Isaac Rojas
Encyclopedia
Isaac Francisco Rojas Madariaga (December 3, 1906 – April 13, 1993) was an Argentine
Admiral of the Navy
and de-facto Vice President of Argentina.
Rojas was born in Buenos Aires
, in 1906. He joined the Argentine Navy and had an unremarkable career until the 1946 election of Juan Perón
. Rojas became close to the influential First Lady, Eva Perón
, and served as her naval aide-de-camp
until her death in 1952. He was then named head of the Río Santiago Naval Academy (site of an important naval shipyard), though in August 1955, he was persuaded to take part in the coup d'état
that toppled Perón on September 19. Credited with leading the Navy dutring the rebellion, Rojas obtained Perón's resignation and exile by commandeering the ARA General Belgrano
- threatening to bombard the YPF refinery in Ensenada
(then the nation's largest). He was rewarded with the Vice Presidency at the Navy's insistence, and remained in the post until President Pedro Aramburu relinquished power to elected authorities in May 1958. Rojas became a staunch anti-Peronist as Vice President, though he supported Aramburu's call for Constitutional Assembly elections
in 1957, overcoming objections from the largely conservative Navy.
Following the return to democracy with the election of President Arturo Frondizi
, Rojas remained a vocal supporter of military action to prevent the return of Peronism
, and participated in a failed, April 1963 coup attempt against President José María Guido
(who was himself appointed in Frondizi's replacement for the sake of preventing a Peronist resurgence at the polls). Following Army Chief Juan Carlos Onganía
's defeat of the coup attempt, Rojas was confined to his uptown Buenos Aires
apartment, after which he largely limited his contact with the public to occasional columns in conservative newspapers such as La Prensa
and La Nación. He opposed the Antarctic Treaty of 1961 and was a staunch supporter of the disastrous Falklands War
, making it his dying wish that his ashes be scattered at the site of the tragic sinking of the Belgrano during the 1982 conflict.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Admiral of the Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
and de-facto Vice President of Argentina.
Rojas was born in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, in 1906. He joined the Argentine Navy and had an unremarkable career until the 1946 election of Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
. Rojas became close to the influential First Lady, Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
, and served as her naval aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
until her death in 1952. He was then named head of the Río Santiago Naval Academy (site of an important naval shipyard), though in August 1955, he was persuaded to take part in the coup d'état
Revolución Libertadora
The Revolución Libertadora was a military uprising that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on September 16, 1955.-History:...
that toppled Perón on September 19. Credited with leading the Navy dutring the rebellion, Rojas obtained Perón's resignation and exile by commandeering the ARA General Belgrano
ARA General Belgrano
The ARA General Belgrano was an Argentine Navy light cruiser in service from 1951 until 1982. Formerly the , she saw action in the Pacific theater of World War II before being sold to Argentina. After almost 31 years of service, she was sunk during the Falklands War by the Royal Navy submarine ...
- threatening to bombard the YPF refinery in Ensenada
Ensenada, Buenos Aires
Ensenada is a city and port in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, located around the Ensenada de Barragán. It has 31,031 inhabitants as per the...
(then the nation's largest). He was rewarded with the Vice Presidency at the Navy's insistence, and remained in the post until President Pedro Aramburu relinquished power to elected authorities in May 1958. Rojas became a staunch anti-Peronist as Vice President, though he supported Aramburu's call for Constitutional Assembly elections
Argentine Constitutional Assembly election, 1957
The Argentine Constitutional Assembly election of 1957 was held on 28 July. Voters chose delegates to the assembly, and with a turnout of 90.1%, it produced the following results:-Constitutional assembly:-Background:...
in 1957, overcoming objections from the largely conservative Navy.
Following the return to democracy with the election of President Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ercoli was the President of Argentina between May 1, 1958, and March 29, 1962, for the Intransigent Radical Civic Union.-Early life:Frondizi was born in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province...
, Rojas remained a vocal supporter of military action to prevent the return of Peronism
Peronism
Peronism , or Justicialism , is an Argentine political movement based on the programmes associated with former President Juan Perón and his second wife, Eva Perón...
, and participated in a failed, April 1963 coup attempt against President José María Guido
José María Guido
José María Guido was an interim President of Argentina from 30 March 1962 to 12 October 1963.Guido was elected to the Argentine Senate for Río Negro Province in 1958, representing the Intransigent Radical Civic Union...
(who was himself appointed in Frondizi's replacement for the sake of preventing a Peronist resurgence at the polls). Following Army Chief Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía Carballo was de facto president of Argentina from 29 June 1966 to 8 June 1970. He rose to power as military dictator after toppling, in a coup d’état self-named Revolución Argentina , the democratically elected president Arturo Illia .-Economic and social...
's defeat of the coup attempt, Rojas was confined to his uptown Buenos Aires
Barrio Norte, Buenos Aires
Barrio Norte is the informal name given to a part of Buenos Aires centering around Santa Fe Avenue and the Recoleta district.Recoleta, Belgrano and Palermo, are within a region with a per capita immediately comparable with that of many European cities-Overview:An unofficial neighborhood, Barrio...
apartment, after which he largely limited his contact with the public to occasional columns in conservative newspapers such as La Prensa
La Prensa (Buenos Aires)
La Prensa is an Argentine daily newspaper.Based in Buenos Aires, it was founded on 18 October 1869 by José C. Paz. La Prensa ranked among the most widely circulated dailies in Argentina in subsequent decades, earning a reputation for conservatism and support for British interests in Argentina...
and La Nación. He opposed the Antarctic Treaty of 1961 and was a staunch supporter of the disastrous Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, making it his dying wish that his ashes be scattered at the site of the tragic sinking of the Belgrano during the 1982 conflict.