Ex-Argentine President Fernando de La Rua passes away

Former Argentine president Fernando De la Rua, who attracted voters with his image as an honest statesman and later left the country plunged into its worst economic crisis, died on Tuesday at age 81.

Buenos Aires (Argentina): Former Argentine President Fernando de La Rua passed away at a Buenos Aires hospital on early Tuesday (local time), state media said.

According to media reports, the 81-year-old was hospitalised on late Monday, due to severe cardiac and kidney complications.

The former president received treatment for several months after being hospitalised last January.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri confirmed De la Rua's death on Twitter, expressing his condolences to the late politician's family.

"I regret the death of former president Fernando de La Rua. His democratic trajectory deserves the recognition of all Argentines. We stand by his family at this moment."

De la Rua's presidency came to an end after he fled the presidential palace in a helicopter, following days of violent protests over his handling of the economic crisis that saw dozens of deaths across the world's largest Spanish-speaking nation.