born July 2, 1930, Anillaco, Arg.
President of Argentina (198999).
The son of Syrian immigrants, he converted to Roman Catholicism and joined the Peronist movement in 1956. He held typical Peronist views, favouring nationalism, expansion of the government, large raises for wage earners, and tax breaks for businesses. By the time he took office, however, inflation had risen to 28,000% and Argentina was in crisis; he consequently abandoned his party orthodoxy in favour of a fiscally conservative policy and succeeded in stabilizing the economy. A flamboyant figure, he enjoyed great popularity despite his controversial pardoning of convicted human-rights violators connected with the period of military rule. In 2001 Menem was placed under house arrest after he was indicted for illegal arms dealing, but he was released in 2002.