B'nai B'rith International has issued the following statement:

B'nai B'rith International mourns the death Tuesday evening of former president Raúl Alfonsín, the leader who restored democracy to Argentina.

Alfonsín became president in 1983, following a brutal military dictatorship. Under his term, which lasted until 1989, many former leaders from that period were prosecuted and imprisoned.

He was a pioneer in the fight for democracy in the region and a passionate advocate for universal human rights.  Preceding his presidential term, he served in Argentina's parliament with the Radical Civic Union Party, and he started a private organization called 'Permanent Assembly for Human Rights,' where he spoke out against the military governments responsible for torturing and killing more than 10,000 political dissidents.

B'nai B'rith International, with a long-standing strong presence in Latin America, is grateful for Alfonsin's enlightened leadership and contributions to the region. During his presidency, many BBI leaders met with him.