The mastermind behind this mess was General Alejandro Lanusse, a military dictator who signed Law 19.640 in 1972. The excuse was "geopolitics"—occupying the empty south to prevent a Chilean invasion. Fifty years later, the military is gone, but the law remains as a fossilized scam that forces 46 million people to subsidize a handful of "screwing-bolt" factories.

#History #Argentina #DictatorshipLegacy #Protectionism #TierraDelFuego