Álvaro Alsogaray
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Carlos Alsogaray (June 22, 1913 – April 1, 2005) was an Argentine
politician and businessman. Minister of Economy during much of the 1959-62 period, he was one of the principal proponents of economic conservatism
in modern Argentina.
, in 1913, to a prominent local military family. A graduate of Argentina's Military Academy as an infantry officer, Alsogaray learned military engineering in the Army's technical academy and civil
and aeronautical engineer in Córdoba University.
He retired from the army with the rank of captain
and with two engineer
ing degrees, which led to his being called el capitán ingeniero. He entered business, becoming an important contractor for State enterprises such as FAMA, a predecessor of flag carrier
Aerolíneas Argentinas
; in this capacity, he briefly held public office during the presidency of Juan Perón
, whose populist politics and policies would later be anathema to Alsogaray's thinking.
After the coup that removed Perón
in 1955, he held the posts of Under-secretary of Commerce and Minister of Industry, and founded the Independent Civic Party in 1956; the party fared modetly in the 1958 elections
.
named Alsogaray Minister of the Economy in early 1959. Inheriting large trade deficits, Alsogaray sharply devalued the peso
and imposed severe credit controls on Argentina's large public banks. Declaring that the economy "must go through winter", the austerity measures were a boon to exporters; but, caused consumer prices to double in 1959, and real wages and construction to fall by about 20%. The resulting trade surplus and pro-growth policies pursued by Frondizi's unofficial point man on the economy, Rogelio Frigerio
, both contributed to a robust recovery in 1960 and 1961.
Marginalized in favor of Frigerio after the 1959 recession
and deeply unpopular, Alsogaray resigned early in 1961. Indeed, Frigerio had been President Arturo Frondizi
's first choice for the critical Economy Ministry, an appointment thwarted by the military; Frondizi and Frigerio later founded a political party centered around the need for accelerated development.
Unfortunately, Frondizi's efforts to mediate differences between the United States
and Cuba
resulted in a March, 1962, coup d'etat
and Alvaro Alsogaray was able to use the influence of his brother Gen. Julio Alsogaray
to secure several ministerial and planning posts under Frondizi's military-appointed successor, Senate President José María Guido
. Reintroducing many of his restrictive 1959 policies, as well as nearly worthless "Ninth of July" bonds, which were issued in lieu of cash payments to public emloyees and government contractors, the economy again slipped into severe recession and, at the cost of depressed business investment, the trade balance again improved.
Alsogaray founded the New Force in 1972, though like the Independent Civic party, it fared poorly in the 1973 elections
that returned Perón to power. A supporter of the National Reorganization Process
that deposed the Peronist government in 1976, he founded the Union of the Democratic Centre
(UCeDé) in 1982. Running as a right-wing, economically conservative
candidate on the latter ticket, he stood for the Presidency
in 1983 and 1989. Alsogaray received two million votes (10%) in his 1989 presidential bid
, behind only major party candidates Carlos Menem
and Eduardo Angeloz
.
Continuing to enjoy a measure of support in Buenos Aires
' affluent northside
, he and his daughter María Julia Alsogaray
were elected the only two national deputies
for the UCeDé
in 1983
, and he served until 1999. A vehement anti-Peronist and anti-socialist, Alsogaray forged an alliance with the late Juan Perón's Justicialist Party
in 1989, following their nomination of pro-market Governor Carlos Menem
, and endorsed Justicialist candidate Eduardo Vaca that year in a tightly-contested seat in the Argentine Senate
representing the City of Buenos Aires; Alsogaray's endorsement in the electoral college gave Vaca the seat, despite the latter's coming in second to centrist UCR
candidate Fernando de la Rúa
.
A vocal supporter of the era's privatization
s, he prevailed on President Menem to appoint his daughter, María Julia, Secretary of the Environment, in which post she served from 1991 to 1999, and himself served in numerous consultative posts during the Menem presidency, endorsing the populist-turned-conservative president in his 1995 re-election bid. Among his most notable roles in this era was as director of a feasibility study in 1995-96 for the replacement of Buenos Aires' two international airports for an island terminal on the Río de la Plata
; opposed by de la Rúa, who had been elected Mayor (and would later be President), the project never materialized. His UCedé party languished despite his renewed influence as much due to public mistrust of his policies, as because of rivalries in the party itself – notably between his daughter and Adelina D'Alessio de Viola (whom he had Menem appoint as head of the National Mortgage Bank
). Commenting on the dispute, he remarked that "would it be that one's political party could do without affiliates...or women!"
airtime, lived out his last few years in seclusion, and died in Buenos Aires
in 2005 at the age of 91. Adamantly conservative, he was of the opinion that, if anything, the 1976-83 dictatorship was too moderate. He felt that some of the most brutal torturers during Dirty War
, such as Alfredo Astiz
, were "heroes," and even once attempted to use his influence over the Menem administration to have a monument built in their honor. In 1985 Universidad Francisco Marroquín
granted Alsogaray with an *honorary doctoral degree
.
