Pedro Eugenio Aramburu
Encyclopedia
Pedro Eugenio Aramburu Silveti was an Argentine Army
General. Born in Río Cuarto
, Córdoba on May 21, 1903. He was a major figure behind the military coup against Juan Perón
in 1955. He became de facto
president of Argentina
from November 13, 1955 to May 1, 1958. He was kidnapped by the radical organization Montoneros
on May 29, 1970 and murdered, allegedly in retaliation for the June 1956 execution of General Juan José Valle
, an Army officer associated with the Peronist movement and 26 Peronist militants after a botched attempt to overthrow his government.
". He led the hardliners and assumed the Presidency of Argentina himself, on November 13, 1955, after the resignation of moderate General Eduardo Lonardi
. Admiral Isaac Rojas
, was appointed Vice-President.
The "Revolución Libertadora" which overthrew Juan Domingo Perón was triggered in part by the Perón's public confrontation with the Catholic Church over divorce laws, his actions towards the press, aswell as the imprisonment of opposition leaders and economic instability. The Revolución Libertadora led to three years of military rule under Aramburu, who allowed elections to be held in 1958 (won by Arturo Frondizi
.)
Aramburu's military government forced Perón into exile and barred the Peronist party from further elections. Known Peronists were persecuted and often imprisoned, or murdered. Perón lived in exile in Spain until 1973 under the protection of Generalísimo Francisco Franco
.
After the end of his presidential term in 1958, Aramburu retired from the military career and devoted himself entirely to politics.
He ran for president in 1963, forming the "Union del Pueblo Argentino" (UDELPA, Union of the Argentine People), with the slogan: "Vote UDELPA and HE won't return" ("Vote UDELPA y no vuelve"), referring to Perón.
With the Peronists banned, the Presidential elections resulted in Arturo Umberto Illia
becoming president, with Aramburu coming in third.
Yet the military retained much real power, censoring
both Peronism and its leader. The fragility of Argentine democracy was shown when Illia was overthrown in 1966 by a military coup led by General Juan Carlos Onganía
.
In all those 15 years, Pedro Eugenio Aramburu was popular with much of the press. He often gave his opinions on society and politics (especially in Gente magazine, representative of Argentine high society).
In 1970, he was mentioned as a possible Presidential candidate.
.
It was in this background that the Montoneros
, led by Mario Alberto Firmenich were formed.
by two members of Montoneros posing as young army officers. Montoneros dubbed the kidnapping Operación Pindapoy, after a famous company which produced citrus
in the 1960. Aramburu's disappearance kept Argentinian society on tenterhooks for a month, before it was discovered that Aramburu had been murdered three days after his abduction, following a mock trial
and his corpse hidden inside a farmhouse near Timote, Carlos Tejedor
, in Buenos Aires Province
. He had been shot twice in the chest with two different pistols.
In the following weeks, statements from the Montoneros flooded the media. Among other things they claimed historical reasons for their actions such as "the murder of 27 Argentines after an unsuccessful Peronist rebellion in 1956", known as the José León Suárez massacre. The executions had been described by journalist and writer Rodolfo Walsh
in his novel Operación Masacre.
In 1974, Aramburu's body was stolen by Montoneros. The corpse was to be held until President Isabel Perón
brought back Evita Perón
's body.
Argentine Army
The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :...
General. Born in Río Cuarto
Río Cuarto, Córdoba
-References:* - Official website....
, Córdoba on May 21, 1903. He was a major figure behind the military coup against Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
in 1955. He became de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
president of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
from November 13, 1955 to May 1, 1958. He was kidnapped by the radical organization Montoneros
Montoneros
Montoneros was an Argentine Peronist urban guerrilla group, active during the 1960s and 1970s. The name is an allusion to 19th century Argentinian history. After Juan Perón's return from 18 years of exile and the 1973 Ezeiza massacre, which marked the definitive split between left and right-wing...
on May 29, 1970 and murdered, allegedly in retaliation for the June 1956 execution of General Juan José Valle
Juan José Valle
Juan José Valle was an Argentine military who headed a rebellion in 1956 against General Aramburu's dictatorship....
, an Army officer associated with the Peronist movement and 26 Peronist militants after a botched attempt to overthrow his government.
Military career
- He studied at the National Military CollegeNational Military CollegeThe National Military College is the institution in charge of the undergraduate education of officers of the Argentine Army. It is located at El Palomar, Buenos Aires....
- 1922: Sub-lieutenant
- 1939: Major
- 1943: Teacher in the Escuela de Guerra
- 1951: Brigadier
- Director of the Escuela de Guerra
- 1955: Commander in Chief of the Army
- 1958: Lieutenant general.
15 years of anti-Peronist political power
In September 1955, Aramburu participated in a military coup called the "Revolución LibertadoraRevolución Libertadora
The Revolución Libertadora was a military uprising that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on September 16, 1955.-History:...
