Alfonsín UCR — democratic transition, Austral heterodox plan

Doctrine — stated goals and content

Democratic-transition UCR programme combining human-rights accountability with heterodox stabilisation. Four doctrinal pillars: (1) human-rights accountability — Decree 158 (December 1983) ordered prosecution of the nine junta members; 1985 Trial of the Juntas (Juicio a las Juntas) convicted Videla, Massera, and others on the basis of the CONADEP Nunca Más report; subsequently constrained by Ley de Punto Final (December 1986) and Ley de Obediencia Debida (June 1987) under military carapintada pressure; (2) Austral Plan (14 June 1985) — heterodox stabilisation replacing the peso argentino with the austral at 1 to 1,000, price-wage-exchange freeze, desagio conversion formula, and sharp monetary deceleration; inflation fell from ~1,100% annualised (April 1985) to <50% (early 1986) before re-accelerating; (3) Plan Primavera (August 1988) — second heterodox attempt collapsed in February 1989 BOP crisis ending in hyperinflation (4,923% 1989 CPI peak, cumulative ~200% in May-July 1989 alone); Alfonsín handed power early to Menem on 8 July 1989; (4) institutional reconstruction — 1984 Sabato CONADEP commission; 1984 papal mediation of the Beagle Channel dispute with Chile; Multipartidaria consensus process. Stated school: democratic-social-liberal UCR tradition + structuralist-heterodox stabilisation (Sourrouille, Frenkel, Canitrot, Heymann). Left-right axis: centre-left economic content with progressive-liberal human-rights primacy. Popularity / legitimacy: October 1983 election Alfonsín won 51.75% vs Peronist Ítalo Luder 40.16% — first UCR presidential victory over Peronism; September 1985 midterms UCR ~43%; September 1987 midterms UCR lost most provinces; May 1989 Menem defeated UCR's Angeloz 47% to 32%. Coherence line: trade stabilisation orthodoxy and military détente for human-rights accountability and democratic institutional reconstruction — a bet that Austral heterodoxy could reconcile both but which failed at the macro end.