Historic revelation: secret documents confirm Perón's and Alfonsín's membership in Freemasonry

For centuries, Argentine Freemasonry was a space shrouded in mystery, reserved for initiates and fueled by an aura of secrecy that went beyond ritual. However, the recent decision by the Grand Lodge of Argentina of Free and Accepted Masons to open part of its historical archive brought with it a revelation of enormous political and historical impact: previously unpublished documents that confirm Juan Domingo Perón and Raúl Alfonsín's membership in the Masonic rite.

The papers, which will be exhibited as part of La Noche de los Museos, constitute the first direct documentary evidence regarding both leaders. Infobae obtained early access to the material, which includes letters, membership forms, and international correspondence between lodges.

Engineer Pablo Lázaro, current president of the Grand Lodge, explained that the goal of this opening is to "demystify" the organization. "Freemasonry has nothing to hide. In other times, people remained silent out of fear of persecution, but today we want to show our history with transparency," he stated. Lázaro also recalled that Franco persecuted Masons in Spain, which led several of them to seek refuge in Argentina.

Since its formal creation on December 11, 1857, local Freemasonry has included among its ranks notable figures such as Sarmiento, Mitre, Urquiza, Pellegrini, and Agustín P. Justo, quietly influencing national politics. Today, its headquarters is located at Perón 1242, in Buenos Aires, inside the building known as Palacio Cangallo, inspired by Solomon's Temple and designed by Masonic architects Francesco Tamburini and Jacques Henry Pellegrini.

Perón Case: from repudiation to secret oath

The figure of Juan Domingo Perón embodies one of the greatest contradictions of twentieth-century Argentina. Despite having been a fierce critic of Freemasonry, the recently discovered documents suggest that the three-time president swore allegiance to the Scottish Rite during his European exile, even reaching the 33rd Degree, the highest level within the Masonic hierarchy.

During his military and political career, Perón always denied belonging to "international" lodges. In his youth, he was part of the Grupo de Oficiales Unidos (GOU), a nationalist military lodge that led the coup of June 4, 1943. American historian Robert Potash documented in Perón y el GOU (Sudamericana, 1984) the group's internal bulletins, where the officers harshly condemned Freemasonry, which they described as a "Jewish creation" and "enemy of the State and the Army."

Perón himself stated in 1955 —after his overthrow— that his government had been a victim of "international synarchy," of which capitalism, Zionism, communism, Freemasonry, and the traditional clergy are part. In his famous dialogue with Tomás Eloy Martínez, published in Las vidas del General (2004), he insisted: "American independence was orchestrated by Freemasonry. From Rivadavia onward, all governments obeyed the Anglo-Saxon lodge. Only with Rosas, Yrigoyen, and myself does the national line, the Hispanic line, appear."

However, the new documentation contradicts that nationalist rhetoric. A letter dated April 27, 1958, written in Italian and sent to Ciudad Trujillo (now Santo Domingo), recognizes Perón as "Sovereign Grand Commander and Grand Master of the Universal Freemasonry of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite."

The document, signed by high-ranking members of the rite, places Perón in a select group alongside Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza, Guatemalan president Carlos Armas, and Salvadoran leader José María Lemub, all with the same 33rd degree. The signatories appealed to Perón for financial support in the 1958 Italian electoral campaign, noting that "the situation is serious and complex" and that "many of our brothers are candidates, logically incognito, including our Grand Master Gaetano Taranto."

The connection between Perón and Freemasonry would not be limited to this episode. According to Lázaro, the General joined the Grand Alpine Lodge of Switzerland during his exile and later "worked with the National Union Lodge," active in the Argentine Congress. He claims that this group promoted the historic Perón–Balbín embrace and even inspired the rhetorical shift of the phrase "for an Argentine, there is nothing better than another Argentine."

Paradoxically, the leader who denounced "Masonic infiltration" in national history would himself end up elevated to the highest degrees of the Scottish Rite, sharing honors with figures of Latin American authoritarianism and Europeans of hidden power.

Less well known, though also significant, is the documentation linking Raúl Alfonsín to Freemasonry. Among the recovered archives was a membership application form signed in 1974, in Paraná, Entre Ríos, where the then-radical lawyer replied to a questionnaire from the Argentine Grand Lodge.

The document, accompanied by a black-and-white photograph, records direct questions such as "Do you believe in a Supreme Being?" or "Do you know that Masons are excommunicated by the Catholic Church?" Alfonsín is listed as a lawyer, employee of a law firm, and names as his Masonic contact the leader Sergio Montiel.

Additionally, among the papers is a letter sent from the Grand Lodge of Chile, which refers to Alfonsín as "our Dear Visiting Brother," confirming his participation in a "fraternal banquet" during the winter of 1983, shortly before his electoral victory.

The new documents not only provide evidence regarding two of the most influential Argentine presidents of the twentieth century, but also reopen the debate about the role of secret lodges in national politics. Despite the discourse of independence and transparency from its members, the archives show how Freemasonry wove discreet networks of power and influence, often outside the will of the people.