The Roca-Runciman Pact: Argentina's Shameful Deal with Britain

In 1933, Argentina signed one of the most controversial trade deals in its history: the Roca-Runciman Pact. This episode dives into the secret negotiations between Argentine Vice President Julio Argentino Roca Jr. and British envoy Sir Walter Runciman, which traded preferential access for Argentine beef in exchange for crippling concessions — including handing control of Argentina's railways, banks, and tramways to British firms, and promising not to build a meat-packing plant. Lucas and Luna explore the pact's origins in the Great Depression, the rise of the Década Infame, and the fury it sparked among nationalists, rural producers, and the Radical opposition. They examine the infamous phrase "Argentina is a country that, geographically, is a part of the British Empire," attributed to Roca Jr., and how this deal deepened Argentina's dependency, fueled corruption, and set the stage for Peronist economic nationalism. Along the way, they touch on the role of the Sociedad Rural Argentina, the Anglo-Argentine meat trade, and the enduring shame that still colors Argentine memory of the pact.

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