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Objective: Analyze and interpret trends in mortality from breast cancer in recent decades in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, relative to demographic changes and the sociopolitical context., Methods: Raw, standardized (direct method), and age-specific mortality from breast cancer was calculated for 1986-2011 in Córdoba. Using RiskDiff® software, variations in the 1986 to 2011 raw rates were analyzed. Joinpoint regression models were adjusted to standardized and specific rates by age group. Secondary data sources (laws, decrees, health programs) were consulted for information on the sociopolitical context of the period., Results: Raw mortality due to breast cancer increased 24.97% from 1986 to 2011, an increase that can be attributed to the increase in the risk of dying (5.22%), to structural changes (19.75%), and to population size (39.66%). Standardized mortality from breast cancer shows a rising trend up to 1996 (annual percentage change [APC] = 1.62%; P <0.05), and then begins to decline (APC = -2.1%; P <0.05), slowing around the year 2001. For socio-historical interpretations, the analysis focused on demographic, epidemiological, and health-related changes, as well as the socioeconomic and political events of the period studied., Conclusions: The behavior of mortality from breast cancer in this period is associated with contextual factors (demographic, historical, economic, and political). The results of this study will help define actions and policies in breast cancer and women's health care.