Ramón Lorenzo Falcón
Encyclopedia
Ramón Lorenzo Falcón was an Argentine Army
officer, politician, and Chief of the Argentine Federal Police
.
. He enrolled at the National Military College and graduated with honors in 1873. He served as aide de camp to President Domingo Sarmiento and was enlisted in the Conquest of the Desert
campaign. He co-founded the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
football club in 1887; CGE would become the oldest association football team in continuous existence in the Americas.
He retired from the Army in 1898 with the rank of Colonel, and was elected to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
for Buenos Aires on the ruling National Autonomist Party
ticket. Amid growing civil unrest, President José Figueroa Alcorta
appointed Falcón as Chief of the Argentine Federal Police upon taking office in 1906. Figueroa Alcorta believed that, led by a military officer, the Federal Police would be better able to react to and control protests. Accordingly, Falcón established the Cadets' Training Academy, streamlined the force's administration, and had new uniforms designed.
s. Ultimately, however, talks broke down, and protests associated with the strike was quelled with the use of mounted police
armed with sabre
s. Rent strike
rs themselves were evicted from their homes in July (a winter month in the Southern Hemisphere) with the use of high-pressure hoses and cold water.
Falcón became known for personally supervising repressive action against protests, and his sabre-wielding officers, as "cossack
s." The most violent such confrontation up to then took place during a May Day
demonstration organized in 1909 by FORA, an anarchist labor organization
. Following an address on Lorea Square
by one of the rally's organizers, Federal Police officers charged the crowd and left a tally of 11 dead and over 100 injured. The incident prompted a general strike
led by FORA, and the ensuing repression ordered by Falcón resulted in what became known as the Semana Roja ("Red Week").
Falcón ordered the dispersal of the crowd of an estimated 60,000 people who had gathered for the funeral cortège for those killed. The 4,000 gathered at Chacarita Cemetery for their burial were likewise dispersed, and the coffins themselves were seized by police. He later ordered La Vanguardia
(published by the Socialist Party of Argentina) and La Protesta Humana (published by FORA) closed, and had their printing presses destroyed. FORA and the Socialist UGT were granted an audience with the President of the Argentine Senate
, Benito Villanueva, and obtained the commutation of lengthy prison sentences for those arrested (which per municipal statutes carried a term of triple that of similar offenses not committed in the context of a protest). They demanded that Falcón resign, though he refused to do so; members of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange
led a rally in his support as President Figueroa Alcorta commended him for his efforts.
The Chief of Police and his executive secretary, Juan Lartigau, attended the funeral of the Director of the National Penitentiary of Buenos Aires, Antonio Ballvé, on November 14, 1909. As their carriage returned from the service, however, a homemade bomb was thrown therein by an Ukrainian Argentine anarchist militant, Simón Radowitzky. Its two occupants died on the way to hospital, and Falcón was buried at La Recoleta Cemetery
.
and, in 1910, signed the Law of Social Defense, which expedited the deportation
of those considered "agitators." Radowitzky was sentenced to life imprisonment
and remanded to the custody of the National Penitentiary in Ushuaia
. He escaped briefly in 1911 and was ordered to submit to solitary confinement
for twenty days on each anniversary of Falcón's assassination. Radowitzky's sentence was commuted by President Hipólito Yrigoyen
in 1930, and he died in 1956.
Numerous streets in Buenos Aires and a rural town in Coronel Pringles Partido
were named in his honor. The police training academy was, however, renamed in 2011 for Juan Ángel Pirker, Chief of Federal Police from 1986 to 1989.
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 :...
officer, politician, and Chief of the Argentine Federal Police
Policía Federal Argentina
The Policía Federal Argentina is a police force of the Argentine federal government. The PFA has detachments throughout the country, but its main responsibility is policing the Federal District of Buenos Aires...
.
Early life and career in Army
Falcón was born 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...
. He enrolled at the National Military College and graduated with honors in 1873. He served as aide de camp to President Domingo Sarmiento and was enlisted in the Conquest of the Desert
Conquest of the Desert
The Conquest of the Desert was a military campaign directed mainly by General Julio Argentino Roca in the 1870s, which established Argentine dominance over Patagonia, which was inhabited by indigenous peoples...
campaign. He co-founded the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata Gimnasia y Esgrima was promoted to the first division after becoming champions of the División Intermedia of Argentine football in 1915. Later, in 1929, the club would become champions of the Primera División...
football club in 1887; CGE would become the oldest association football team in continuous existence in the Americas.
He retired from the Army in 1898 with the rank of Colonel, and was elected to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
Argentine Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....
for Buenos Aires on the ruling National Autonomist Party
National Autonomist Party
The National Autonomist Party was an Argentine political party during the 1874-1916 period. Created on March 15, 1874 by the union of the Autonomist Party of Adolfo Alsina and the National Party of Nicolás Avellaneda...
ticket. Amid growing civil unrest, President José Figueroa Alcorta
José Figueroa Alcorta
José Figueroa Alcorta was President of Argentina from 12 March 1906 to 12 October 1910.Figueroa Alcorta was born in Córdoba as the son of José Figueroa and Teodosia Alcorta. He was elected a National Representative for Córdoba before becoming Provincial Governor in 1895. In 1898 he returned to the...
appointed Falcón as Chief of the Argentine Federal Police upon taking office in 1906. Figueroa Alcorta believed that, led by a military officer, the Federal Police would be better able to react to and control protests. Accordingly, Falcón established the Cadets' Training Academy, streamlined the force's administration, and had new uniforms designed.
