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The ominous rumors had been circulating throughout Argentina: President Hector Campora and his Cabinet would resign, and former Dictator Juan Peron would be in position to assume the presidency. At precisely 10:30 a.m. last Friday, the rumors became reality. Campora appeared on nationwide television and radio to announce "the mandate which General Peron gave us, we now return to him, because he is the leader of this great national, popular, Christian and revolutionary movement."

Thus history in troubled Argentina came full circle. Less than a month after his return from 18 years of enforced exile abroad, the way had been prepared for Juan Domingo Peron officially to take total command in Argentina.

There were a few hitches, such as a new presidential election, which since Campora has resigned, must be called within 30 days. The interim President will be a Peronist, Raul Lastiri, head of the Chamber of Deputies. But there is little doubt that Peron will be elected the new President. The Justicialist Liberation Front delivered 49.6% of the vote for Campora, Peron's hand-picked candidate in the March presidential elections. With Peron as the candidate, the Justicialists will certainly increase their margin of victory.

Campora fell from power after only 50 days in office, at least in part because of his inability to control Argentina's spiraling urban violence. Campora had promised conditional amnesty to political prisoners, many of whom were confessed terrorists. He also heeded demands that all prisoners not only be granted amnesty but also be given full pardons. About 500 prisoners from ten prisons were subsequently released.

Soon Campora's weakness returned to haunt him; Argentina's plague of kidnapings rose, as did the amount of ransom demanded. An even worse blow came last month when a bloody shoot-out between left-and right-wing Peronist factions left 34 dead and 342 wounded, ruining what was to have been a triumphant homecoming for Peron (TIME, July 2).

The mounting disaffection with the Campora government came to a head last week. Shouting "Power to Peron!" Peronist workers threatened to paralyze the nation with a general strike unless Campora and his Cabinet quit forthwith. Peronist congressmen likewise agitated for Campora's ouster, as did moderate party members within the Justicialist movement. The only major opposition to Peron came from left-wing Peronist youth, who feared that a sudden change of heads of government would signal a shift to the right and thus scuttle their chance of turning Argentina toward Marxism. They denounced the "right-wing coup" and briefly occupied three colleges at Buenos Aires University.

The one force from which Peron could have expected the most trouble--the military--was quiet. The reason was some adroit maneuvering by the canny ex-dictator. Through Campora, Peron had forced into retirement nine anti-Peronist generals, including former President Alejandro Lanusse. Then Peron embraced the three new chiefs of the armed forces, receiving from them a pledge not to interfere with his running of the country in return for his pledge to rule within the constitution. The military even agreed to allow Peron to regain his old rank of lieutenant general. It had been stripped from the ex-dictator in absentia by a military tribunal in 1955 on the charge of "serious shortcomings incompatible with the honor of the army."*

Although he is now once again Argentina's undisputed leader, Peron must deal with most of the same problems that brought Campora down. Even if he were a younger man, this would be no easy task. Now 77, he is reported to be in failing health. Moreover, the old ways of flamboyant despotism obviously will not solve the complex social and political problems of modern Argentina. But el Lider enjoys something that Campora did not: the almost slavish faith of a majority of the people. If Peron can mobilize that faith to solve even a few of Argentina's vexing problems, he will have come a long way in erasing the stains that once made him one of South America's most odious dictators.

* After nine years of rule, Peron was ousted in 1955 amid rumors of having had sexual relations with a teen-age girl, and misuse of public funds.

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