Background
Arturo Umberto Illia was born in Pergamino on 4 August 1900.
politician president statesman medician
Arturo Umberto Illia was born in Pergamino on 4 August 1900.
Graduated from the medical school of the University of Buenos Aires.
He began to practice medicine in a small town in the province of Córdoba. In 1948 he was elected to the national Congress where he served for four years. When the Radical Party split alter 1955, Illia sided with Ricardo Balbin and the People’s Radicals (UCRP), which reflected his own moderate and traditional Radical views.
In 1963 Illia was nominated as the UCRP’s presidential candidate. Although gamering only about 25 percent of the popular vote, he managed to get the support of enough minor parties in the electoral college to be elected president. However, he came to power without a working legislative majority.
lllia’s problems were exacerbated in 1965 and 1966 when Peronists were allowed to take part in local and congressional elections. Their important victories caused unease among the military and other anti-Peronist sectors. Students also posed problems for the Illia government, taking to the streets to protest government educational policy. The regime was further rocked by rumors of corruption. Compounding all these problems was Argentina’s difficult economic situation. One of Illia’s most visible moves, cancellation of oil contracts, was understandable from a political point of view but caused Argentina again to become an oil importer.
By early 1966 Argentine political journals were openly speculating on when, not if, Illia would be overthrown. When the expected coup came in June, it was welcomed by large numbers of Argentines from various political perspectives. They did not realize that Illia’s overthrow was the beginning of a new political era of increased violence and repression.
