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Alejandro Agustín Lanusse Gelly (August 28 1918, Buenos Aires Argentina - August 26 1996, Buenos Aires) was the military president of Argentina between 22 March 1971 and 25 May 1973.
Lanusse attended military college and graduated in 1938, following which he joined the Calvary. He was head of the Regiment of Grenadiers and Ambassador to the Holy See in 1956. From this Lanusse became the Assistant Director of the Superior Military School in 1960. Later Lanusse became Commander of the First Armored Cavalry Division.
In 1951, he was was sentenced to life imprisonment for his part in an attempted coup to overthrow Juan Perón. He was released in 1955 and was involved in the attempted overthrow of two further Argentine presidents, Arturo Frondizi in 1962 and Arturo Umberto in 1966, in the latter supporting General Juan Carlos Ongania's seizure of power. He became Commander-in-Chief of the army in 1968.
Lanusse became President in 1971 after seizing power in a coup, apparently to support the return of a constitutional regime. He reestablished ties with China during his years in office. Although a committed anti-Peronist and co-conspirator against Perón himself, Lanusse recognized the positive and populist public image of Perón, and used his legacy in an attempt to reduce civil strife and terrorism. He brought back the corpse of Eva Peron and invited Perón to return from exile in Spain in 1972. Additionally he placed the busts of Juan and Eva Perón in the gallery of Presidents at the Casa Rosada.
Suggesting that the military was improperly running the country, Lanusse called elections in 1973, in which Peronist, Hector Cámpora, was elected as president. Lanusse authorized the use of political parties again for the 1973 election.
He criticized the human rights violations of the Dirty War and testified against military leaders in their trials in 1985. He remained a staunch anti-Peronist and was put under house arrest in 1994 for criticizing Carlos Menem in a magazine interview.
| Preceded by: Roberto M. Levingston | President of Argentina 1971–1973 | Succeeded by: Héctor José Cámpora |