Coup Atlas Research Database
← Back to explorer
16012121962AttemptedMilitary coup

Argentina, 1962 — military coup attempt

Argentina (ARG)South America, AmericasDecember 12, 1962

Event Summary

The dataset records an attempted military coup in Argentina on 12 December 1962, a further episode of the Azules versus Colorados factional conflict within the armed forces during the figurehead presidency of Jose Maria Guido, who had been installed after the military ousted Arturo Frondizi in March 1962. Having won the first armed confrontation in September, the Azul faction under General Juan Carlos Ongania continued to vie with the hardline anti-Peronist Colorados over the terms of a return to civilian rule and the treatment of Peronism. Renewed tensions and troop movements marked the following months.

Any confrontation in December 1962 came within that context and did not remove Guido, who remained the nominal president. The factional struggle culminated in a final Colorado rising in April 1963, after which the Azules consolidated control and elections were held in July 1963.

Researched Details

Researched

Independent research, added record by record. Hover any label for what it means.

Target identified in Coup Atlas research: Figurehead President Jose Maria Guido remained in office through the continuing Azules versus Colorados clashes
RESEARCHED NAME
Key figures
Jose Maria Guido (figurehead president of Argentina, nominal target)
Azul and Colorado army factions (combatants)
Juan Carlos Ongania (Azul leader)

Sources

The Azules and Colorados were two factions of the Argentine Army that confronted each other in armed clashes in 1962 and 1963 during the presidency of the figurehead Jose Maria Guido.
SOURCE REVIEWED Wikipedia, Azules and Colorados open source ↗
The Azul faction, led by General Juan Carlos Ongania, favored a return to constitutional rule while the Colorado faction favored hardline anti-Peronist military tutelage.
SOURCE REVIEWED Wikipedia, Azules and Colorados open source ↗
Jose Maria Guido served as a civilian figurehead president under military domination after the March 1962 removal of Frondizi.
SOURCE REVIEWED Wikipedia, Jose Maria Guido open source ↗
The factional struggle culminated in a final Colorado rising in April 1963, after which the Azules consolidated control and steered the country to the July 1963 elections won by Arturo Illia.
SOURCE REVIEWED Wikipedia, Azules and Colorados open source ↗

Editorial Note

No discrete documentation of a distinct coup attempt precisely on 12 December 1962 was found in accessible English sources this session; the entry records the dataset's coding within the verified Azules versus Colorados conflict, with the specific 12 December event unconfirmed, flagged. Pairs with the Argentina 1962-09-22 and 1963-04-02 records in this batch.

Cross-Reference

Only one dataset carries it. One of the three reference datasets we check against carries this event; the others do not list it. That is not a contradiction — the datasets cover different periods and use different thresholds — but it means the record has had less outside corroboration.

Identifiers for finding this same event in the other datasets:

Cline Center id
16012121962

How the match is made is described in crossref-report.md.

Outcome and Target

Coup Atlas research identifies the target as: Figurehead President Jose Maria Guido remained in office through the continuing Azules versus Colorados clashes.

Baseline coding: Coup attempt failed to remove the incumbent. Recorded leader fate: remained in office; not physically harmed. The baseline file does not name individual targets; researched names are kept in a separate layer.

Baseline Dataset Citation

Cline Center Coup d’État Project Dataset, v2.2.2
Peyton, Buddy, Joseph Bajjalieh, Michael Martin, and Andrea Gerald. 2026. Cline Center Coup d’État Project Dataset. Cline Center for Advanced Social Research. V.2.2.2. February 17. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. doi: 10.13012/B2IDB-9651987_V10
⚑ This citation establishes the coded baseline record; use the claim-level sources above for the researched narrative.

Baseline Source-Document Entries

Washington Post

“Argentina Suppresses Revolt; Air Force Rebels Surrender: Airbase Strafed,” William Horsey December 13, 1962

New York Herald Tribune

“Argentina Air Force Revolt Collapses,” William Horsey, December 13, 1962

Newsday

“Argentina Hit By New Revolt,” December 12, 1962

The Globe and Mail

“Argentina Ends Revolt Of Air Force Leaders,” December 12, 1962

The Irish Times

“Rebellion in Argentina Now Under Control,” December 12, 1962

This is the citation trail carried by the baseline dataset, grouped by outlet and rejoined from the line-wrapped original. Coup Atlas has not independently re-checked every document; read the original before citing a specific claim. URLs the import damaged beyond safe repair are shown as plain text and listed in citations-report.md. How this list is built →

Know something about this event?
Tips are reviewed against sources before anything is added.