Chief of Police
The first significant test of Falcón's mettle as chief of police was the Tenants' Strike of 1907. Falcón initiated dialogue with strike organizers, who were mainly women and whose demands centered around rising rents and deteriorating conditions in the city's estimated 2,000 tenementTenement
A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...
s. Ultimately, however, talks broke down, and protests associated with the strike was quelled with the use of mounted police
Mounted police
Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. They continue to serve in remote areas and in metropolitan areas where their day-to-day function may be picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and...
armed with sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
s. Rent strike
Rent strike
A rent strike is a method of protest commonly employed against large landlords. In a rent strike, a group of tenants come together and agree to refuse to pay their rent en masse until a specific list of demands is met by the landlord...
rs themselves were evicted from their homes in July (a winter month in the Southern Hemisphere) with the use of high-pressure hoses and cold water.
Falcón became known for personally supervising repressive action against protests, and his sabre-wielding officers, as "cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
s." The most violent such confrontation up to then took place during a May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
demonstration organized in 1909 by FORA, an anarchist labor organization
Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. The word syndicalism comes from the French word syndicat which means trade union , from the Latin word syndicus which in turn comes from the Greek word σύνδικος which means caretaker of an issue...
. Following an address on Lorea Square
Congressional Plaza
Congressional Plaza is a public park facing the Argentine Congress in Buenos Aires. The plaza is part of a 3 hectare open space comprising three adjoining plazas to the east of the Congress building...
by one of the rally's organizers, Federal Police officers charged the crowd and left a tally of 11 dead and over 100 injured. The incident prompted a general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
led by FORA, and the ensuing repression ordered by Falcón resulted in what became known as the Semana Roja ("Red Week").
Falcón ordered the dispersal of the crowd of an estimated 60,000 people who had gathered for the funeral cortège for those killed. The 4,000 gathered at Chacarita Cemetery for their burial were likewise dispersed, and the coffins themselves were seized by police. He later ordered La Vanguardia
La Vanguardia (Argentina)
La Vanguardia is an Argentine newspaper, founded by Socialist Party leader Juan B. Justo in 1894.-Early history:La Vanguardia was founded by Juan B. Justo, Esteban Jiménez, Augusto Kühn, Isidro Salomó, and Juan Fernández. Its first issue was published on April 7, 1894, and Jiménez served as its...
(published by the Socialist Party of Argentina) and La Protesta Humana (published by FORA) closed, and had their printing presses destroyed. FORA and the Socialist UGT were granted an audience with the President of the Argentine Senate
Argentine Senate
The Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...
, Benito Villanueva, and obtained the commutation of lengthy prison sentences for those arrested (which per municipal statutes carried a term of triple that of similar offenses not committed in the context of a protest). They demanded that Falcón resign, though he refused to do so; members of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange
Buenos Aires Stock Exchange
The Buenos Aires Stock Exchange is the organization responsible for the operation of Argentina's primary stock exchange located at Buenos Aires CBD. Founded in 1854, is the successor of the Banco Mercantil, created in 1822 by Bernardino Rivadavia.Citing BCBA's self definition: "It is a...
led a rally in his support as President Figueroa Alcorta commended him for his efforts.
The Chief of Police and his executive secretary, Juan Lartigau, attended the funeral of the Director of the National Penitentiary of Buenos Aires, Antonio Ballvé, on November 14, 1909. As their carriage returned from the service, however, a homemade bomb was thrown therein by an Ukrainian Argentine anarchist militant, Simón Radowitzky. Its two occupants died on the way to hospital, and Falcón was buried at La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in the exclusive Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, Raúl Alfonsín, and several presidents of Argentina.- History :...
.
Legacy
President Figueroa Alcorta declared a state of siegeState of Siege
State of Siege is a 1972 French film directed by Costa Gavras starring Yves Montand and Renato Salvatori.-Summary:...
and, in 1910, signed the Law of Social Defense, which expedited the deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
of those considered "agitators." Radowitzky was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
and remanded to the custody of the National Penitentiary in Ushuaia
Ushuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
. He escaped briefly in 1911 and was ordered to submit to solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
for twenty days on each anniversary of Falcón's assassination. Radowitzky's sentence was commuted by President Hipólito Yrigoyen
Hipólito Yrigoyen
Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Irigoyen Alem was twice President of Argentina . His activism became the prime impetus behind the obtainment of universal suffrage in Argentina in 1912...
in 1930, and he died in 1956.
Numerous streets in Buenos Aires and a rural town in Coronel Pringles Partido
Coronel Pringles Partido
The partido of Coronel Pringles is a subdivision of the Province of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Located in the southern part of the province, it was founded on 10 July 1882 by the provincial government when they divided the territory of Tres Arroyos into the partidos of Coronel Suárez, Tres Arroyos...
were named in his honor. The police training academy was, however, renamed in 2011 for Juan Ángel Pirker, Chief of Federal Police from 1986 to 1989.