MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Arrest warrant for former president Isabel Peron

Ms. Isabel Peron

An Argentine judge has ordered the arrest of former President Isabel Peron over the disappearance of a leftist activist while she ruled between 1974 and 1976.

Ms Peron who lives in Spain is also wanted for questioning over three decrees signed allegedly linking her to right-wing death squads. Federal judge Raul Acosta issued the warrant via the international police organization Interpol in an attempt to secure Ms Peron's arrest in Spain. Ms Peron took over the presidency from her husband, three-time President Juan Domingo Peron, when he died in 1974, until March 1976 when she was ousted by a military coup. Human rights campaigners say death squads killed some 1.500 government opponents between 1973 and 1976. Her period in government was signaled by political instability, hyper inflation, terrorist killings from both sides and overall chaos. Her ousting came as a relief but opened the way to one of the bloodiest regimes Argentina experienced in the last half century. Ms Peron is accused of involvement in the disappearance of Hector Aldo Fagetti Gallego, who vanished in February 1976. Mr Acosta alleges that the disappearance was effectively authorized by Ms Peron's signature of three decrees (2770. 2771 and 2772) allowing Argentina's armed forces to take action against "subversives". Earlier this week a former Argentine police chief accused of leading a death squad during the 1970s was arrested. The Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance, or Triple A, was set up during Mr Peron's tenure in office, but continued to operate while his widow was in office. Ms Peron was under arrest in the south of Argentina until 1981 when she left for Spain and now lives outside Madrid.