Former MP and Radical Party leader Hernán Damiani dies of cardiac arrest mid-broadcast, ending a four-decade career of public service and reform.
Argentina’s political world was struck with grief on Thursday as Hernán Damiani, former national and provincial lawmaker and longtime leader of the Radical Civic Union (UCR) in Misiones, passed away at the age of 66 after suffering a cardiac arrest during a live interview.
According to local media, Damiani collapsed mid-broadcast, and emergency responders rushed to resuscitate him, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. News of his sudden death spread rapidly, prompting an outpouring of tributes from colleagues and officials across the country.
A lawyer by profession, Damiani began his public service career in the 1980s, quickly emerging as one of the most influential voices of the UCR in Misiones. Over more than four decades in politics, he held multiple positions — serving as both provincial and national deputy, committee chairman, and party strategist dedicated to the defense of democratic institutions and rule of law.
Damiani was widely respected for his measured leadership, integrity, and intellectual rigor, which earned him recognition well beyond provincial politics. His contributions to legal reform and public ethics became a defining part of his legislative legacy.
Political leaders across Argentina paid tribute to him, describing his passing as “a great loss to democracy and to Misiones.”
As Argentina’s Radical Party mourns one of its most enduring figures, Damiani’s death on live air is being remembered not just as a tragic end, but as the closing act of a man who, to his last breath, remained committed to public dialogue and civic life.
