Una dictadura de y para las personas comunes. La legitimación inicial de la última dictadura cívico-militar argentina

This essay examines the mechanisms of initial legitimation of the last Argentine civic-military dictatorship (1976–1983) by focusing on the attitudes of non-militant social sectors. It explores forms of consent, apathy, and accommodation that contributed to a diffuse consensus during the regime’s early years. Drawing on an analysis of widely circulated magazines such Gente, the study identifies three key discursive operations: the framing of the coup as a “necessary” solution to the political crisis, the construction of guerrilla violence as a collective threat, and the portrayal of Jorge Rafael Videla as a “common man” and a moderate leader. By examining how mass-market magazines addressed ordinary readers, the article highlights the role of popular media in the consolidation of authoritarian legitimacy