| Order of May | |
| Presenter: | Argentina |
| Type: | Order |
| Eligibility: | Foreigners |
| Status: | Currently awarded |
| Established: | 17 December 1957 |
| Higher: | Order of the Liberator General San Martín |
| Lower: | Cross of Heroic Valour in Combat |
The Order of May (Spanish; Castilian: Orden de Mayo) is an order of merit and one of the highest decorations in Argentina. The order is named after the May Revolution which led to the birth of the Republic of Argentina. It was founded as the Order of Merit by Decree No. 8506/46 of 1946, and revised to its current form on 17 December 1957.[1] [2]
The Order of May was created as an Order of Merit by Decree No. 8506/46, 1946. In 1957, the rules of the order were modified and the Order of Merit was renamed the Order of May by Decree No. 16,629. The order was further divided into the categories of Merit, Military Merit, Naval Merit, and Aeronautical Merit.
In 1958, the regulation was further amended and the category (the highest in the order at that time) was abolished, and it is currently only awarded as part of the Military Merit grade.[3]
The Order is in controlled by a Council made up of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Worship and Defense, which is chaired by the Grand Master of the Order, the President of the Nation, the first of the aforementioned ministers being the Grand Chancellor of the Order. The Grand Master is the one who confers the decoration. The headquarters of the Order is the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship. There is a Secretary General and a Secretary of Records, positions that will be carried out by the Introducer of Ambassadors and by the Government Notary, respectively.
Since the Decree of 1958, it can be awarded to both Argentines and foreigners. It has various ranks (from highest to lowest order):[4] [5]
The Ranks are:
Those awarded the Grand Cross will wear the sash from right to left, from which the Order's insignia hangs, as well as a plaque to be worn on the left side of the chest. It is awarded to Vice Presidents, Presidents of Branches, Ministers of the Executive Branch, Ministers of the Supreme Court, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors, Commanders in Chief, Lieutenant Generals, Admirals, Brigadier Generals, President of National Assemblies and other officials of equivalent status.
Those distinguished with the position of Grand Official will wear the plaque on the left side of the chest. It is awarded to Members of Legislative Assemblies, Extraordinary Envoys and Plenipotentiary Ministers, Counseling Ministers, Division and Brigadier Generals, Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals, Major Generals and Brigadier Generals, and other officials of equivalent status.
Commanders wear the medal hanging from a ribbon attached to the neck. It is awarded to Charges d'Affaires, General Counselors and Consuls, Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels, Ship and Frigate Captains, Commodores and Vice Commodores and other officials of equivalent status.
Officials of the Order wear the medal hanging from a ribbon on the left side of the chest. It is awarded to Secretaries and Consuls, Army Majors and Captains, Lieutenant Commanders and Navy Lieutenants, Aeronautical Commanders and Captains and other officials of equivalent status.
Knights wear the medal hanging from a ribbon on the left side of the chest. It is awarded to Attachés and Vice Consuls, Officers of the Armed Forces of grades lower than those previously mentioned, and other officials of equivalent status.
The various grades of the Order, from Grand Cross to Knight, will be certified by a Diploma that will be signed by the Grand Master of the Order and endorsed by the Minister who proposed the award. The Secretary General will be in charge of preparing the corresponding diplomas. The Diploma will be delivered to the beneficiary with the corresponding insignia and a copy containing the Law and Regulations.
The decoration can be received more than once; for example, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet[6] was awarded the twice, it was awarded once to Juan Perón and once to Carlos Menem, in the categories of Military Merit and Merit respectively.