Allegiance Argentina Resigned May 25, 1973 Profession Military Succeeded by Hector Jose Campora | Political party none Name Alejandro Lanusse Nationality Argentine Service/branch Argentine Army | |
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Full Name Alejandro Agustin Lanusse Born August 28, 1918
Buenos Aires, Argentina ( 1918-08-28 ) Role Former President of Argentina Died January 26, 1996, Buenos Aires, Argentina Presidential term March 22, 1971 – May 25, 1973 Previous office President of Argentina (1971–1973) Similar People Roberto M Levingston, Juan Carlos Ongania, Hector Jose Campora | ||
Preceded by Roberto M. Levingston | ||
Archivo histórico: Reclamos de vecinos a Lanusse (1971)
Alejandro Agustín Lanusse (August 28, 1918 – August 26, 1996) was the president of the Argentine Republic between March 22, 1971 and May 25, 1973, during the Argentine Revolution.
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Early life
He was born as Alejandro Agustín Lanusse Gelly on August 28, 1918 in Buenos Aires to his parents Luis Gustavo Lanusse Justo and Albertina Gelly Cantilo.
Career
A graduate of the Army Academy (Colegio Militar de la Nación, class of 1938), he was head of the Regimiento de Granaderos a Caballo (Regiment of Horse Grenadiers, presidential escort unit). In 1951 he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his part in an attempted coup to overthrow Juan Perón. He was released in 1955 with the Revolución Libertadora, a military uprising which ousted General Perón and set up a military dictatorship which was in power from 1955 to 1958. In 1956 he was designated Ambassador to the Holy See. In 1960 he became Assistant Director of the Superior Military School and later Commander of the First Armored Cavalry Division. In 1962 he took part in the overthrowing of president Arturo Frondizi, and in 1966 supported General Juan Carlos Onganía in the ousting of president Arturo Illia. In 1968 Lanusse became Commander-in-Chief of the Argentine Army.
Presidency
Lanusse became president of Argentina in 1971. During his administration he established diplomatic relations with China and continuously faced political unrest, with an increase in guerrilla activity. Many political opponents were jailed, and Lanusse decided to negotiate with the Montoneros (a Peronist guerrilla movement) for the return of the corpse of Evita (Eva Duarte de Perón), the legendary second wife of Juan Domingo Perón, whose body had been hidden by the "Revolución Libertadora". On August 22, 1971 several imprisoned guerrillas attempted to escape from the Naval Base of Rawson in Patagonia, and were executed without trial in the Trelew massacre. In 1973 presidential elections were held, and won by Hector Cámpora.
Later years
In 1985 Lanusse published his autobiography and criticized the human rights violations that took place during the Dirty War. He was placed under house arrest in 1994 for criticizing president Carlos Menem in a magazine interview.