Death and state funeral of Raúl Alfonsín
People during the funeral of Alfonsín, at the Argentine Congress | |
| Date | March 31, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 days |
| Venue | Palace of the Argentine National Congress, La Recoleta Cemetery |
| Location | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Type | State funeral |
| Burial | Raúl Alfonsín |
Raúl Alfonsín was the president of Argentina from 1983 to 1989. He died on March 31, 2009, aged 82. He had lung cancer and died at his home; a massive candlelight vigil took place in the vicinity of it. Vice President Julio Cobos, the acting president at the time, arranged three days of national mourning and a state funeral at the Palace of the Argentine National Congress. Alfonsín was seen by 40,000 people and the senior politicians of the country; people from other countries also voiced their respect for him. A military escort took his coffin to the La Recoleta Cemetery, and left him at the pantheon for the veterans of the Revolution of the Park.