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Luis Sáenz-Peña (2 April 1822 – 4 December 1907) was a lawyer and
President of Argentina The president of Argentina, officially known as the president of the Argentine Nation, is both head of state and head of government of Argentina. Under Constitution of Argentina, the national constitution, the president is also the Head of go ...
. He was the father of president
Roque Sáenz Peña Roque José Antonio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Sáenz-Peña (19 March 1851 – 9 August 1914) was an Argentine politician and lawyer who served as President of Argentina from 12 October 1910 to his death in office on 9 August 1914. He was th ...
.


Biography

Luis Saenz-Peña was born on 2 April 1822 to Roque Julián Sáenz-Peña and María Luisa Dávila. He graduated in law from the
University of Buenos Aires The University of Buenos Aires (, UBA) is a public university, public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the second-oldest university in the country, and the largest university of the country by enrollment. Established in 1821 ...
and participated in the constitutional assembly of 1860. He was a number of times a national deputy and senator. In 1882, he occupied a seat on the Supreme Court of the
Province of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, officially the Buenos Aires Province, is the largest and most populous Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of the province an ...
. Later he was employed as president of the Provincial Bank, director of the Academy of Jurisprudence, and had a seat in the General Council of Education. On 18 November 1848, he married Cipriana du Cos de La Hitte (born 6 December 1829, Montevideo, Uruguay - died 23 October 1916) in the Church of Saint Ignatius, in Buenos Aires.


Political office

In 1882, he served as a member of the Supreme Court of the Province of Buenos Aires. Later, he served as president of the Bank of the
Province of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, officially the Buenos Aires Province, is the largest and most populous Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of the province an ...
. He was also several times a national deputy and senator.


Presidency

Luis Sáenz-Peña, a prominent Catholic leader, was anointed as a transitional president, after an agreement between Julio Argentino Roca's and Bartolome Mitre's factions that prevented the electoral participation of the brand new U.C.R. On 12 October 1892, Sáenz-Peña was inaugurated president of the country. He began his mandate convinced that his mission was to finish getting out of the Panic of 1890. He decided not to contract new debts, and personally renegotiated the existing ones in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
: the financial situation forced the bankers to accept the conditions imposed by the Minister of Finance, Juan José Romero, who got some cuts in the capital and a somewhat longer term. By mid-1893, the crisis could be considered over. During his tenure, the Ministry of Public Works managed to expand the railway network, to the point that all provincial capitals — except
La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...
— were linked by rails. The cities of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
,
Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city, located northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the ...
and Santa Fe finished their ports, and the capital opened the
Avenida de Mayo May Avenue () is an avenue in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. It connects the Plaza de Mayo with Congressional Plaza, and extends in a west–east direction before merging into Rivadavia Avenue. History and overview Built on an initiati ...
, which for more than half a century would be the show window of the great city. In 1893, Congress approved the creation of the National Charity Lottery, today the National Lottery, which became active in 1894. In 1894, Law 1,894 was enacted, which yielded large portions of the Chaco National Territory to neighboring provinces, especially benefiting the Province of Santa Fe.


Revolution and resignation

In 1895, the political situation became more unstable every day, due to the evident incapacity of the president; Sáenz-Peña changed his entire cabinet of ministers several times, unsuccessfully seeking to avoid journalistic criticism. The situation spread to the interior provinces, where on several occasions the governments were overthrown, thus increasing instability. Sáenz-Peña, increasingly disoriented, tried all possible alliances, and finally - before the imminence of a radical revolution - appointed Aristóbulo del Valle Minister of War and Navy. This convinced him to disarm the National Guards, with the apparent aim of avoiding new revolutions, but a few days later the radical revolution broke out. Sáenz-Peña no longer controlled his ministers, who ruled according to Roca and Pellegrini's instructions. In mid-January 1895, all of them submitted their resignations en masse. Sáenz-Peña submitted his resignation on 22 January, which was received with relief by the public opinion. The government passed into the hands of José Evaristo Uriburu, who completed the term ending in 1898.


Death

He died in Buenos Aires on December 4, 1907, at the age of 85. He is buried in the Recoleta Cemetery.


References

1822 births 1907 deaths 19th-century Argentine lawyers Argentine people of Spanish descent National Autonomist Party politicians Presidents of Argentina Members of the Argentine Senate for Buenos Aires Province Presidents of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies Members of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies elected in Buenos Aires Province Vice governors of Buenos Aires Province University of Buenos Aires alumni Burials at La Recoleta Cemetery Patrician families of Buenos Aires {{Argentina-politician-stub