". He led the hardliners and assumed the Presidency of Argentina himself, on November 13, 1955, after the resignation of moderate General Eduardo Lonardi
Eduardo Lonardi
Eduardo A. Lonardi Doucet served as de facto president of Argentina from September 23, 1955 until November 13, 1955.-Biography:He was born on September 15, 1896....
. Admiral Isaac Rojas
Isaac Rojas
Isaac Francisco Rojas Madariaga was an Argentine Admiral of the Navy and de-facto Vice President of Argentina....
, was appointed Vice-President.
The "Revolución Libertadora" which overthrew Juan Domingo Perón was triggered in part by the Perón's public confrontation with the Catholic Church over divorce laws, his actions towards the press, aswell as the imprisonment of opposition leaders and economic instability. The Revolución Libertadora led to three years of military rule under Aramburu, who allowed elections to be held in 1958 (won by Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ercoli was the President of Argentina between May 1, 1958, and March 29, 1962, for the Intransigent Radical Civic Union.-Early life:Frondizi was born in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province...
.)
Aramburu's military government forced Perón into exile and barred the Peronist party from further elections. Known Peronists were persecuted and often imprisoned, or murdered. Perón lived in exile in Spain until 1973 under the protection of Generalísimo Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
.
After the end of his presidential term in 1958, Aramburu retired from the military career and devoted himself entirely to politics.
He ran for president in 1963, forming the "Union del Pueblo Argentino" (UDELPA, Union of the Argentine People), with the slogan: "Vote UDELPA and HE won't return" ("Vote UDELPA y no vuelve"), referring to Perón.
With the Peronists banned, the Presidential elections resulted in Arturo Umberto Illia
Arturo Umberto Illia
Arturo Umberto Illia was President of Argentina from October 12, 1963, to June 28, 1966, and a member of the centrist UCR.-Biography:Arturo Umberto Illia was born August 4, 1900 in Pergamino, Buenos Aires Province, to Emma Francesconi and Martín Illia, Italian Argentine immigrants from the...
becoming president, with Aramburu coming in third.
Yet the military retained much real power, censoring
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
both Peronism and its leader. The fragility of Argentine democracy was shown when Illia was overthrown in 1966 by a military coup led by General Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía Carballo was de facto president of Argentina from 29 June 1966 to 8 June 1970. He rose to power as military dictator after toppling, in a coup d’état self-named Revolución Argentina , the democratically elected president Arturo Illia .-Economic and social...
.
In all those 15 years, Pedro Eugenio Aramburu was popular with much of the press. He often gave his opinions on society and politics (especially in Gente magazine, representative of Argentine high society).
In 1970, he was mentioned as a possible Presidential candidate.
Montoneros
In the 1960s, rumors about Perón's return to Argentina were circulating daily. From his exile in Spain, his voice grew stronger and stronger. At the same time, leftist strength grew in Argentina as in much of South America. The example of Che Guevara influenced a generation of students in schools and universities that supported international socialismSocialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
.
It was in this background that the Montoneros
Montoneros
Montoneros was an Argentine Peronist urban guerrilla group, active during the 1960s and 1970s. The name is an allusion to 19th century Argentinian history. After Juan Perón's return from 18 years of exile and the 1973 Ezeiza massacre, which marked the definitive split between left and right-wing...
, led by Mario Alberto Firmenich were formed.
Death of Aramburu
On May 29, 1970 at noon, Aramburu was snatched from his apartment in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
by two members of Montoneros posing as young army officers. Montoneros dubbed the kidnapping Operación Pindapoy, after a famous company which produced citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
in the 1960. Aramburu's disappearance kept Argentinian society on tenterhooks for a month, before it was discovered that Aramburu had been murdered three days after his abduction, following a mock trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
and his corpse hidden inside a farmhouse near Timote, Carlos Tejedor
Carlos Tejedor Partido
Carlos Tejedor Partido is a partido in the north-west of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 11,500 inhabitants in an area of 3,933 km² , and its capital city is Carlos Tejedor.-Settlements:*Carlos Tejedor*Colonia...
, in Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
. He had been shot twice in the chest with two different pistols.
In the following weeks, statements from the Montoneros flooded the media. Among other things they claimed historical reasons for their actions such as "the murder of 27 Argentines after an unsuccessful Peronist rebellion in 1956", known as the José León Suárez massacre. The executions had been described by journalist and writer Rodolfo Walsh
Rodolfo Walsh
Rodolfo Jorge Walsh was an Argentine writer, considered the founder of investigative journalism. He is most famous for his Open Letter from a Writer to the Military Junta which he wrote the day before his murder, protesting that their economic policies were having an even greater effect on...
in his novel Operación Masacre.
In 1974, Aramburu's body was stolen by Montoneros. The corpse was to be held until President Isabel Perón
Isabel Martínez de Perón
María Estela Martínez Cartas de Perón , better known as Isabel Martínez de Perón or Isabel Perón, is a former President of Argentina. She was also the third wife of another former President, Juan Perón...
brought back Evita Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
's body.