Videla in uniform (center).

Jorge Rafael Videla Redondo (born August 2, 1925 in Mercedes) is a former Argentine soldier and politician.

Following the political instability that arose in the aftermath of Juan Perón's death in 1974 and the subsequent presidency of his widow, the politically-inexperienced Isabel Perón, Videla and other high ranking military officials staged a coup d'état. Isabel was deposed, and a three-man interim junta assumed the powers of the presidency. Two days later, on 29 March 1976, Videla formally assumed the presidency, a post he would hold until 29 March 1981.

His regime was known for its numerous disappearances of rivals and opponents, baby kidnappings, and the harsh tortures inflicted during the Dirty War. He claimed to be fighting subversives such as the radical Marxist Montoneros and ERP guerrilla groups, but also said that the subversivos included people who had ideas contrary to Christian and Western civilization. During the regime's 7-year rule, it is estimated that between 10,000-30,000 Argentineans were disappeared, up to 500,000 went into exile, and several thousand more were detained and tortured at various secret prison camps. All legislative power was concentrated in the hands of a 9-man commission of junta members, and every single important position in the national government was filled with loyal military officers. The junta quickly banned labor unions, strikes, abolished the judiciary, and effectively removed civil liberties.

In Operation Condor, a campaign of assassination and intelligence-gathering dubbed counter-terrorism, conducted by the security services of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay in the mid-1970s, many people were tortured, disappeared and were killed without trial.

Following the election of Néstor Kirchner, there has been a widespread effort in Argentina to discredit and delegitimize Videla's rule. The government no longer recognizes Videla as having been a legal president of the country, and his portrait has been removed from all halls and archives. There have also been many legal prosecutions of officials associated with the crimes of the regime.

External link

• Videla suffers stroke (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4106075.stm)