General Económica), a union of millions of industrialists and businessmen, with enough strength to negotiate with the government and labor unions. In 1953, he traveled throughout the provinces organizing businessmen under the CGE and was named as its first president. In 1954, Gelbard moved with his family to Buenos Aires. He was soon appointed to Perón's cabinet as a minister without portfolio, working on economic issues. He continued his fight for small and medium businesses, opposing perceived imperialist interests and agro interests that would have preferred a country of grain and cattle exporters. He strongly opposed the philosophy of making Argentina 'The world's barn'. The CGE executive committee also had strong representation in the government, sitting on the Comisión Económica Consultíva and participating in its numerous sub-committees: housing, prices, labor, foreign relations, transport and cost of living, for instance. In 1955 a military coup d'etat toppled Perón. The new military government prosecuted Gelbard and froze his assets, as he was a known advisor to Peron. In later years, the generals called elections, there were new coups d'état, new presidents, and new elections. Gelbard was always called in as an economic advisor of all subsequent presidents, whether generals or democratically elected. In 1972, following a request from General Lanusse, then dictator, Gelbard negotiated the return of General Juan Perón from his exile in Madrid. After many trips and secret negotiations, elections were called. As Perón was still not allowed to be president, his associate Dr. Héctor Cámpora ran and was elected president on May 25, 1973. At Perón's direction, Cámpora appointed Gelbard as minister of "economy, finance, public works and trade." Cámpora stepped aside later that year and Peron was elected president. His third wife, Isabel Perón, ran and won as his vice president. Under Cámpora, Gelbard implemented "The Social Pact" (El Pacto Social), "cosigned in Congress by the CGE and CGT" which called for a freeze in prices and salaries so the country could progress economically, and for increased cooperation between business and government under a Three-Year Plan. Public investment was featured in a dominant role in the plan, with a government group, Corporación de Empresas Nacionales (CEN), set up to oversee this. It was to promote new industries and coordinate planning among different business sectors. The Peron government also nationalized the banking industry. Gelbard boosted exports by unilaterally lifting the Cuban blockade and selling one billion dollars in good