Ramón Castillo

For the Honduran footballer, see Ramon Castillo (footballer). For the Chilean cult leader, see Antares de la Luz.

Not to be confused with Ramón Castilla.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Castillo and the second or maternal family name is Barrionuevo.

Ramón Antonio Castillo Barrionuevo (20 November 1873 – 12 October 1944) was President of Argentina from 1942 to 1943. He took office after the resignation of President Roberto María Ortiz, under whom he was the Vice President. He was a leading figure in the period known as the Infamous Decade, characterised by electoral fraud, corruption and rule by conservative landowners heading the alliance known as the Concordancia.^[1]

Ramón Castillo
Castillo c. 1941–1943
25th President of Argentina
In office Acting: 3 July 1940– 27 June 1942
In office 27 June 1942 – 4 June 1943
Preceded by	Roberto María Ortiz
Succeeded by	Arturo Rawson
17th Vice President of Argentina
In office 20 February 1938 – 27 June 1942
President	Roberto María Ortiz
Preceded by	Julio Argentino Pascual Roca
Succeeded by	Saba Sueyro
Personal details
Born	Ramón Antonio Castillo Barrionuevo 20 November 1873 Ancasti, Catamarca
Died	12 October 1944(1944-10-12) (aged 70) Buenos Aires
Nationality	Argentine
Political party	PDN (Concordancia)
Spouse	María Delia Luzuriaga
Profession	Lawyer

Castillo graduated in law from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and began a judicial career. He reached the Appeals Chamber of commercial law before retiring and dedicating himself to teaching. He was professor and dean at UBA between 1923 and 1928.

Castillo was named Federal Intervenor of Tucumán Province in 1930. From 1932 until 1935, he was elected to the Argentine Senate for Catamarca Province for the National Democratic Party and was also Minister of Interior.

From 1938 to 1942, Castillo was vice-president of Argentina under President Roberto Ortiz, who won the election by fraud as the head of the Concordancia. He was acting president from 3 July 1940 to 27 June 1942 due to the illness of President Ortiz, who did not resign until less than a month before his death. Castillo maintained Argentina's neutrality during World War II. He was overthrown in the Revolution of '43 military coup^[2] in the midst of an unpopular attempt to impose Robustiano Patrón Costas as his successor. Future president Juan Domingo Perón was a junior officer in the coup.