in the north, Querandi on the Pampas, and Puelches in Patagonia. The Mapuche were latecomers, arriving in advance of Spanish encroaching from Peru in the 1480s. Spanish ships, meanwhile, were probing the Rio de la Plata, but it wasn't until 1536 that a settlement was established on the site of present-day Buenos Aires – only to be destroyed by natives. It took until 1580 for the Spanish to re-establish the town, though it remained a backwater compared to places like Cordoba and Tucuman until 1776, when it became regional capital. Settlers also began rebelling against Spanish rule, leading to independence in 1816. The second half of the 19th century saw Argentina's economy boom, attracting millions of migrants from Europe to develop not just a thriving New World society but also new forms of expression - most famously in Buenos Aires' crowded docks and tenements, a dance called the tango.