Since 1880, the exercise of power was concentrated in an elite that controlled access to candidacies. For this reason, the Civic Union emerged, which proposed to regenerate political life by promoting citizen participation in public space and demanding respect for the constitution and political freedoms.[1]
The same year, supporters of the Civic Union, led by Leandro Alem and Bartolomé Mitre, instigated the Revolution of the Park, an armed uprising that ousted president Juárez Celman and replaced him with vice president Carlos Pellegrini.
The Civic Union established a presidential ticket with Bartolomé Mitre and Bernardo de Irigoyen. However, Julio Argentino Roca, undisputed leader of the pro-government National Autonomist Party, made a deal with Mitre to form a "national unity" ticket headed by Mitre. After learning of the arrangement on April 16, Leandro Alem opposed it emphatically, splitting the Civic Union and forcing Mitre to abandon his candidacy.
On June 26, 1891, Alem's supporters formally founded the Radical Civic Union. In response, Mitre's followers formed the National Civic Union. Members of the latter became known as the Civics, while those of the former became known as the Radicals.
