Vicente Saadi

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Vicente Leonidas Saadi (1913–10 July 1988) was an Argentine Justicialist Party politician. He was a senator and governor for Catamarca Province. Born in Belén to Syrian immigrants, he was the patriarch of the Saadi family that has dominated Catamarca politics since the 1940s.

Saadi was elected Senator in 1946, serving until 1949 when he was elected governor of Catamarca. However, Juan Perón himself expelled him from the party that year. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1973 on behalf of Frejuli, serving until the dissolution of the Senate in 1976. In the 1970s Saadi had been a leading supporter of the Montoneros and set up the Intransigencia y Movilización faction; he was a patron of Nilda Garré.

Re-elected in 1983 at the return of democracy, Saadi led the Justicialists in the Senate. He had worked with Raul Alfonsín to plan for the restoration of democracy. He took part in a famous television debate with Dante Caputo in 1984 arguing against the Peace and Friendship Treaty with Chile. In 1987 he swapped jobs with his son, Ramón Saadi, becoming governor once again whilst his son became a Senator. Vicente died in office.

Saadi was a leading figure in the politics of his province and the left-wing of his party, serving as vice-President of the Peronists and considered a caudillo for his manner of control. He was one of the first prominent Syrian- or Lebanese-Argentines and his name is recorded in streets, squares and other institutions around the country. As well as his son Ramón, other members of Vicente Saadi's family have been influential in Catamarca and national politics, including his daughter Alicia Saadi, his son Vicente Saadi and his daughter-in-law. He was married to Alicia Cubas de Saadi.