The term unicato is not recognized by the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE). This is a concept widely used in Argentina with reference to the abuse of power exercised by an authority.
The notion was coined during the presidency of Miguel Ángel Juárez Celman (1886-1890). His personal style and the location of men he trusted in all spheres of power made his government known as a single government, since “the only one” who made important decisions was the president himself. A unicate, therefore, is a presidential regime. The president assumes all power and intervenes directly in most decisions, minimizing the importance of congress or parliament and often leaving aside what is established by the National Constitution.
For the development of a unicate, it is necessary for the supreme authority to resort to perks and sanctions, rewarding those who obey it without question and punishing those who try to maintain a certain autonomy. In addition to referring to the specific historical period of Juárez Celman as Argentine president, the idea of a unicato is often used when an individual holds great power, does not delegate decisions, and does not consult other leaders. For example: “We cannot accept that this leader manages the union as a single member: we have thousands of members who want to express themselves through voting in assemblies”, “It is unfair that they only criticize me: this is not a single member, the decisions we all make. The presidency of Juárez Celman Julio Argentino Roca assumed the presidency of the Argentine territory until October 13, 1886, when he handed over the position to his brother-in-law Miguel Juárez Celman, until then a senator. This bond did not last long, as soon after Celman rebelled against Roca. The term unicato arose from the actions of Celman, who simultaneously assumed the presidency of the National Autonomist Party (also known by the acronym PAN) and of La Nación, and began to be used by both the people and the press to describe the situation that the country was in. experiencing. One of the most evident characteristics of the unicato was the granting of privileges to the province of Córdoba, where Celman was born. Historians have discovered that Celman did this in part because of the advice he received from his circle of friends. To cite an example, four years before assuming the presidency, he received a letter from José Miguel Olmedo, then a deputy for Córdoba, in which he encouraged him to use his power without allowing personal or sentimental issues to stop him, because that would prevent him. be equivalent to suicide.
On the other hand, the poet Lucio Vicente López also influenced him not to put his friendship with the roquistas before his Juarista identity, indicating that it was necessary to clearly distinguish between the two groups, regardless of the consequences. As can be seen, the unicado carries a series of ideas opposed to loyalty and moral principles. In fact, Celman was not concerned with popular prestige, but instead concentrated on accumulating more and more power. The people who were part of the jaurista circle, called “clique”, were, among others: Lucio V. Mansilla, as president of the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation; Norberto Quirno Costa, as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship; Luis V. Varela and Salustiano J. Zavalía, president of the Federal Supreme Court and civil chamberlain, respectively; José Miguel Olmedo, José Figueroa Alcorta and Pablo Rueda, who formed the group of “friends of Córdoba”.
