Alejandro Agustín Lanusse Gelly (28 August 1918 – 26 August 1996) was the de facto president of the Argentine Republic between 26 March 1971 and 25 May 1973, during the military dictatorship of the country called the "Argentine Revolution".
On 26 March 1971, Lanusse assumed the presidency in a totally unfavorable political climate. Guerrilla violence grew, popular discontent also, the continuity of the military government became difficult to sustain. Lanusse evaluated that the solution to the multiple conflicts was to end the proscription of Peronism and to decree a political opening that allowed a transition towards democracy.
Early life
He was born as Alejandro Agustín Lanusse Gelly on 28 August 1918, in Buenos Aires to Luis Gustavo Lanusse Justo and Albertina Gelly Cantilo. He was raised in an upper middle class family that had vast landholdings and interests in multiple commercial and industrial enterprises.
Career
A graduate of the Army Academy (Colegio Militar de la Nación, class of 1938), he served in different Cavalry units before becoming commander 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 against Juan Perón. He was released in 1955 with the Revolución Libertadora, a military uprising which ousted Perón Lanusse was jostled and spat at as he left the Casa Rosada and the presidency. Despite saying that Perón, who was living in exile in Spain, would never return to Argentina "either because he doesn't want to, or doesn't have the guts", He also testified against the leaders of the military regime during the Trial of the Juntas, having lost one of his press secretaries to a forced disappearance.
Personal life and death
Lanusse was married to Ileana Bell and had nine children. He died in Buenos Aires on 26 August 1996