Carlos Menem (left) and Raúl Alfonsín (right) agreed a number of points for the 1994 amendment of the Constitution of Argentina

The Olivos Pact (Spanish: Pacto de Olivos) refers to a series of documents signed on 17 November 1993, between the governing President of Argentina, Carlos Menem, and former President and leader of the opposition UCR, Raúl Alfonsín, that formed the basis of the constitutional reform of 1994. These memorandum of understanding were signed in the official presidential residence, the Quinta de Olivos.

Raúl Alfonsín was the president of Argentina for the Radical Civic Union (UCR) from 1983 to 1989, and resigned during an economic crisis. Carlos Menem, from the Justicialist Party (PJ), was elected in 1989. The Convertibility plan ended the economic crisis and increased his popularity, allowing the PJ to win the 1991 and 1993 midterm elections. The presidential term of office was of six years, with no reelection. Menem sought to change that with an amendment to the Constitution of Argentina. For this he would require a supermajority of two thirds of both houses of the Argentine Congress. Although that was a feasible option at the Senate, it was a remote possibility at the Chamber of Deputies. Menem sought creative alternatives for that, such as a legal technicality that the requirement would be two thirds of the legislators present at the Congress during the session instead of two thirds of the complete body (and thus exploit circumstances where opposing legislators may be absent). Radical governors such as Carlos Maestro and Horacio Massaccesi commented that they would not oppose an amendment approved that way.^[1]

Political agents of Menem and Alfonsín met in secret and negotiated some points. Both leaders met personally in secret, on November 4, 1993. Alfonsín accepted to instruct the radical legislators to support the amendment, and allow the presidential re-election for a single period. In exchange, the PJ agreed on a number of proposals by Alfonsín, to reduce the political clout of the president and the ruling political party. The presidential term of office was reduced to four years. The senate would be composed by two senators for the victor party at each province and one for the next party; instead of only a senator for the victor. The judges would be controlled by the Council of Magistracy of the Nation, a body that would include members of the opposition. The capital city of Buenos Aires, a federal district with a mayor appointed by the president, would become an autonomous administrative division with its own elected mayor; as a traditional anti-Peronist district it was expected that such a mayor would be radical.^[1]

Menem, however, did not accept a turn into a semi-presidential system or even into a parliamentary republic, as proposed by Alfonsín. The proposed prime minister office was demoted into the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, a minister with higher political clout than the others, but still less than that of a prime minister. As a populist leader, Menem refused to give up the political clout of the presidentialist system.^[1] Menem also agreed to include a ballotage system, but with complex conditions.^[2]

Both parties gave their blessing to the pact. Congress approved it on December 29, 1993, and the executive power promulgated it the same day. This called for elections the following years, for members of the constituent assembly for the 1994 amendment of the Constitution of Argentina. The contents of the pact were approved, and Menem ran and won the re-election in the 1995 presidential election.^[1]

• Todo argentina: Historia Argentina, La democracia, Año 1993, La presidencia de Menem (1989-1995) (in Spanish)

v t e Raúl Alfonsín
Life and politics	Propuesta y control La cuestión argentina Permanent Assembly for Human Rights Pact of Olivos Death and state funeral Timeline
Presidency	Events CONADEP Austral plan Trial of the Juntas 1987 Carapintada mutiny Spring plan 1989 attack on La Tablada Regiment 1989 riots in Argentina Elections 1983 general election Argentine Beagle conflict dispute resolution referendum 1985 midterm elections 1987 midterm elections Laws Full stop law Law of Due Obedience
Family	María Lorenza Barreneche (wife) Ricardo Alfonsín (son)

v t e Carlos Menem
Presidency	Events Presidential pardons Plaza del sí BONEX plan Convertibility plan 1992 Buenos Aires Israeli embassy bombing AMIA bombing Pact of Olivos 1994 amendment of the Constitution of Argentina Elections 1989 general elections 1991 legislative elections 1993 legislative elections 1995 general elections 1997 legislative elections 2003 general elections Laws Argentine quota law State reform law
Scandals	Argentine arms trafficking scandal Ivo Rojnica Swiftgate Yomagate
Family	Cecilia Bolocco Eduardo Menem Zulema María Eva Menem Zulema Yoma

v t e Peronism
Variants	Federal Kirchnerism Menemism Orthodox Revolutionary
Presidents	Juan Perón (1946–1955; 1973–1974) Héctor J. Cámpora (1973) Raúl Lastiri (1973) Isabel Perón (1974–1976) Carlos Menem (1989–1999) Eduardo Duhalde (2002–2003) Néstor Kirchner (2003–2007) Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007–2015) Alberto Fernández (2019–2023)
Other leaders	Eva Perón Domingo Mercante John William Cooke Delia Parodi Juan Manuel Abal Medina Antonio J. Benítez José Ignacio Rucci Augusto Vandor Agustín Tosco José López Rega Lorenzo Miguel Antonio Cafiero Saúl Ubaldini Hugo Moyano Sergio Massa Máximo Kirchner
Parties and subgroups	Current Justicialist Party Popular Union Broad Front Federal Commitment Evita Movement La Cámpora Renewal Front Historical Labour Party Radical Civic Union (Junta Renovadora) Independent Party Female Peronist Party Tendencia Revolucionaria Peronist Armed Forces Montoneros
Alliances	FREJULI FREJUPO Justicialist Front Concertación Front for Victory Frente de Todos
Key events	October 17th Demonstration 1946 general election 1955 coup d'état Expulsion of Montoneros from Plaza de Mayo Ezeiza massacre Pact of Olivos
Other	General Confederation of Labour Marcha Peronista 1949 Constitution Category:Peronists
Category