Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín Foulkes (born 13 March 1927) was president of Argentina from 10 December 1983 to 8 July 1989.
A member of the radical party, he was elected to the Buenos Aires province legislature in 1958. He stood for the radical party nomination for the 1973 Presidential election but lost to Ricardo Balbín.
After the collpase of the military junta in 1983 new Presidential elections were held. Alfonsin, who had been elected leader of the radical party in July that year, became president.
His government prosecuted some members of the previous military regieme for human rights abuses committed during the Dirty War but due to continuing economic and labour problems the peronist Carlos Menem won the 1989 Presidential election.
In 1995 he resigned as leader of the radical party after their poor election performance.
Preceded by: Reynaldo Bignone | President of Argentina | Succeeded by: Carlos Menem |