Adolfo Rodríguez-Saá (; born 25 July 1947) is an
Argentine
Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...
Peronist
Peronism, also known as justicialism, is an Argentine ideology and movement based on the ideas, doctrine and legacy of Juan Perón (1895–1974). It has been an influential movement in 20th- and 21st-century Argentine politics. Since 1946, Pe ...
politician. Born in a family that was highly influential in the history of the
San Luis Province
San Luis () is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country (on the 32° South parallel). Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja Province (Argentina), La Rioja, Córdo ...
, he became the province's
governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
in 1983, after the end of the
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process ( PRN; often simply , "the Process") was the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as the ("last military junta"), ("last military dictatorship") ...
military dictatorship. He remained governor up to 2001, being re-elected in successive elections.
President
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa (15 September 19379 July 2019) served as the President of Argentina from 1999 until his resignation in 2001. A member of the Radical Civic Union, he previously served as national senator for Buenos Aires across non-consecuti ...
resigned in that year, amid the
December 2001 riots, and the Congress elected Rodríguez Saá as the
president of Argentina
The president of Argentina, officially known as the president of the Argentine Nation, is both head of state and head of government of Argentina. Under Constitution of Argentina, the national constitution, the president is also the Head of go ...
. In response to the
1998–2002 Argentine great depression
The 1998–2002 Argentine great depression was an economic depression in Argentina, which began in the third quarter of 1998 and lasted until the second quarter of 2002. It followed fifteen years of Economic history of Argentina#Stagnation (197 ...
, he declared the highest
sovereign default
A sovereign default is the failure or refusal of the government of a sovereign state to pay back its debt in full when due. Cessation of due payments (or receivables) may either be accompanied by that government's formal declaration that it wil ...
in history and resigned days later amid civil unrest.
The
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
elected a new president,
Eduardo Duhalde
Eduardo Alberto Duhalde (; born 5 October 1941) is an Argentina, Argentine former peronist politician who served as the interim President of Argentina from January 2002 to May 2003. He also served as Vice President of Argentina, Vice President ...
, in order to complete the term of office of de la Rúa (but Duhalde failed to do so, and eventually that term was completed by
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner Ostoić (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007. A member of the Justicialist Party, he previously served as Governor of Sa ...
, instead). Rodríguez Saá ran for President subsequently in the
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
and
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
presidential elections, but the low votes he received meant he was not among the serious contenders, receiving 14.11% of the popular vote in 2003 and merely 1.99% in 2015.
Early life
Rodríguez Saá was born to an important political family in
San Luis. The Rodriguez Saá family is well known in the Province of San Luis and can be traced to the 19th century and to descendants of the
federal ''caudillo''
Juan Saá, who fought in the
battle of Pavón during the
Argentine Civil War
The Argentine Civil Wars were a series of civil conflicts of varying intensity that took place in the territories of Argentina from 1814 to 1853. Beginning concurrently with the Argentine War of Independence (1810–1818), the conflict prevente ...
. Rodríguez Saá's grandfather and namesake
Adolfo Rodríguez Saá
Adolfo Rodríguez-Saá (; born 25 July 1947) is an Argentina, Argentine Peronism, Peronist politician. Born in a family that was highly influential in the history of the San Luis Province, he became the province's Governor of San Luis, governo ...
and his great-uncle were both governors of the province, and his father was the police chief.
He attended the "Juan Pascual Pringles" school, which was associated with the
National University of Cuyo
The National University of Cuyo (, UNCuyo) is the largest center of higher education in the province of Mendoza, Argentina.
As of 2005, the university had 12 academic schools in the city of Mendoza and a delegation in the city of San Rafael (pr ...
. He studied law at the
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires (, UBA) is a public university, public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the second-oldest university in the country, and the largest university of the country by enrollment. Established in 1821 ...
, graduating in 1971. He worked as a teacher in his former school for two years. He was an editor of the anti-Peronist pamphlet "La voz de San Luis" (), but became a Peronist in 1969 during his studies in Buenos Aires. He joined the Peronist Youth in the year of his graduation and worked as their representative in San Luis.
