Héctor Cámpora | |
|---|---|
 Campora in 1973 | |
| 38th President of Argentina | |
| In office 25 May 1973 – 13 July 1973 | |
| Vice President | Vicente Solano Lima |
| Preceded by | Alejandro Agustín Lanusse(de facto) |
| Succeeded by | Raúl Alberto Lastiri(interim) |
| President of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 26 April 1948 – 26 April 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Ricardo Guardo |
| Succeeded by | Antonio J. Benítez |
| National Deputy | |
| In office 4 June 1946 – 16 September 1955 | |
| Constituency | Buenos Aires(1946–1952) Buenos Aires's 24th circonscription(1952–1955) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Héctor José Cámpora (1909-03-26)26 March 1909 |
| Died | 18 December 1980(1980-12-18) (aged 71) |
| Political party | Justicialist |
| Spouse | María Georgina Cecilia Acevedo |
| Profession | Dentist |
| Signature |  |
Héctor José Cámpora (26 March 1909[1] – 18 December 1980)[2] was an Argentine politician.[3] A major figure of left-wingPeronism, Cámpora was brieflyArgentine president from 25 May to 13 July 1973 and subsequently arranged forJuan Perón to run for president in an election that he subsequently won. The modern left-wing Peronist political youth organizationLa Cámpora is named after him.[4]
Cámpora, affectionately known asel Tío (the Uncle), was born asHéctor José Cámpora Demaestre on March 26, 1909, in the city ofMercedes, in theProvince of Buenos Aires. He earned a degree indentistry inCórdoba University and practiced his profession in his hometown before moving to nearbySan Andrés de Giles.[5]
Cámpora knew GeneralJuan Perón when the latter visited San Andrés de Giles as minister of labour in 1944. After Perón was elected president in 1946, Cámpora led an independent coalition of labourists andradicals and won a seat in thehouse of representatives, which he presided during the period 1948–1952. He was commissioned for a diplomatic trip through 17 countries asplenipotentiary ambassador in 1953. He was arrested[6] and indicted for corruption andembezzlement by theRevolución Libertadora which overthrew Perón in 1955. After fleeing the country in 1956, he returned three years later when all the charges were dropped.
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Perón chose him as his "personal delegate" in 1971. He ran for president in 1973 to circumvent the veto on Perón's participation in the election which had been issued by Argentine dictator GeneralAlejandro Lanusse. His running-mate wasVicente Solano Lima. Despite Cámpora's own left-leaning tendencies, Solano Lima belonged to the Popular Conservative Party.
Cámpora won theMarch 1973 election with 49.6% of the votes. TheRadical leader,Ricardo Balbín, had arrived second with 21.3%, but it was enough to include him in the runoff with Cámpora, asabsolute majority was necessary to avoid a second ballot. However, he resigned his right in order to avoid a political crisis, and recognized his defeat. Cámpora assumed his functions on 25 May 1973, in the presence of Chilean PresidentSalvador Allende and Cuban PresidentOsvaldo Dorticós. A million people gathered on thePlaza de Mayo to acclaim the new President.
One of Cámpora's first presidential actions was a granting ofamnesty to members of terrorist organizations who had carried out political assassinations and terror attacks against military and police personnel and who had been tried and sentenced to prison by judges. Once liberated, these terrorist began executing these judges for revenge.
On 28 May Argentina restored diplomatic relations with Cuba, which then received Argentine aid such as food and industrial products to break theUnited States embargo against Cuba.
During Cámpora's first months of government, approximatively 600 social conflicts,strikes andfactory occupations had taken place.[7] The revolutionary left had however suspended armed struggle, joining itself to theparticipatory democracy process, which created alarms in the Peronist right-wing bureaucracy.[8]
Cámpora's ideology set him against the right-wing tendencies ofPeronism. When Perón returned to Argentina on 20 June 1973, his plane had to be redirected to a military airport because at the gathering to greet his arrival at Buenos Aires' main airport, snipers affiliated with the right wing of Peronism attacked and killed a number of left-wing Peronist activists.[9] This event, known as theEzeiza Massacre, left 13 killed and more than 300 wounded.
José Ber Gelbard, president of the CGE, a small and medium-sized enterprise association, was designated as minister of economics. Gelbard tried to establish a "social pact" among theCGT workers and the "NationalBourgeoisie", including aprice freeze and widespread salary hikes.
Finally, on 13 July 1973, Cámpora resigned to allow Juan Perón to return to power.New elections were held on 23 September, twelve days after theChilean coup. Cámpora was later designated as Argentine ambassador toMexico.
After theMarch 1976 coup d'état that displaced Perón's successor, his widowIsabel Perón, Cámpora sought refuge at the Mexican embassy in Buenos Aires. Three years later, after being diagnosed withlaryngeal cancer, he was allowed to fly to Mexico. Cámpora died inCuernavaca a few months after his arrival, in December 1980.
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| Preceded by | President of the Chamber of Deputies 1948–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Argentina 1973 | Succeeded by |
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