Who was Fernando de la Rúa? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Fernando de la Rua

Died At Age: 81

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Inés Pertiné

father: Antonio De la Rúa

mother: Eleonora Bruno

children: Antonio

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Died on: July 9, 2019

place of death: Buenos Aires

More Facts

education: National University of Cordoba

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Childhood & Early Life

Fernando de la Rua was born on September 15, 1937 in Cordoba, Argentina, to Antonia de la Rua and Eleonora Bruno.

He received his early education at the Military Lyceum and after graduating high school, he entered the National University of Cordoba to study law. He graduated from the university at the age of 21 and was also awarded a gold medal. He entered politics soon after with the Radical Civic Union.

After graduating in law, he went on to receive his Ph.D. from the National University of Cordoba. Subsequently, in 1963, he went to Buenos Aires to take up the job of an advisor the minister Juan Palmero.

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Career

In the general elections held in 1973, Fernando de la Rua became a senator by defeating Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo. The new government lasted a few months and in the fresh elections, Juan Peron routed the Radical Civic Union (UCR).

In 1976, there was a coup in Argentina and Fernando was removed from the Congress. Thereafter, he worked as a lawyer for the Bunge y Born firm.

After the end of the dictatorial regime, he returned to politics in 1983 and wanted to run for the presidency, but he lost in the UCR primaries. Instead he was elected as a senator in the general elections.

He won the re-election to the senate in 1989 but the electoral college opted for the Peronist candidate. In 1991, he was elected deputy and two years after that made his way to the senate.

In 1994, the Argentine constitution was amended in order to allow President Menem to run for office once more and the amendment went through even though la Rua opposed it bitterly. His party, UCR, fared poorly in the 1995 elections.

In 1996, he was elected as the mayor of Buenos Aires and during his three year stint in that position; he brought about profound changes in the city. He was responsible for the expansion of the tube network in the city and was also instrumental in building an avenue that led to the Saavedra area of the city.

He emerged as the presidential candidate of the UCR for the presidential elections that were to be held in 1999 and after a campaign in which he used different communication channels to great effect, he won the elections. On 10 December 1999 he was installed as the President of Argentina.

His stint as the President of Argentina saw him pass controversial legislation in his bid to deregulate the labour unions in the country. However, it was on the economic front that he faced the biggest challenge.

Following the withdrawal of financial aid by the US, he imposed higher taxes on the highest earners. In 2001; riots broke out in different parts of Argentina in protest against the economic conditions. He imposed a state of emergency but it proved ineffective and on 21 December 2001, he resigned from the presidency.

Major Works

His stint as the Mayor of Buenos Aires was without doubt the most productive part of his political career and during that stint he brought about plenty of changes in the city starting. The most important being the expansion of the tube network.

Family & Personal Life

Fernando de la Rua got married to Ines Pertine Urien in 1970. The couple had three children, named Antonio, Fernando and Agustina. Antonio worked as one of the closest advisors to his father during the presidency and was a key member of the presidential campaign as well.

He died of heart and kidney failure on 9 July 2019, in Buenos Aires.

Fernando de la Rúa Biography