The Peronist party, proscribed since 1955, was allowed to run for the
1973 elections. The Peronist party won the elections, and
Héctor Cámpora became president. Rodríguez Saá became a provincial legislator, and led the Peronist deputies in the chamber. He joined the right-wing Peronist unions, led by Oraldo Britos. He opposed the governor Elías Adre, who was aligned with left-wing Peronism. After the
1976 Argentine coup d'état
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
, he left politics and worked in a law firm with his brother.
Governor
The
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process ( PRN; often simply , "the Process") was the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as the ("last military junta"), ("last military dictatorship") ...
dictatorship came to an end in 1983, when
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín (; 12 March 1927 – 31 March 2009) was an Argentine lawyer and statesman who served as President of Argentina from 10 December 1983 to 8 July 1989. He was the first democratically elected president after the 7-yea ...
won the
1983 elections. Rodríguez Saá was elected governor of San Luis in those elections, in a close contest with the
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union (, UCR) is a major political party in Argentina. It has reached the national government on ten occasions, making it one of the most historically important parties in the country. Ideologically, the party has stood for r ...
. He was helped by the clergy of the province, who opposed the radical candidate because of his
secularism
Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion. It is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened ...
.
As a governor, Rodríguez Saá attracted huge investments to the province, which led to the growth of local industries, public works, social services and tourism. Levels of employment and industrial production, as well as measures of scholastic achievement and crime-fighting success were higher than those of the country at large. He was a
populist
Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...
and authoritarian governor who was accused of
nepotism
Nepotism is the act of granting an In-group favoritism, advantage, privilege, or position to Kinship, relatives in an occupation or field. These fields can include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion or health care. In ...
, corruption and restricting freedom of the press. He united the governors of the smaller Argentine provinces in a front, called ''
Frente Federal Solidario''.
He ran in the primary elections of the
Justicialist Party
The Justicialist Party (, ; abbr. PJ) is a major political party in Argentina, and the largest branch within Peronism. Following the 2023 presidential election, it has been the largest party in the opposition against President Javier Milei.
Fo ...
(PJ) for the
1989 presidential elections.
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem (2 July 1930 – 14 February 2021) served as the 50th president of Argentina for ten years, from 1989 to 1999. He identified as Peronism, Peronist, serving as President of the Justicialist Party for 13 years (from 1990 to 200 ...
, governor of La Rioja, prevailed in both the primary and the main elections and became the new president of Argentina. Rodríguez Saá was elected to the Constituent Assembly that drafted the
1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution
The 1994 amendment to the Constitution of Argentina was approved on 22 August 1994 by a Constitutional Assembly that met in the twin cities of Santa Fe, Argentina, Santa Fe and Paraná, Argentina, Paraná. The calling for elections for the Constit ...
. He attempted to run in the primary elections for the
1995 presidential elections against Menem, who was seeking re-election. Not seeing any chance of prevailing against the president, he abandoned his candidacy. He also attempted to run in the primary elections for the
1999 presidential elections, and resigned his candidacy again, this time on behalf of
Eduardo Duhalde
Eduardo Alberto Duhalde (; born 5 October 1941) is an Argentina, Argentine former peronist politician who served as the interim President of Argentina from January 2002 to May 2003. He also served as Vice President of Argentina, Vice President ...
, governor of the
Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires, officially the Buenos Aires Province, is the largest and most populous Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of the province an ...
. Duhalde lost the elections to the radical
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa (15 September 19379 July 2019) served as the President of Argentina from 1999 until his resignation in 2001. A member of the Radical Civic Union, he previously served as national senator for Buenos Aires across non-consecuti ...
, and Rodríguez Saá was again re-elected as governor. He attempted to divide the city of
San Luis into four municipalities, as the mayor was a political rival, but had to drop the project because of the popular unrest generated by the proposal.
Presidency
President
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa (15 September 19379 July 2019) served as the President of Argentina from 1999 until his resignation in 2001. A member of the Radical Civic Union, he previously served as national senator for Buenos Aires across non-consecuti ...
resigned after the
December 2001 riots that had been caused by the
1998–2002 Argentine great depression
The 1998–2002 Argentine great depression was an economic depression in Argentina, which began in the third quarter of 1998 and lasted until the second quarter of 2002. It followed fifteen years of Economic history of Argentina#Stagnation (197 ...
