Conflicto urbano, política y Estado en la era oligárquica: la huelga de inquilinos de Buenos Aires de 1907

This article examines the most significant urban conflict of Argentina’s oligarchic era (1880-1916): the 1907 Buenos Aires tenant strike. Over the course of three months, a substantial number of tenants collectively refused to pay their rents. This protest is frequently portrayed as the product of a deeply divided society and of the ruling elite’s indifference, if not hostility, towards popular demands. This article presents a different interpretation of the 1907 strike. It shows that the press and public opinion largely supported the tenant’s demands for lower rents. Furthermore, it demonstrates that state institutions –namely, the municipal government, the judicial system, and the police– played a crucial role in shaping the political environment that facilitated the protest, and to a significant extent, they also aligned with the tenants. Contrary to the views that portray the oligarchic regime as solely repressive, this article argues that the 1907 tenant strike highlights the opportunities provided by the liberal political and institutional framework of early 20th-century Argentina for expressing popular demands.