Jorge Rafael Videla
President of Argentina
Died when: 87 years 288 days (1053 months)Star Sign: Leo
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Jorge Rafael Videla (/vɪˈdɛlə/;Spanish: [ˈxoɾxe rafaˈel biˈðela]; 2 August 1925 – 17 May 2013) was an Argentine military officer and dictator, Commander in Chief of the Army, member of the Military Junta, and de facto President of Argentina from 29 March 1976 to 29 March 1981.
His reign, which was during the time of Operation Condor, was among the most infamous in Latin America during the Cold War, due to its high level of human rights abuses and severe economic mismanagement.
He came to power in a coup d'état that deposed Isabel Perón.In 1985, two years after the return of a representative democratic government, he was prosecuted in the Trial of the Juntas for large-scale human rights abuses and crimes against humanity that took place under his rule, including kidnappings or forced disappearance, widespread torture and extrajudicial murder of activists and political opponents as well as their families at secret concentration camps.
An estimated 13,000 to 30,000 political dissidents vanished during this period.Videla was also convicted of the theft of many babies born during the captivity of their mothers at the illegal detention centres and passing them on for illegal adoption by associates of the regime.
In his defence, Videla maintained the female guerrilla detainees allowed themselves to become pregnant in the belief they would not be tortured or executed.
On 5 July 2010, Videla took full responsibility for his army's actions during his rule. "I accept the responsibility as the highest military authority during the internal war.
My subordinates followed my orders," he told an Argentine court.Videla also sheltered many Nazi fugitives as did Juan Perón before him, as Alfredo Stroessner did in Paraguay and as Hugo Banzer did in Bolivia; he was sometimes known as the "Hitler of the Pampa".
He was under house arrest until 10 October 2008, when he was sent to a military prison.Following a new trial, on 22 December 2010, Videla was sentenced to life in a civilian prison for the deaths of 31 prisoners following his coup.
On 5 July 2012, Videla was sentenced to 50 years in civilian prison for the systematic kidnapping of children during his tenure.The following year, Videla died in the Marcos Paz civilian prison five days after suffering a fall in a shower.
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