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...
politician and businessman. Minister of Economy during much of the 1959-62 period, he was one of the principal proponents of economic conservatism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
in modern Argentina.
Early career
Alsogaray was born in Esperanza, Santa FeEsperanza, Santa Fe
Esperanza is a city in the center of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It has about 36,000 inhabitants as of the and it is the head town of the Las Colonias Department....
, in 1913, to a prominent local military family. A graduate of Argentina's Military Academy as an infantry officer, Alsogaray learned military engineering in the Army's technical academy and civil
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and aeronautical engineer in Córdoba University.
He retired from the army with the rank of captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
and with two engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
ing degrees, which led to his being called el capitán ingeniero. He entered business, becoming an important contractor for State enterprises such as FAMA, a predecessor of flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas , formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and serves as the country's flag carrier. Owned in its majority by the Argentine Government, the airline is headquartered in the Torre Bouchard, located in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires...
; in this capacity, he briefly held public office during the presidency of 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...
, whose populist politics and policies would later be anathema to Alsogaray's thinking.
After the coup that removed Perón
Revolución Libertadora
The Revolución Libertadora was a military uprising that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on September 16, 1955.-History:...
in 1955, he held the posts of Under-secretary of Commerce and Minister of Industry, and founded the Independent Civic Party in 1956; the party fared modetly in the 1958 elections
Argentine general election, 1958
The Argentine general election of 1958 was held on 23 February. Voters chose both the President and their legislators and with a turnout of 90.9% , it produced the following results:-President:aAbstentions....
.
President Frondizi and the two "winters"
To placate powerful agrarian interests and other conservatives, the otherwise progressive Arturo FrondiziArturo 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...
named Alsogaray Minister of the Economy in early 1959. Inheriting large trade deficits, Alsogaray sharply devalued the peso
Historical exchange rates of Argentine currency
The following table contains the monthly historical exchange rate of the different currencies of Argentina, expressed in Argentine currency units per United States dollar...
and imposed severe credit controls on Argentina's large public banks. Declaring that the economy "must go through winter", the austerity measures were a boon to exporters; but, caused consumer prices to double in 1959, and real wages and construction to fall by about 20%. The resulting trade surplus and pro-growth policies pursued by Frondizi's unofficial point man on the economy, Rogelio Frigerio
Rogelio Frigerio
Rogelio Frigerio was an Argentine economist, journalist and politician.-Background and early career:Rogelio Frigerio was born in Buenos Aires in 1914 to Gerónimo Frigerio and Carmen Guanzaroli...
, both contributed to a robust recovery in 1960 and 1961.
Marginalized in favor of Frigerio after the 1959 recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
and deeply unpopular, Alsogaray resigned early in 1961. Indeed, Frigerio had been President 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...
's first choice for the critical Economy Ministry, an appointment thwarted by the military; Frondizi and Frigerio later founded a political party centered around the need for accelerated development.
Unfortunately, Frondizi's efforts to mediate differences between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
resulted in a March, 1962, coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
and Alvaro Alsogaray was able to use the influence of his brother Gen. Julio Alsogaray
Julio Alsogaray
Julio Alsogaray was an Argentine Army general.-Life and times:Julio Alsogaray was born in Esperanza, Santa Fe to Julia Elena Bosch and Álvaro Enrique Alsogaray, in 1918...
to secure several ministerial and planning posts under Frondizi's military-appointed successor, Senate President José María Guido
José María Guido
José María Guido was an interim President of Argentina from 30 March 1962 to 12 October 1963.Guido was elected to the Argentine Senate for Río Negro Province in 1958, representing the Intransigent Radical Civic Union...
. Reintroducing many of his restrictive 1959 policies, as well as nearly worthless "Ninth of July" bonds, which were issued in lieu of cash payments to public emloyees and government contractors, the economy again slipped into severe recession and, at the cost of depressed business investment, the trade balance again improved.
Later career and the rise of María Julia
Out of power after the election of Dr. Arturo Illia in 1963, Alsogaray devoted himself to undermining the new administration, even during the vigorous economic recovery that followed. Finding allies in conservative business and media interests, the powerful Roman Catholic Church, and his influential brother Julio, Alsogaray was successful. Following the 1966 coup against President Illia (who narrowly prevented a bloodbath), he was designated Ambassador to the United States, a post he held until 1968.Alsogaray founded the New Force in 1972, though like the Independent Civic party, it fared poorly in the 1973 elections
Argentine general election, March 1973
The first Argentine general election of 1973 was held on 11 March. Voters chose both the President and their legislators and with a turnout of 85.5%, it produced the following results:-President:...
that returned Perón to power. A supporter of the National Reorganization Process
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
that deposed the Peronist government in 1976, he founded the Union of the Democratic Centre
Union of the Democratic Centre (Argentina)
The Union of the Democratic Centre is a conservative political party in Argentina. It was founded in 1982 by Álvaro Alsogaray who stood for the Party in the 1983 and 1989 presidential elections....
