Roque Sáenz Peña

Roque Sáenz-Peña
17th President of Argentina
In office
12 October 1910  9 August 1914
Vice PresidentVictorino de la Plaza
Preceded byJosé Figueroa Alcorta
Succeeded byVictorino de la Plaza
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship
In office
30 June 1890  4 August 1890
PresidentMiguel Juárez Celman
Preceded byAmancio Alcorta
Succeeded byEduardo Costa
Personal details
Born
Roque José Antonio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Sáenz-Peña

(1851-03-19)19 March 1851
Buenos Aires, Argentine Confederation
Died9 August 1914(1914-08-09) (aged 63)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Resting placeLa Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires
Political partyNational Autonomist Party
Spouse
Rosa Isidora González
(m. 1887)
Children
  • Rosa Sáenz-Peña
  • Luis Roque Sáenz-Peña
Parent(s)Luis Sáenz-Peña
Cipriana du Cos de La Hitte
Alma materUniversity of Buenos Aires
ProfessionLawyer
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Argentina
 Peru
Branch/serviceArgentine Army
Peruvian Army
RankBrigadier General (of Peru)
Battles/warsRevolution of 1874
War of the Pacific

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 the son of former president Luis Sáenz-Peña. He was a candidate for an internal, modernist line within the National Autonomist Party.

He was responsible for passing Law 8871, known as "Sáenz-Peña Law", which greatly reformed the Argentine electoral system, making the vote secret, universal and compulsory for males over 18. This effectively ended the rule by electoral fraud of the conservative Argentine oligarchy, the Generation of '80, and paved the way for the rise of the Radical Civic Union in the first free elections of the country.