Horse as symbol of caudillo power
Caudillos were "leaders on horseback", and Argentina in particular had a great deal of horse culture. Caudillos were populist leaders, typically men of great wealth and influence who came from a ranching background. They were personable, outgoing, and able to inspire personal loyalty and emotional attachment not only from the men they employed but from others in the area. Horsemanship and the ability to ride well was considered the mark of an effective caudillo leader, who was expected to physically embody the traits of the men he purported to lead.
Gauchos as symbol of rural Argentina
For much of its early history Argentina relied heavily on cattle, leather, and beef products as exports. Most of the ranching was done in rural areas far away from the cities which were the centers of culture and political life. The cowboys who raised the cattle were known as gauchos, and they came to symbolize the Argentine frontier and rural area much like the cowboy symbolizes the developing West in the United States. Gauchos are prominent in stories, movies, and other art and literature that romanticize their lifestyle, but in reality they were hardworking and generally poor.
Cross as symbol of both unity and oppression
Latin America was colonized chiefly by Spain and Portugal, and the Roman Catholic Church was heavily involved in setting up missions with the hope of converting the indigenous people to the Catholic faith. The cross, which was a symbol of Christianity, was simultaneously both a unifying and oppressive symbol. On one hand, the word "catholic" means open to everybody, and people of all races, classes, and walks of life were welcome to attend. This eventually had a unifying and homogenizing effect on the people who embraced that religion. However, to people who were being enslaved by the invading Europeans, Christianity (which at the time advocated slavery) provided a reason for them to be satisfied with their own lowly status since it was purportedly the will of God. The religion (like many others before or since) therefore created a framework within which people participated in their own oppression.
Staff of office as symbol of authority
A painting by José Sabogal, The Indian Mayor of Chincheros, shows a regal, authoritative-looking man wearing traditional attire and holding a large, banded and decorated staff roughly the size of his shoulder. This is his "staff of office", which like a ruler's scepter is not a weapon but a symbol of authority in Chincheros. The man wears clothing that is partly European and partly local, and bears a title "Mayor" that is European, yet he is not at all European in his appearance and his symbol of office is not European but uniquely Peruvian.
Skin color as symbol of social status
A painting by Modesto Brocos y Gomez, The Redemption of Ham, shows three generations of people in an 1895 representation of a neocolonial approach to skin color in Brazil. An elderly woman, the grandmother, is quite dark in complexion and is of noticeably African descent. Her daughter, the grandmother, is much paler but nowhere near as pale as her child, who in complexion resembles the Portuguese father seated to the right. The suggestion, based on an outdated notion of pale skin as representing higher status or better personal qualities, suggests that when the women find paler marriage partners their offspring increase in social status. The Nationalist movement swept aside that notion and it is regarded as a tasteless and backward way of thinking in modern Brazil.