(UCeDé) in 1982. Running as a right-wing, economically conservative
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
candidate on the latter ticket, he stood for the Presidency
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
in 1983 and 1989. Alsogaray received two million votes (10%) in his 1989 presidential bid
Argentine general election, 1989
The Argentine general election of 1989 was held on 14 May. Voters chose both the President and their legislators and with a turnout of 85.3%, it produced the following results:-President:aAbstentions.-Argentine Congress:...
, behind only major party candidates Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
and Eduardo Angeloz
Eduardo Angeloz
Eduardo César Angeloz is an Argentine politician. He was a presidential candidate and Governor of Córdoba from December 11, 1983 to December 11, 1995....
.
Continuing to enjoy a measure of support in Buenos Aires
Buenos 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...
' affluent northside
Barrio Norte, Buenos Aires
Barrio Norte is the informal name given to a part of Buenos Aires centering around Santa Fe Avenue and the Recoleta district.Recoleta, Belgrano and Palermo, are within a region with a per capita immediately comparable with that of many European cities-Overview:An unofficial neighborhood, Barrio...
, he and his daughter María Julia Alsogaray
María Julia Alsogaray
María Julia Alsogaray is an Argentine politician convicted for financial crimes against the state.-Life and times:The daughter of conservative politician Álvaro Alsogaray, she was born in Buenos Aires and became an engineer...
were elected the only two national 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 the UCeDé
Union of the Democratic Centre (Argentina)
The Union of the Democratic Centre is a conservative political party in Argentina. It was founded in 1982 by Álvaro Alsogaray who stood for the Party in the 1983 and 1989 presidential elections....
in 1983
Argentine general election, 1983
The Argentine general election of 1983 was held on 30 October and marked the return of Democracy after the 1976's dictatorship self-known as National Reorganization Process...
, and he served until 1999. A vehement anti-Peronist and anti-socialist, Alsogaray forged an alliance with the late Juan Perón's Justicialist Party
Justicialist Party
The Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de...
in 1989, following their nomination of pro-market Governor Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, and endorsed Justicialist candidate Eduardo Vaca that year in a tightly-contested seat in 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...
representing the City of Buenos Aires; Alsogaray's endorsement in the electoral college gave Vaca the seat, despite the latter's coming in second to centrist UCR
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
candidate Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa is an Argentine politician. He was president of the country from December 10, 1999 to December 21, 2001 for the Alliance for Work, Justice and Education ....
.
A vocal supporter of the era's privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
s, he prevailed on President Menem to appoint his daughter, María Julia, Secretary of the Environment, in which post she served from 1991 to 1999, and himself served in numerous consultative posts during the Menem presidency, endorsing the populist-turned-conservative president in his 1995 re-election bid. Among his most notable roles in this era was as director of a feasibility study in 1995-96 for the replacement of Buenos Aires' two international airports for an island terminal on the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
; opposed by de la Rúa, who had been elected Mayor (and would later be President), the project never materialized. His UCedé party languished despite his renewed influence as much due to public mistrust of his policies, as because of rivalries in the party itself – notably between his daughter and Adelina D'Alessio de Viola (whom he had Menem appoint as head of the National Mortgage Bank
Banco Hipotecario
Banco Hipotecario is an important commercial bank in Argentina and the nation's premier mortgage lender.-Overview:The institution was chartered on September 24, 1886, as the Banco Hipotecario Nacional by a bill signed by President Julio Roca...
). Commenting on the dispute, he remarked that "would it be that one's political party could do without affiliates...or women!"
Legacy
Alsogaray, who perennially sought televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
airtime, lived out his last few years in seclusion, and died in Buenos Aires
Buenos 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...
in 2005 at the age of 91. Adamantly conservative, he was of the opinion that, if anything, the 1976-83 dictatorship was too moderate. He felt that some of the most brutal torturers during Dirty War
Dirty War
The Dirty War was a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1976 until 1983. Victims of the violence included several thousand left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers, either proved or suspected...
, such as Alfredo Astiz
Alfredo Astiz
Alfredo Ignacio Astiz was a Commander, intelligence office and maritime commando in the Argentine Navy during the dictatorial rule of Jorge Rafael Videla in the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional...
, were "heroes," and even once attempted to use his influence over the Menem administration to have a monument built in their honor. In 1985 Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Universidad Francisco Marroquín is a private, secular, university in Guatemala City, Guatemala. According to the school's website, "the mission of Universidad Francisco Marroquín is to teach and disseminate the ethical, legal and economic principles of a sociey of free and responsible persons."...
granted Alsogaray with an *honorary doctoral degree
.
External Links
- https://www.ufm.edu/cms/es/honorary-doctoral-degreesHonorary Doctoral Degrees, Universidad Francisco MarroquínUniversidad Francisco MarroquínUniversidad Francisco Marroquín is a private, secular, university in Guatemala City, Guatemala. According to the school's website, "the mission of Universidad Francisco Marroquín is to teach and disseminate the ethical, legal and economic principles of a sociey of free and responsible persons."...
]