Perico

Perico, also known as Ciudad Perico, is a town and municipality in Jujuy Province in northwestern Argentina. It is situated in a strategically important corridor between San Salvador de Jujuy, the provincial capital, and Salta, an arrangement that has historically supported transport, agriculture, manufacturing, and distribution activity. Although the name is being treated here as the subject of a place-based identity rather than a conventional commercial brand, Perico has developed a recognizable regional profile through its infrastructure and economic functions. The modern settlement emerged around the Central Northern Railway. Its namesake railway station opened in 1913, and the settlement was initially known as Estación Perico. Rail connectivity helped establish the locality as a transportation and commercial center. During the administration of Juan Domingo Perón from 1946 to 1955, the town was among the Argentine localities renamed in honor of the political leader, although the Perico name later remained the defining geographic identifier. A second major stage in Perico's development came through aviation. In 1961, Governor Horacio Guzmán selected the area for the future El Cadillal International Airport. The airport was inaugurated in 1967 and was renamed in Guzmán's honor in 1992. Its location gave Perico an additional regional connection and reinforced the municipality's role as an access point for Jujuy and the surrounding area. Agriculture and tobacco have also been central to Perico's economy. The area became an important center for the production and distribution of tobacco, and growers organized the Cooperativa de Tabacaleros de Jujuy in 1969. A Massalin Particulares cigarette plant opened soon afterward, linking local cultivation with industrial processing. Later, the Nobleza Piccardo facility in Perico was described as Argentina's largest producer and exporter of Blue Virginia tobacco products. These activities contributed to the town's identity as an agricultural-industrial and logistics center, although the municipality itself is not a tobacco brand or a tobacco-company brand. Perico's transportation role changed after the privatization of the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano following 1992. The railway station, once one of the busiest in the region, subsequently closed. Despite the loss of active passenger and freight rail functions, the town retained strategic importance because of its location, airport, road links, agricultural base, and industrial facilities. A National Agricultural Technology Institute facility operates in Perico, supporting the municipality's association with agricultural research and production. The establishment of a Zona Franca, or free economic zone, further expanded its potential as a site for trade, storage, and regional distribution. Today, Perico is best understood as a municipal locality and regional economic node rather than a consumer-facing brand. Its public identity rests on its history as a railway settlement, its airport, tobacco-growing and tobacco-processing activities, and its position within the Jujuy–Salta transport corridor. The municipal website serves as the principal official online presence identified for the locality.

Perico's modern history is closely tied to the expansion of rail infrastructure in northwestern Argentina. The settlement took shape around the Central Northern Railway station that opened in 1913. Known initially as Estación Perico, it benefited from a location between San Salvador de Jujuy and Salta, two important urban centers in the region. The station supported movement of people and goods and helped the locality become one of the more active transport points in the surrounding area. The town's name and public identity were affected by national political changes during the 1946–1955 administration of Juan Domingo Perón, when a number of Argentine places were renamed for Perón. Perico was among those localities affected by this naming policy. Regardless of those changes, the Perico designation remained associated with the settlement and ultimately became its enduring geographic name. In the 1960s, provincial authorities pursued a major aviation project. Governor Horacio Guzmán selected Perico as the site for the future El Cadillal International Airport in 1961. The airport opened in 1967, providing a new connection for Jujuy and strengthening Perico's role as a regional gateway. In 1992, the airport was renamed in honor of Guzmán. Tobacco became another defining element of the municipality's economic history. Perico developed as a center for tobacco cultivation, collection, distribution, and industrial processing. In 1969, local growers established the Cooperativa de Tabacaleros de Jujuy, an institution reflecting the organization of the area's tobacco producers. A Massalin Particulares cigarette plant opened in the period that followed. Later, the Nobleza Piccardo plant in Perico was identified as Argentina's largest producer and exporter of Blue Virginia tobacco products. These facilities connected local agricultural production with national and international tobacco markets. Perico's rail-based economy changed significantly after the privatization of the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano after 1992. The railway station, previously among the busiest in the region, closed. This was a major reduction in the importance of rail services, but it did not eliminate the municipality's broader strategic advantages. The airport, road position, tobacco economy, and proximity to Jujuy and Salta continued to support its role in regional movement and commerce. Institutional and trade infrastructure added further dimensions to Perico's development. The National Agricultural Technology Institute maintains a facility in the municipality, reinforcing its connection with agricultural technology and production. A Zona Franca was also established in Perico, creating a framework for duty-related trade and regional logistics. Together, these assets give the town an economic profile broader than its historic railway and tobacco functions. Perico is therefore a place-based civic and economic identity rather than a conventional branded product. Its historical narrative combines railway settlement, political renaming, airport development, organized tobacco agriculture, industrial processing, agricultural research, and free-zone commerce. The municipality remains active in Jujuy Province, with its official website providing a public-facing point of reference.

• 1992

  Airport renamed and railway privatization period begins

  [1]Ciudad Pericoen.wikipedia.org

  The airport was renamed in honor of Horacio Guzmán, while privatization of the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano led eventually to the closure of Perico's railway station.

• 1969

  Cooperativa de Tabacaleros de Jujuy organized

  [1]Ciudad Pericoen.wikipedia.org

  Tobacco growers in the area formed the Cooperativa de Tabacaleros de Jujuy, formalizing collective organization within Perico's important tobacco economy.

• 1967

  El Cadillal International Airport inaugurated

  [1]Ciudad Pericoen.wikipedia.org

  The airport opened near Perico, adding an important aviation link to the municipality's established railway and road connections.

• 1961

  Airport site selected

  [1]Ciudad Pericoen.wikipedia.org

  Governor Horacio Guzmán selected Perico as the site for the future El Cadillal International Airport.

• 1946

  Perón-era renaming period begins

  [1]Ciudad Pericoen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1946–1955 administration of Juan Domingo Perón, Perico was among the Argentine localities affected by the period's renaming practices honoring Perón.

• 1913

  Opening of the Perico railway station

  [1]Ciudad Pericoen.wikipedia.org

  The Central Northern Railway opened the station that gave the settlement its initial name, Estación Perico, and helped establish its role as a regional transport and commercial center.

A regional municipality and transport, agricultural, tobacco-processing, and trade center in Jujuy Province.

1. 1Ciudad Pericoen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official website of Pericoperico.gov.ar