Reynaldo Bignone
| Reynaldo Bignone | |
|---|---|
 |
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45th President of Argentina De facto |
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In office July 1, 1982 – December 10, 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Alfredo Oscar Saint Jean (Interim) |
| Succeeded by | Raul Alfonsín |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Reynaldo Benito Antonio Bignone January 21, 1928 Morón, Buenos Aires |
| Nationality | Argentine |
| Political party | None |
| Spouse(s) | Nilda Raquel Belén (died 13 March 2013) |
| Children | Cristina Raquel Mabel Beatriz Carlos Daniel |
| Profession | Military |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Argentina
|
| Service/branch |
 Argentine Army
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| Years of service | 1947–1981 |
| Rank |
 Major General
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| Battles/wars | Internal War |
Reynaldo Benito Antonio Bignone (born January 21, 1928) is a retired Argentine general who served as dictatorial President of Argentina from July 1, 1982, to December 10, 1983. In 2010, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the kidnappings, torture, and murders of persons suspected of opposing the government in the Dirty War. Along with Basilio Lami Dozo and Omar Graffigna, he is one of the last surviving members of the military dictatorship.
Reynaldo Benito Antonio Bignone Ramayón was born in Morón, Buenos Aires, in 1928. Enlisting in the Argentine Army in 1947, he enrolled at the prestigious National War College, and was stationed in Spain. After numerous assignments, Bignone returned to Argentina to be named head of the "General Viamontes" (6th) Infantry Regiment in 1964, and later directed the National War College. An August 1975 reshuffling of the Armed Forces High Command by President Isabel Martínez de Perón resulted in the appointment of General Jorge Videla to the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. A quiet career military officer, Videla brought with him a number of protégés, among them Brigadier General Bignone, whom Videla named Secretary of the Joint Chiefs.
The military reacted to worsening economic and security conditions by conducting a March 24, 1976 coup d'état against Mrs. Perón. The coup was welcomed by most Argentines at the time, following a wave of terrorism and kidnappings by leftist guerrilla groups, as well as by the far-right death squads of the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance. On March 28, Bignone led a regiment into the Alejandro Posadas Hospital in the western Buenos Aires suburb of Haedo. He converted a wing in the respected medical facility into his personal "Chalet" (one of 340 detention centers operated by Argentina's last dictatorship).
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Wikipedia