Juan Manuel Abal Medina
Juan Manuel Abal Medina | |
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Born | Buenos Aires, Argentina | March 1, 1945
Occupation | Lawyer |
Spouses |
Juan Manuel Abal Medina (born March 1, 1945) is an Argentine journalist and politician who served as Secretary General of the
Early life and entry into politics
Abal Medina was born to a wealthy family of a
His younger brother, Fernando, worked in the periodical's circulation office, and in 1968, co-founded the
Perón and Peronism
Abal Medina was introduced to Perón in 1971. He had not been a
Backed by labor, and in good terms with the military, Abal Medina was named Secretary of Operativo Retorno ("Operation Return") by Cámpora. Perón was 76, and rumors that he was suffering from both ill health and early signs of
Abal Medina led the selection process for the over 3,500 FREJULI candidates for Congressional, provincial, and local offices in these, the first elections in Argentina of any kind since 1965. He was, moreover, instrumental in persuading Rucci to drop his opposition to a number of key nominations, among them to the candidate for
He made the first serious mistake, however, when the candidate he chose for a Senate seat for Buenos Aires (his friend and former newspaper colleague, Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo), was defeated in an upset by the neophyte UCR candidate, Fernando de la Rúa. His choices for other offices also became complications for Abal Medina. Eight of the candidates he chose for the Lower House to represent Buenos Aires were, in fact, elected. One of these, Nilda Garré Coppello, began an extramarital affair with Abal Medina, resulting in the termination of both their marriages in 1973;[2] Garré and Abal Medina married that year, and they had three children.[6]
Garré, Santiago Díaz Ortiz, and the six others soon became known in Congress as the "Gang of Eight" for their increasingly vocal opposition to Perón's nomination of his right-wing wife,
The alliance of Montoneros with Perón had effectively ended when, in September 1973, Rucci was assassinated. The murder of numerous other public figures followed, and on March 23, 1974, Abal Medina suffered an attempt on his own life. He was convinced, however, that the attack had been carried out by a new threat sponsored from within the Perón government: the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance (Triple A). The Triple A was secretly commanded by Perón's astrologer and closest adviser, José López Rega, who had been given the Social Welfare portfolio (and thus controlled 30 percent of the federal budget). Abal Medina's car was bombed shortly afterward in a second (unsuccessful) attack, and in May, he was removed as Secretary General of the party.[1]
Exile and new associations
Perón died in July and was succeeded by his wife, whose government presided over spiraling violence and inflation. She was overthrown in a
Abal Medina also sought exile in Mexico upon obtaining a
He established a successful law practice in Mexico, and later opened offices in Spain and Argentina. The CEO of Telmex, Carlos Slim, hired Abal Medina as an adviser for his growing interests in Argentina, and in 2007, he was invited by outgoing Argentine President Néstor Kirchner to join the cabinet of his wife and successor, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. He cited worsening respiratory problems and refused, however.[7]
Abal Medina visits Argentina often. His eldest son,
References
- ^ a b c Gambini, Hugo (2008). Historia del peronismo III (1956-1983). Stockcero.
- ^ a b c "Abal Medina, tu sangre es negocio en la Argentina". SEPRIN. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
- ^ a b c Lewis, Paul H. (2002). Guerillas and generals: the Dirty War in Argentina. Greenwood Publishing.
- ^ a b c "Juan Manuel Abal Medina". Revista Siete Días. March 1983.
- ^ a b c d Ladeuix, Juan. "Entre la institucionalización y la práctica. La normalización del Partido Justicialista en la Provincia de Buenos Aires. 1972 — 1973" (PDF). Programa Buenos Aires de Historia Politica del Siglo XX.
- ^ "La otra sorpresa fue la llegada de Nilda Garré al Ministerio de Defensa". Clarín.
- ^ a b "Quieren repatriar a Abal Medina, tal vez para el futuro gabinete". Perfil. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
- ^ "Abal Medina, un "hijo" de Montoneros que en 2002 ya admiraba a Kirchner". Diario Perfil.