Francisco Manrique
Francisco Manrique | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Mendoza, Argentina |
| Died | February 15, 1988 (aged 69) Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Occupation(s) | Naval officer, journalist, policymaker, politician |
| Years active | 1938–1988 |
| Known for | Minister of Social Policy of Argentina; presidential candidate; founder of Correo de la Tarde and Correo de la Semana newspapers |
Francisco Manrique (February 10, 1919 – February 15, 1988) was an Argentine naval officer, journalist, policymaker, and presidential contender.
Life and times
Manrique was born in Mendoza and completed his studies at the Argentine Naval Academy in 1938, followed by graduation from the Navy School in 1949. After expressing opposition to President Juan Domingo Perón and experiencing imprisonment, he was appointed head of the Casa Militar after Perón’s 1955 ousting. He stepped down to advocate for the removal of military leader President Eduardo Lonardi, but was later reinstated by Lonardi’s successor, Pedro Aramburu.
In 1958, Manrique resigned his commission as a Navy captain to establish the daily newspaper Correo de la Tarde, which opposed President Arturo Frondizi. Following Frondizi’s removal in 1962, Manrique played a key role in diplomatic efforts to gain recognition from the Organization of American States for President José María Guido. While both Correo de la Tarde and his weekly publication Leer para Creer were unsuccessful, his 1965 venture Correo de la Semana garnered attention by advocating for the rights of senior citizens. Additionally, he hosted the political affairs television program Comentario Político until its cancellation by Interior Minister Francisco Imaz.
In 1971, under military President Alejandro Lanusse, Manrique was appointed Minister of Social Policy. During his tenure, he unified federal and provincial health insurance systems into the Integrated Medical Attention Plan (PAMI) and merged housing assistance programs into the National Housing Fund (FONAVI). These initiatives contributed significantly to a reduction in infant mortality rates throughout the 1970s. Running as the Popular Federalist Alliance candidate in the 1973 presidential election, he achieved 15% of the vote—a record high for a third-party candidate at that time. His first marriage to Esther Canepa Devoto began in 1943 and ended with her passing in 1977; he remarried Cristina Ruíz in 1985.
Manrique endorsed the March 1976 coup, after which numerous Federalist Party affiliates were appointed to municipal positions, including 78 mayoralties. Following seven years of military governance, he sought the presidency again in 1983 representing the center-right Federal Alliance but was unsuccessful. The victor, Raúl Alfonsín of the UCR, appointed Manrique as Secretary of Tourism in 1986. In this capacity, he proposed an outbound tourism tax that was ultimately not enacted. In 1987, Manrique secured election to the Chamber of Deputies on the UCR ticket as an independent candidate. He continued serving as editor-in-chief of Correo de la Semana until his death due to lymphoma complications in Buenos Aires in 1988 at age 69.