Former president dies after weeks of ailment

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Carlos Menem, a former Argentine president who delivered short-lived economic stability and forged close ties with the United States in the 1990s even as he navigated scandal and enjoyed an often flamboyant lifestyle, has died.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez confirmed the death of the 90-year-old former leader, who had been ailing in recent weeks.

The dapper lawyer from one of Argentina’s poorest provinces, dismissed by critics as a playboy, steered Argentina toward a freemarket model that was, at one point, envied by neighbors and favored by investors. Menem’s accomplishments, however, coincided with growing unemployment, economic inequality and foreign debt.