. As his vice president
Carlos Álvarez had resigned as well months before, Congress called for a special assembly to designate a new president. Until then,
Ramón Puerta served as acting president from 21 December to 22 December. Adolfo Rodríguez Saá became president after being elected with 169 votes to 138. He was supported by the
PJ and smaller
right-wing
Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
parties such as
Republican Force
The Republican Force (, FR) is a provincial conservative political party in Tucumán Province, Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it ...
and
Action for the Republic
Action for the Republic () is a conservative liberal political party in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
History
Founded in 1997 by Domingo Cavallo, Harvard University graduate liberal economist and defender of neoliberal ideologies, it became the thir ...
. The ''Unión Cívica Radical''
(UCR) and
Alternative for a Republic of Equals
Civic Coalition ARI (, CC-ARI), until October 2009 known as Support for an Egalitarian Republic (, ARI), is a centrist political party in Argentina founded in 2002 by Elisa Carrió.
It is a member of Cambiemos since 2015, along with centrist a ...
voted against him. He was replaced in the governor's office by vice-governor
María Alicia Lemme, and took office on 23 December 2001.
Rodríguez Saá got the mandate of president with instructions from the Assembly to call for elections the following 3 March, with a
ballotage round on 17 March if needed. The new president would complete de la Rúa's term of office. Those elections were to be held under the ''
ley de lemas'' with double simultaneous voting, with the victor scheduled to take office on 5 April.
During his short time in office, Rodríguez Saá announced the creation of a new currency, the ''
argentino'', which would have circulated alongside the peso and the dollar.
The civil unrest of previous days resurfaced when he announced his cabinet, as it included
Carlos Grosso as
Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers
The chief of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Argentine Nation (; JGM), more commonly known simply as the Cabinet chief () is a Ministries of the Argentine Republic, ministerial office within the Government of Argentina, government of Argentina t ...
.
Grosso was a very unpopular former mayor of Buenos Aires. As a result, Rodríguez Saá gave up his whole cabinet before they could take office, with the sole exception of
Rodolfo Gabrielli, in the Interior Ministry. He also declared a
sovereign default
A sovereign default is the failure or refusal of the government of a sovereign state to pay back its debt in full when due. Cessation of due payments (or receivables) may either be accompanied by that government's formal declaration that it wil ...
on the Argentine national debt, which was celebrated by the chamber of deputies. It was the highest sovereign default in history. Those measures, uncharacteristic of a president with a brief term of office, were resented by the leaders of the Justicialist party.
Rodríguez Saá prepared a budget bill for 2002, which was sent to the Congress. It included an important decrease in the deficits, as requested by
Anne Krueger
Anne Osborn Krueger (; born February 12, 1934) is an American economist. She was the World Bank Chief Economist from 1982 to 1986, and the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2001 to 2006. She is currentl ...
from the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution funded by 191 member countries, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is regarded as the global lender of las ...
. Krueger also requested a new
coparticipation law, to determine the way the nation and the provinces manage tax revenues. Rodríguez Saá called for a meeting with governors in Chapadmalal, but only six governors out of twenty-three attended:
Carlos Ruckauf,
Juan Carlos Romero,
Gildo Insfrán,
Ángel Mazza,
Carlos Rovira and
Alicia Lemme.
José Manuel de la Sota, governor of Córdoba, withdrew his support, suspecting that Rodríguez Saá had plans to cancel the elections and stay as president up to 2003.
On 30 December, he returned to San Luis with
Daniel Scioli
Daniel Osvaldo Scioli ( , ; born 13 January 1957) is an Argentine politician, businessman and former sportsman. He currently serves as the Secretary of Tourism, Environment and Sports since January 2024. He was Vice President of Argentina from ...
and resigned, alleging lack of support from the rest of the Justicialist Party. Insfrán, Maza and minister
Rodolfo Gabrielli tried to convince him to stay as president; his brother
Alberto Rodríguez Saá
Alberto José Rodriguez-Saá (born August 21, 1949) is an Argentine lawyer and politician. He was Governor of San Luis Province on two separate occasions. He was presidential candidate for the center-right peronism, Orthodox and Federal Peron ...
supported his decision. In announcing his resignation in a ''
Cadena nacional'', he recounted the achievements of his one-week administration and accused Justicialist governors and legislators of meanness and shortsightedness. He dispatched his resignation from San Luis to Buenos Aires, and the Congress accepted it on 1 January 2002. The Senate chairman
Ramón Puerta would have been the interim president, but resigned as well, so
Eduardo Camaño, president of the
Chamber of Deputies
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
, was appointed interim president instead.
