The spectre of military intervention so much in evidence after the election of
Arturo Frondizi in 1958 became reality following his coerced resignation on March 29, 1962. His
UCRI candidates had done well; but the evening's big surprise,
Andrés Framini's election as Governor of
Buenos Aires Province (one of ten
Peronists to win gubernatorial polls that night), proved unacceptable to the
armed forces. An array of political leaders had been lobbying the military against Frondizi, as well: centrist
UCRP leader
Ricardo Balbín (whom Frondizi defeated on a splinter ticket in 1958) and conservative economist
Álvaro Alsogaray (whom Frondizi sidestepped in favor of pro-industry economist
Rogelio Julio Frigerio) both openly celebrated the president's unceremonious exit. watches over interim President Guido, an unwitting metaphor as Army factions wrestled for control of his puppet regime. The matter of Frondizi's successor, itself, became a subject of contention within the armed forces. The two opposing camps defined themselves as either "Blues" (
Azules, at pains to maintain a patina of legality over the destabilizing intervention) or "Reds" (
Colorados, lacking any compunction against imposing a prolonged and repressive dictatorship). The stalemate lasted merely a day because most of the
Army High Command were "Blues," whose preference of a "legal" solution to the vacuum was supported by most of the press and the Argentine public, Relying on
constitutional guidelines, they named the reluctant
Senate President
José María Guido Head of State. The
Radical Civic Union (UCR) was again divided between the Intransigent (UCRI) and more conservative Popular (UCRP) factions as they convened in March 1963. The UCRP nominated former
Córdoba Province Vice-Governor
Arturo Illia, a country doctor fondly remembered for his work in the Public Health Committee in
Congress; Balbín, who still led the UCRP, opted out of the nomination at the party's March 10 convention believing that a less anti-Peronist choice would give the UCRP a critical advantage over the rival UCRI. Against opposition from former Buenos Aires Governor
Oscar Alende, Frondizi and Perón initially agreed on a "National Popular Front," fielding a respected, moderately conservative publisher as the nominee,
Vicente Solano Lima. Tricked by a similar move in 1958, the military objected, however, leading to the brutal
1963 Argentine Navy Revolt on April 2, which cost 24 lives and effectively scuttled the Perón-Frondizi front. These incidents led former President
Pedro Aramburu run on his UDELPA ticket, thus hoping to provide those most likely to support a military coup a suitable, center-right choice instead. He was also endorsed by the more moderate
Democratic Progressive Party, whose leader, Horacio Thedy, ran as Aramburu's running mate; making fears of Perón's return his battle horse, Aramburu's slogan was unequivocal: ''Vote UDELPA...and HE won't return!'' Hamstrung by Frondizi's open enmity against Alende for the latter's rejection of the ultimately aborted Front, as well as Perón's call for blank ballots, Alende's UCRI was defeated in an upset by Dr. Arturo Illia and the UCRP. == Candidates for President ==