Section 35 - Political Division

This information has not been provided for the purposes of this project.

The MREC (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship) annual reports for the periods 1923–1925, 1925, 1926, 1937–1938, and 1939–1940 document the transfer of boxes and files from the Political Division to the Archive. The 1980 MREC annual report notes that the boxes for the “documentary series” (sic) known as the Political Division were replaced and relabeled. When the MREC documentary collection was relocated in 2007 as part of the “Archive Project”—mandated by Resolution 453/2006—the boxes from this section arrived largely grouped according to their provenance. In many instances, errors in this initial identification were subsequently discovered and corrected. Furthermore, between 2008 and 2009, efforts were made to restore the original order of various folders, files, and boxes that had been misplaced. Based on the original arrangement of the documentary material, an inventory was compiled by preservation unit. Where analytical inventories—created by previous administrations and covering primarily the years 1933–1951—were found, they were cross-referenced with the preserved records and digitized. Between 2018 and 2019, 35 boxes from this section were digitized as part of an agreement between the MREC Archive and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Finally, in 2022, the collection was made available for public consultation, following the completion of necessary quality control checks and the creation of access copies.

Transfer

Within this section, one primarily finds correspondence—organized by country—that was regularly exchanged between Argentine diplomatic and consular missions and the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, specifically its Political Division. In addition to the country and year, most folder covers include a brief description of their contents. Certain categories appear frequently, such as “Domestic Policy,” “Foreign Policy,” “Annual Report,” “Laws and Decrees,” “Miscellaneous Matters,” “Press/Newspaper Clippings,” “Presentation of Credentials,” “Requests for Authorization to Fly Flags,” “Informational Reports,” etc. Other categories are linked to specific events regarding which information was being provided or instructions were being requested. Furthermore, this section contains several distinct, smaller groupings, including: ● Armaments (1910–1948): this category includes reports on the purchase of armaments and naval vessels by Argentina and other countries (notably Chile); newspaper clippings concerning armament acquisitions; and financial statements/accountings related to such acquisitions. ● Bolivia – Paraguay (1932–1939) This documentation primarily concerns the conflict between Bolivia and Paraguay between 1932 and 1935: - Reports on the Chaco Conflict, including mediation by Argentina and the League of Nations - Newspaper clippings - Correspondence from the Head of the War Secretariat containing information about the conflict - Reports on issues in the Chaco Boreal in relation to the situation of the countries involved - Actions taken by Argentina following its declaration of neutrality in the Chaco Conflict - Observations from the belligerent governments regarding solutions proposed by the League of Nations Assembly - Correspondence between the Ministry and the War Secretariat ● Miscellaneous: This category contains documentation that does not pertain to relations with a specific country. It includes requests submitted to the Political Division by national and provincial Argentine courts seeking information on international matters; requests from private individuals for the issuance of certificates; actions related to nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize; reports on visits by prominent figures to the country; and other general topics related to the functions of this organizational unit. Finally, there are non-serial, sporadic records concerning specific subjects, such as presidential visits, communications with national and provincial authorities, information regarding border incidents, international policy, etc. 3.2 Appraisal, selection, and disposal: The process of appraisal, selection, and disposal prior to the records' accession into the AHMRE is unknown. 3.3 New accessions: This is a closed section with no pending documentation to be added. 3.4 Organization: This section was organized—likely by the office that created the records—into folders, each labeled on its cover with the name of the department, the country to which the documentation pertains, the year, and the subject matter.

No restrictions. The documentation is open to the public. It may be consulted in paper format by scheduling an appointment via email at archivo@mrecic.gob.ar. Access to the original documents contained in digitized boxes is restricted for preservation purposes. Access to digital copies may be obtained by submitting a request to the AHMRE’s official email address. Consultation is subject to the Archive’s User Regulations, available at: https://www.cancilleria.gob.ar/es/institucional/patrimonio/archivo-historico-de-cancilleria/atencion-usuarios/reglamento

Provided that their condition allows for it and the structure of the materials is respected, photographs of the documents may be taken without the use of a flash.

• Spanish

• Latin

Most of the documents are in:
Language: Spanish
Script: Latin
However, there is a smaller proportion of materials in other languages.
The translation of the records for the Fonds, Section, and Subsection levels has been carried out using the Google Translate application.

The documents within each file are physically fastened together in various ways (stitching, plastic clips, etc.), and users must maintain this structure when consulting them. For conservation purposes and to ensure the integrity of the collection, these fasteners must not be removed. Documents for which a digital copy exists are excluded from public access to prevent further deterioration caused by physical handling. In such cases, a device (such as a computer or tablet) is required to view the digital copies.

Inventory by preservation unit (for the entire section) – Analytical inventory (for the boxes that have been digitized)

Not applicable

35 (thirty-five) boxes from the section were digitized by the MREC Archive and are available for public consultation.

Within the documentary collection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, we find the following groupings related to this Section: Commercial Division Section - AR AHMRE 36; Administrative Division Section - AR AHMRE 20; Undersecretariat Office Section - AR AHMRE 54; Treaties and Conferences Section - AR AHMRE 8; Embassy in Spain Section - AR AHMRE 23 A - 23 B; Embassy in France Section - AR AHMRE 15; Embassy in Peru Section - AR AHMRE 22 A - 22 B; Embassy in Paraguay Section - AR AHMRE 19 A; Embassy in Uruguay Section - AR AHMRE 11; Embassy in the United States Section - AR AHMRE 27 A; Embassy in Sweden Section - AR AHMRE 112; Embassy in South Africa Section - AR AHMRE 31; Legation in Colombia and Venezuela Section - AR AHMRE 84; Embassy in Israel Section - AR AHMRE 91; Embassy in the Federal Republic of Germany Section - AR AHMRE 61; Second World War Subsection - AR AHMRE 44; Spanish Civil War Subsection - AR AHMRE 42.

Assali, L. and A. Lombardi, “La política exterior argentina desde adentro. El funcionamiento de la Cancillería durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial: una mirada desde el archivo “ en Historia y Guerra, Buenos Aires, Instituto Ravignani, January–June 2024, No. 5.

Despite changes in the section’s designation throughout its institutional history, the decision has been made to retain the name "Political Division"—the term by which the area was known for the longest period, and the designation used consistently across the various administrations of the MREC Archive.

2026 - Creation

Description created by: Alba Lombardi