After new deliberations, they elected
Eduardo Duhalde
Eduardo Alberto Duhalde (; born 5 October 1941) is an Argentina, Argentine former peronist politician who served as the interim President of Argentina from January 2002 to May 2003. He also served as Vice President of Argentina, Vice President ...
as president, this time with a mandate that would fill the remaining time of de la Rúa's mandate.
Post-presidency
After the end of
Eduardo Duhalde
Eduardo Alberto Duhalde (; born 5 October 1941) is an Argentina, Argentine former peronist politician who served as the interim President of Argentina from January 2002 to May 2003. He also served as Vice President of Argentina, Vice President ...
's term, Rodríguez Saá ran for the presidency in the
April 2003 elections. Those elections allowed the Lemas law, and the PJ did not provide an official candidate. Each precandidate was allowed instead to run for presidency on his own "lema", and Rodríguez Saá did so. The other candidates of the PJ were
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner Ostoić (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007. A member of the Justicialist Party, he previously served as Governor of Sa ...
and Carlos Menem. Rodríguez Saá came in fourth, with 14.1% of the vote, behind both of the other PJ candidates and
Ricardo López Murphy. Kirchner became the president of Argentina after those elections.
Rodríguez Saá's brother
Alberto Rodríguez Saá
Alberto José Rodriguez-Saá (born August 21, 1949) is an Argentine lawyer and politician. He was Governor of San Luis Province on two separate occasions. He was presidential candidate for the center-right peronism, Orthodox and Federal Peron ...
became the new governor of San Luis in 2003. Together with Carlos Menem, they attempted to create an alternative political group against Kirchner within the PJ. Adolfo Rodríguez Saá was elected
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
for San Luis representing this group at the
2005 election. He was reelected in 2011, with a term of office up to 2017. He tried to run for
governor of Buenos Aires Province in 2011, but the local judiciary did not allow him, as he did not have the required time living in the province. The mayor
Sergio Massa organized the coalition
United for a New Alternative
United for a New Alternative () was an Argentine Peronist political coalition, running for the 2015 Argentine general election
Fifteen or 15 may refer to:
*15 (number)
*one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015
Music
* Fifteen (band), ...
to run for the
2015 presidential election and invited Rodríguez Saá to join, but he refused to join and ran with his own party,
Federal Commitment. With 1.64% of the vote, it was the least voted party in the national elections. He later joined the Juntos por el Cambio of the then-President Mauricio Macri in June 2019 but left the coalition and joined the Frente de Todos of President Cristina Kirchner in December 2019.
Personal life
Adolfo Rodríguez Saá was kidnapped on 21 October 1993. He was governor of San Luis at the time. He was taken to a room in the hotel "Y no C" and forced to perform for a pornographic video. He was forced to pay a ransom of 3 million dollars and was left in the trunk of a car. The video has never been made public, and the kidnappers Walter Alejandro Salgado, Nélida Esther Sesín and Eduardo Alberto Doyhenard were sentenced in 1995. The trial took 11 days, and it included the testimonies of 132 witnesses. It was aired on live television. Esther Sesín claimed during the trial that she had been his lover for eight years. All the kidnappers have served their sentences and currently live in other provinces.
Rodríguez Saá has worked as a cattle rancher in San Luis since his defeat in the 2003 elections.
[Reato, p. 27]
Bibliography
*
*
*
References
External links
Official site
Biography by CIDOB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez Saa, Adolfo
Presidents of Argentina
Members of the Argentine Senate for San Luis
1947 births
Living people
Governors of San Luis Province
Justicialist Party politicians
Kidnappings in Argentina
University of Buenos Aires alumni
People from San Luis Province
Argentine people of Spanish descent
20th-century Argentine politicians
21st-century Argentine politicians