Benjamín Menéndez

Benjamín Andrés Menéndez (18852 September 1975) was an Argentine brigadier general who attempted on 28 September 1951 to overthrow the government of Juan Domingo Perón. The coup was defeated within a few hours.

Attempted coup President Perón instituted a number of policy reforms after he took office in 1946. He supported a "third-way" that neither subscribed to the views of the West nor that of the Soviets. At first his plan was to attain economic independence for Argentina and decrease the influence of imperialist powers. However his wife, Eva Perón, who supported much more radical reforms for the country, influenced him to support much more socialist stances. The five-year plan that Perón initiated found disfavour among much of the military.

Eva held ambitions to replace Hortensio Quijano for the 1951 election, although her poor health kept her from this. Nonetheless, many were concerned that her agenda would be pushed through. In March 1951 the government arrested several retired army officers due to their dissent and disapproval of Perón's administration. This raised tensions among the rest of the army, although action did not occur.