Alejandro Agustín Lanusse

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 and set up a military dictatorship which was in power from 1955 to 1958. In 1956, he was designated Ambassador to the Holy See. In 1960, he became assistant director of the Superior Military School and later Commander of the First Armored Cavalry Division. In 1962, he took part in the overthrowing of president Arturo Frondizi, and, in 1966, supported General Juan Carlos Onganía in the ousting of president Arturo Illia, a decision which he later regretted. In 1968, he became Commander-in-Chief of the Argentine Army. ==Presidency==

In contrast to the conservative Onganía, Lanusse was regarded by his aides as "the last liberal officer in the Argentine armed forces". In 1970, Lanusse led the coup that overthrew Onganía and installed General Roberto Levingston as president. 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", Lanusse helped arrange for Perón's arrival in Argentina in June 1973. ==Later years==

In 1985, Lanusse published his autobiography, 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 ==References==