Tulane University Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. “Colon Theatre”. The Latin American Library. https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane%3A11605
During the rise of liberalism throughout Latin America in the late 19th century, some nations adopted European ideologies that later will greatly influence in politics and society. Leaders and social representatives believed the idea that the best way to create a more organized and centralized government was by following the ideals of European thinkers. One of the strategies used to achieve this was to encourage Europeans to migrate to Latin American cities and making the society homogeneous implementing at the same time a new identity. The proposal was to create a modern and unified government which will extend major changes in politics, infrastructure, and culture in these nations under the principle of social evolution.
One of the places that is the representation of this new era of progress is the Colon Theatre. The Colon Theatre is an opera house located in Buenos Aires, built in the year 1857. It operated from its opening until 1888, closing its doors temporarily to be renovated and later reopened in 1908. As seen in this image dated from the end of the 19th century, the Colon Theatre or Teatro Colon has a sophisticated style never seen in an architecture built in Latin America. Its façade and gardens reflect the Parisian style and resemble any of the big opera houses of Europe. I had the great privilege when I was younger to visit this imposing place so important for the Argentine culture and to learn what a great symbol it has been to the history of the country. Every decoration and structure inside the opera house imitates the European aristocratic style creating a perfect atmosphere for Buenos Aires elites. At the end of the 19th century, one of the manifestations of superiority and progress for a country was when its cities were architecturally like Paris. In the case of Buenos Aires, new constructions were changing the geography of the city causing it to lose its native roots to give way to a new cosmopolitan city. From the social standpoint, the new doctrines of progress acquired by the government denoted racism towards indigenous people and mestizos. Under these new doctrines, the indigenous and mestizos were marginalized considering them second-class citizens and forbidding them to live in the city and depriving them of their lands. Instead, the government offered European immigrants to populate the city and its surroundings. This period of development and economic prosperity for Argentina was reached by austere measures that mainly affected the most vulnerable social groups. In turn, the country opened its doors to capitalism by trading with countries like the United States and England and industrializing its resources. The construction of railroads throughout the country and telegraph lines made the country to climb to a level of modernization unique for its time. In a few years, Argentina had been transformed through radical policies into one of the most prosperous countries in the world, although at great cost to its citizens.
Two faces can be seen in this period of Argentine history. On the one hand you can see the development and opulence achieved through progressive political ideas that led the country to prosperity as we see represented in the most important building in Buenos Aires, the Colon Theater. However, what little is said is that the cost to society was very high, racism, segregation, genocide, and slavery.
Work Cited
- James A. Wood and Anna Rose Alexander, “Problems in Modern Latin American History”, 5th edition, pages 131-135.
- https://teatrocolon.org.ar/en/theater/theater
