MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ex Argentine president de la Rúa admits is was a mistake to resign in 2001

President Fernando de la Rúa with the sash and baton in happier times

Argentina’s ex-president Fernando de la Rúa admitted he made a mistake when he resigned to the presidency amid growing social unrest in 2001. On Wednesday De la Rúa was questioned in court over the killings which occurred during those hectic days in December 2001.

The former head of state ratified that he did not order the police to clear a demonstration at Plaza de Mayo in front of Government House (Casa Rosada), and accused his successor Eduardo Duhade of instigating the violent protests ahead of his resignation.

“It wasn't me who ordered the repression,” said De la Rúa, minutes before he was questioned by a court over allegations that he had ordered the police to put down a protest in which five people were killed on December 20, 2001.

According to court sources, the Judge asked De la Rúa about a purported meeting with officials of his administration in which they decided on the strategy to adopt to counter protests.

De la Rúa, who did not make any comments after leaving the court house, testified that the meeting had never taken place and denied any responsibility, his lawyer reported. Without mentioning any names, the ex-president said he was the victim of an “institutional and civic coup,” his attorney quoted De la Rúa as saying.

De la Rúa has been charged with the deaths of the demonstrators, as he was the highest authority of the Executive during the violent demonstrations, which led him to present his resignation on December 21, 2001.

A federal judge had already acquitted De la Rúa in the case, but an appeals court ordered that the investigation be reopened. De la Rúa has denied any responsibility for the deaths of the five demonstrators, and said he had heard about the death of the demonstrators on the news.

Following his resignation and several interim presidents, Argentina defaulted on its sovereign debt and finally Congress agreed to nominate Eduardo Duhalde caretaker president on 2 January 2002. He was later replaced by elected president Nestor Kirchner May 25, 2003.

De la Rúa was elected in October 24, 1999, defeating the incumbent candidate Eduardo Duhalde and took office December 10. But in the mid term elections of October his debilitated government was defeated by the hegemonic Peronist party loosing control of Congress.