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Jorge Rafael Videla
President of Argentina De facto
In office 29 March 1976 – 29 March 1981
Preceded by	Isabel Perón
Succeeded by	Roberto Viola
Personal details
Born	Jorge Rafael Videla (1925-08-02)2 August 1925 Mercedes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died	17 May 2013(2013-05-17) (aged 87) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality	Argentine
Spouse(s)	Alicia Raquel Hartridge (m. 1948–2013)
Children	7
Alma mater	Colegio Militar de la Nación
Profession	Military
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Argentina
Branch/service	Argentine Army
Years of service	1944–1981
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	Argentine Army

Jorge Rafael Videla (2 August 1925 – 17 May 2013) was a senior commander in the Argentine Army who was the de facto President of Argentina from 1976 to 1981.

Early life[change | change source]

Videla was born on 2 August 1925 in Mercedes, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied at the National Military College (Colegio Militar de la Nación). Videla married Alicia Raquel Hartridge in 1948.

Presidency[change | change source]

Videla came to power in a coup d'état that deposed Isabel Martínez de Perón. After the return of a representative democratic government in 1983, he was prosecuted for large-scale human rights abuses and crimes against humanity that took place under his rule. These included:

• Kidnappings
• "Disappearances" (where people would disappear and never come back; these people were murdered and their bodies were never found)
• Torturing and murdering many people without a trial at secret concentration camps. These people included activists; people who Videla thought might take power from him; and their families
• Stealing many babies who were born while their mothers were imprisoned in concentration camps

Personal life[change | change source]

Videla remained married to his wife Alicia until his death in 2013. They had seven children.

Arrest[change | change source]

He was under house arrest until 10 October 2008, when he was sent to a military prison. On 22 December 2010, Videla was sentenced to life in a non-military prison for the deaths of 31 prisoners after his coup d'état. On 5 July 2012, Videla was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the systematic kidnapping of children during his tenure.

Death[change | change source]

Videla died in his sleep on 17 May 2013, at the Marcos Paz Prison in Buenos Aires. He died from complications after falling in the shower. He was 87.^[1]

References[change | change source]

Other websites[change | change source]

Media related to Jorge Rafael Videla at Wikimedia Commons

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jorge Rafael Videla

• Ex-Argentine Dictator Sentenced to Life in Prison – video report by Democracy Now!
• Former Dictator of Argentina Found Guilty Of Crimes Against Humanity Archived 2011-01-08 at the Wayback Machine