José López Rega facts for kids

Quick facts for kids José López Rega OIC
López Rega in 1974.
Argentine Ambassador to Spain
In office 11 July 1975 – 18 June 1976
President	Isabel Perón
Minister of the Social Security
In office 25 May 1973 – 11 July 1975
President	Héctor Cámpora, Raúl Lastiri, Juan Perón, Isabel Perón
Preceded by	Oscar Puiggrós
Succeeded by	Carlos Villone
Chief of the Triple A
In office 13 July 1973 – 18 June 1976
Preceded by	Title established
Succeeded by	Title abolished
Personal details
Born	(1916-11-17)17 November 1916 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died	9 June 1989(1989-06-09) (aged 72) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Political party	Peronist Party
Spouse	Josefa Flora Maseda Fontenla ​ ​ (m. 1943; died 1989)​
Children	Norma Beatriz
Profession	Police officer, diplomat
Nicknames	"The Warlock", "Argentine Evola"
Military service
Allegiance	Argentine Federal Police
Years of service	1945–1976
Rank	Police commissioner Captain< Corporal

José López Rega (born November 17, 1916 – died June 9, 1989) was an important Argentine politician. He served as the Minister of Social Welfare from 1973 to 1975. He worked first for President Juan Perón and then for Perón's third wife and successor, Isabel Perón.

López Rega had a lot of influence over Isabel Perón when she was president. He became a very powerful figure in Argentina. Because of his political views and his interest in spiritual topics, people nicknamed him El Brujo, which means "the Warlock." He had one daughter, Norma Beatriz, who married President Raúl Lastiri.

Biography

Early Life and Interests

José López Rega was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His mother passed away when he was born. As a child, he was quiet and respectful. He loved to read and had many books. He was especially interested in spiritual and mysterious topics, which later became a big passion for him.

He joined the Federal Police in 1944. With some help, he became part of the guard that protected the Casa Rosada, which is the main government building. In 1951, he met Victoria Montero, who taught him more about spiritual ideas. He also met members of the freemasons organization through her.

López Rega's interest in spiritual topics connected him to Isabel Perón in 1965. At that time, Juan Perón was living in Spain. Isabel Perón came to Argentina and met with various political groups. López Rega gained Isabel's trust and later traveled to Spain. There, he first worked in security for Juan Perón and then became the personal secretary for both Juan and Isabel Perón.

Working with Juan Perón

In 1973, Héctor José Cámpora was elected president of Argentina. Juan Perón chose José López Rega to be the Minister of Social Welfare. From this position, López Rega had different ideas from some other politicians.

Juan Perón returned to Argentina on June 20, 1973, after many years away. A large crowd gathered to welcome him. On this day, a sad event called the Ezeiza massacre happened. Different political groups clashed, leading to violence. This event caused a big split between the left-wing and right-wing groups within Peronism. López Rega was seen as a leader of the right-wing side.

After this, President Cámpora and his vice-president resigned. López Rega's son-in-law, Raúl Alberto Lastiri, became the temporary president. He then organized new elections. On September 23, 1973, Juan Perón won the election with Isabel Perón as his vice-president.

López Rega became even more powerful after the left-wing Peronists were removed from government positions. A left-wing group sadly killed a labor union leader named José Ignacio Rucci. This event gave López Rega a reason to ban some armed groups and close a left-wing newspaper.

His Role in the Government

When Juan Perón became president, he made laws tougher against groups that caused trouble. After Perón passed away on July 1, 1974, Isabel Perón became president. López Rega became like a very powerful chief minister. He was in charge of many government departments and kept his title as Minister of Social Welfare. He was also promoted to a very high rank in the Federal Police.

As Minister of Social Welfare, López Rega made some economic decisions that were not popular. In 1975, his chosen Minister of Economy, Celestino Rodrigo, made changes that caused big economic problems for many people. This led to higher prices and made life harder for middle and lower-class families.

López Rega was criticized by many people. He was accused of being involved with a group called the Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance (Triple A). This group was involved in many acts of violence and caused many people to leave the country. The actions of this group led to a very difficult and violent time in Argentina's history, where many people were harmed or went missing.

Because of the economic problems and the criticism, López Rega was forced to resign on July 11, 1975. Isabel Perón quickly appointed him as the ambassador to Spain. He then moved to Spain.

Later Years and Death

On March 24, 1976, the military took over the government from President Isabel Perón. López Rega lived in different countries for many years to avoid being arrested. He lived in Spain, then Switzerland, and later in the Bahamas and Miami.

In 1986, he was arrested in the United States while trying to get a new passport. He was sent back to Argentina, where he was wanted for various charges, including corruption and serious crimes. José López Rega passed away from diabetes on June 9, 1989, in Buenos Aires. He was still in prison at the time, waiting for his trial.

In Film

In the 2013 movie Puerta de Hierro, el exilio de Perón, an actor named Fito Yanelli plays José López Rega. The film shows parts of Perón's time living in Madrid.

Sources

• Biography of José López Rega (in Spanish)
• López Rega. La biografía. Marcelo Larraquy. Editorial Sudamericana. 473 pages. ISBN: 950-07-2441-3.
• Bra, Gerardo, "La 'P-2- en la Argentina", in Félix Luna (ed) et al., Todo es historia, No. 214, Feb 1985, pp. 12–15

See also

In Spanish: José López Rega para niños