Adolfo Rodríguez Saá

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Adolfo Rodríguez Saá

In office
December 23, 2001 – December 30, 2001
Preceded by Ramón Puerta
Succeeded by Eduardo Camaño

Born July 25, 1947 (age 59)
San Luis
Political party Justicialist
Profession Lawyer

Adolfo Rodríguez Saá Páez Montero (born July 25, 1947) is an Argentine Peronist politician. He was the governor of the province of San Luis during several terms, and briefly served as President of Argentina.

Rodríguez Saá was born to an important political family in San Luis. His grandfather and namesake Adolfo Rodríguez Saá and his great-uncle were both governors of the province, and his father was the police chief. He graduated as a lawyer from the Universidad Nacional del Cuyo and the University of Buenos Aires, and became a provincial legislator in 1973, at the age of 25. In 1983 he was found in a "love hotel" with a woman and two men, causing a minor scandal; Rodríguez Saá claimed he was the victim of a kidnapping and blackmail plot.

Rodríguez Saá was elected governor of San Luis for the Justicialist Party and stayed in office during several consecutive terms, from 1983 to 2001. He improved the finances of the province and obtained several awards. After the riots of 2001 and the subsequent resignation of President Fernando de la Rúa, Rodríguez Saá was chosen by Congress to be the ad interim head of state. He was replaced in the governor's office by María Alicia Lemme, the vice-governor of San Luis, and took office as president on December 23, 2001.

During his short time in office, he announced the creation of a new currency, the argentino (not backed up by reserve currency but by the real estate properties of the nation), to remedy the shortage of cash caused by the economic crisis. He also declared a default on the Argentine national debt. However, on December 30 he resigned, alleging lack of support from the rest of the Justicialist Party. In his last speech he recounted the achievements of his 1-week administration and accused Justicialists governors and legislators of meanness and shortsightedness.

After the end of Eduardo Duhalde's interim rule, Rodríguez Saá ran for president in the April 2003 elections. Candidates included two other Justicialists, each running outside the party structure. Rodríguez Saá came in fourth, with 14.1% of the vote. At the 2005 election he was elected Senator for San Luis, where he currently sits with his block, the Alianza Frente Justicialista.

Rodríguez Saá had five children with his first wife and one with his second one. His brother, Alberto Rodríguez Saá, is currently the governor of San Luis.

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Preceded by
Ramón Puerta
President of Argentina
2001
Succeeded by
Eduardo Camaño
Preceded by
Hugo di Rissio (de facto)
Governor of San Luis
1983-2001
Succeeded by
María Alicia Lemme