---
type: figure_profile
lang: en
subtype: military
canonical: https://www.politicaelectoral.com/en/argentina/public-figures/leopoldo-galtieri
name: Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri
updated_at: 2026-05-03T18:36:09
data_crc: 4e9d7527
---

Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri was an Argentine Army officer and de facto head of state who led Argentina during the opening phase of the Falklands War. He remains a significant figure in Argentina’s political history because of his role in the military dictatorship, the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands, and the subsequent collapse of his government.

## Professional career

Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri was born in 1926. He pursued a military career in the **Argentine Army**, where he advanced through the officer ranks over several decades.

By **1979**, Galtieri had become **Commander-in-Chief of the Argentine Army**, a position he held until **1982**. In that role, he was one of the senior military authorities during the final years of the **National Reorganisation Process**, the military regime that governed Argentina from 1976 to 1983.

On **1 December 1981**, Galtieri assumed the position of **De facto President of the Argentine Nation**, succeeding Roberto Eduardo Viola. His presidency took place under the military government and without democratic elections.

During his tenure as head of state, he authorised the **landing of Argentine forces in the Falkland Islands on 2 April 1982**. This military operation initiated the **Falklands War** between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

After Argentina’s surrender in June 1982, Galtieri **resigned** from the presidency. He later became associated with the broader legal and political reckoning over the conduct of the military dictatorship and the war.

He was later **convicted in the Trial of the Juntas** and also for his responsibility in the Falklands War.

## Public relevance and open cases

Galtieri appears in public debate chiefly because of his central role in two events that continue to shape Argentine political memory: the **military dictatorship** and the **Falklands/Malvinas War**. His name has been part of public discussion since **1982**, when the invasion failed and his government fell. It also remains relevant in historical, legal, and educational discussions about civil-military rule in Argentina.

### Open judicial proceedings

No open judicial proceedings can be confirmed from the information provided here. For that reason, no pending case, court, or current charge is stated.

### Final convictions

It is a matter of public record that Galtieri was **convicted in the Trial of the Juntas**. He was also convicted in relation to his **responsibility in the Falklands War**. Those convictions are part of the historical legal record and should be distinguished from any separate or unresolved matters that may have existed at other times.

## Frequently asked questions

**Who was Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri?** He was a **military officer** who served as **Commander-in-Chief of the Argentine Army** and later as **de facto President of Argentina** from 1981 to 1982.

**Why is Galtieri historically important?** He is mainly remembered for ordering the **2 April 1982 landing in the Falkland Islands**, which triggered the Falklands War and led to the end of his government.

**Was Galtieri democratically elected?** No. He held office as part of the **military dictatorship** that governed Argentina after the 1976 coup, so he was not elected through a democratic vote.

**What happened to Galtieri after the Falklands War?** After Argentina’s surrender in 1982, he **resigned** from the presidency and later faced criminal accountability linked to the military regime and the war.

**Was he convicted by Argentine courts?** Yes. He was **convicted in the Trial of the Juntas**, and he was also convicted for his responsibility in the **Falklands War**.