Leandro N. Alem

Who was Leandro N. Alem?

Leandro N. Alem was an Argentine politician, born in Buenos Aires, a founder and leader of the Radical Civic Union. He was also an active Freemason. Alem was the uncle and political teacher of Hipólito Yrigoyen. His father, was the chief of Rosas' political police, the Mazorca. He was executed after the battle of Caseros. The young Leandro changed his surname from Alen to Alem to mitigate associations with him.

In 1859, being only 18 years old, he took part in the battles of Cepeda and Pavón, and in 1865 he joined the war against Paraguay. After this he returned to Buenos Aires to finish his law studies. He had democratic, anti-authoritarian ideas, and in 1868 he joined Adolfo Alsina's Autonomist Party, where he showed a skill for incissive rhetorics in public debates.

Alem was elected diputado at the provincial legislature of Buenos Aires in 1871. In 1874 he went on to become National Deputy, and then Senator. He opposed the federalization of the city of Buenos Aires, required by the Constitution. When it was passed by the legislature, he resigned to it and became the intellectual leader of a group of discontents that sought to produce changes in Argentine politics. In 1877, he and his friend Aristóbulo del Valle founded the Republican Party.