Alfonsin Foulkes, Raul Ricardo 1927- .
Argentinian politician, president 1983-89,
leader of the Radical Union Party (UCR). As
president from the country's return to
civilian government, he set up an
investigation of the army's human-rights
violations. Economic problems forced him to
seek help from the International Monetary
Fund and introduce austerity measures.
Educated at a military academy and a
university law school, Alfonsin joined the
UCR at the age of 18 and eventually went on
to lead it. He was active in local politics
1951-62, being imprisoned 1953 by the
right-wing Peron regime, and was a member of
the national congress 1963-66. With the
return to civilian government in 1983 and the
legalization of political activity, Alfonsin
and the UCR won convincing victories and he
became president. He stepped down in1989
several months before the end of his term to
allow his successor, the Peronist Carlos
Menem, to institute emergency economic
measures.