Vice President Victorino de la Plaza Succeeded by Victorino de la Plaza Name Roque Pena | Preceded by Jose Figueroa Alcorta Nationality Argentina Party National Autonomist Party | |
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Born March 19, 1851
Buenos Aires ( 1851-03-19 ) Political party National Autonomist Party Spouse(s) Rosa Isidora Gonzalez Delgado Role Former President of Argentina Died August 9, 1914, Buenos Aires, Argentina Education University of Buenos Aires Presidential term October 12, 1910 – August 9, 1914 Parents Cripiana Lahitie, Luis Saenz Pena Similar People Luis Saenz Pena, Hipolito Yrigoyen, Victorino de la Plaza, Miguel Angel Juarez C, Jose Figueroa Alcorta | ||
Vivo en Argentina - Reflexiones Roque Sáenz Peña 09-04-13
Roque Saenz Pena Lahitte (March 19, 1851 – August 9, 1914) was President of Argentina from 12 October 1910 to 9 August 1914, when he died in office. He was the son of former President Luis Saenz Pena.
He was responsible for passing Law 8871, known as "Saenz Pena Law", which greatly reformed the Argentine electoral system, making the vote secret, universal and compulsory for males over 18. This effectively ended the rule by electoral fraud of the conservative Argentine oligarchy, and paved the way for the rise of the Radical Civic Union in the first free elections of the country. President Roque Saenz Pena Avenue in Buenos Aires is named after him.
He also served in the War of the Pacific as a lieutenant colonel of the Peruvian Army, and was made prisoner by Chile for six months following the Battle of Arica. He later served as Ambassador to Spain (1906–1907) and Italy (1907–1910)
His daughter married Carlos Saavedra Lamas, academic and politician, and the first Latin American Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
