Agustín Rossi
Encyclopedia
Agustín Oscar Rossi also known by his nickname El Chivo Rossi, is an Argentine
Justicialist Party
politician from the province
of Santa Fe
. Since 2005 he has been a National Deputy
in the Argentine Congress and is leader of the majority Front for Victory
block in the Chamber of Deputies.
Rossi was born in Vera
, a small city in the north of Santa Fe Province, where he spent his early youth. He moved to Rosario
when he was 17 years old, and graduated as a civil engineer
at the National University of Rosario
.
Rossi was a member of the Peronist University Youth in the 1970s, and joined the Justicialist Party in the 1980s. He was a member of the legislative body of Rosario (the Deliberative Council
) at that time, but turned to his private practice in the 1990s. He returned to politics in 2001, and presided the Deliberative Council of Rosario until 2005.
In the 2005 legislative elections he ran for a seat in the lower house of Congress for the Front for Victory
, the largest faction of the Justicialist Party, formed by supporters of President
Néstor Kirchner
. His campaign capitalized on, and was centered on gaining support for, the successful policies implemented by Kirchner on the national level; Rossi presented himself as "Kirchner's candidate".
Rossi's candidate list came second (with 33% of votes) after the one headed by Hermes Binner
(43%), which was considered a relative defeat, since Rossi was not well known in the province. He then became the head of the Front for Victory block in the lower house of Congress.
Since then, he has taken on the task of imposing party discipline and rally for legislative support of Kirchner's policies. He has stated that "the block [belonging to the ruling party] has the fundamental role of being the legislative arm of the government... I cannot conceive a [government party] block that has doubts or criticism for the government's projects... Society tells us: 'I choose you to strengthen the course of action initiated by the President."
Rossi was one of the pre-candidates for the governorship of Santa Fe for the 2007 elections. Rossi's rival within the party was Rosario-born National Deputy and former Foreign Relations Minister Rafael Bielsa
. The Mayor of Rafaela
, Omar Perotti, campaigned for some time as well, but finally gave up and turned to support Bielsa. Although some in the party, including Bielsa, would have rather negotiated on a consensus candidacy, Rossi insisted on conducting a primary election. Rossi also stated that he wanted Bielsa's sister María Eugenia
(then vice-governor of Santa Fe) to be on his list, though he finally chose Jorge Fernández, former Minister of Education during the governorship of Víctor Reviglio
.
Bielsa was eventually chosen as the party's candidate in primary election
s on July 1, 2007, but subsequently lost the election to Socialist
Hermes Binner
.
Rossi continued in his role as Deputy and was elected as head of the Front for Victory caucus, which has a majority in the Chamber, in 2007.
In what many believe to be a "dictatorial attitude" of Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
, the government unilaterally revoked the license of an ISP, called Fibertel which has been previously legally dissolved as a company, owned by Grupo Clarín
(a group that is not aligned with the government). Argentine congress quickly reacted to this by presenting a bill to revert the president's decision, and Mr. Rossi alleged that those who tried to modify the president's decision are acting as "lawyers" for Grupo Clarin.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Justicialist Party
Justicialist Party
The Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de...
politician from the province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Santa Fe
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
. Since 2005 he has been a National Deputy
Argentine Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....
in the Argentine Congress and is leader of the majority Front for Victory
Front for Victory
The Front for Victory is a Peronist political party and electoral alliance in Argentina, although it is formally a faction of the Justicialist Party. Both the former President Néstor Kirchner and the current President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner belong to this party, located on the left-wing...
block in the Chamber of Deputies.
Rossi was born in Vera
Vera, Santa Fe
Vera is a city in the north of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is the head town of the Vera Department and lies 256 km from the provincial capital . It has a population of about 20,000 inhabitants ....
, a small city in the north of Santa Fe Province, where he spent his early youth. He moved to Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
when he was 17 years old, and graduated as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
at the National University of Rosario
National University of Rosario
The National University of Rosario is a research, educational and public university located in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe, Argentina.-Overview:...
.
Rossi was a member of the Peronist University Youth in the 1970s, and joined the Justicialist Party in the 1980s. He was a member of the legislative body of Rosario (the Deliberative Council
Government of Rosario
This article is about the government of Rosario, the third most populated city in Argentina, and the largest in the province of Santa Fe. Rosario has about 910,000 inhabitants and is located on the western shore of the Paraná River....
) at that time, but turned to his private practice in the 1990s. He returned to politics in 2001, and presided the Deliberative Council of Rosario until 2005.
In the 2005 legislative elections he ran for a seat in the lower house of Congress for the Front for Victory
Front for Victory
The Front for Victory is a Peronist political party and electoral alliance in Argentina, although it is formally a faction of the Justicialist Party. Both the former President Néstor Kirchner and the current President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner belong to this party, located on the left-wing...
, the largest faction of the Justicialist Party, formed by supporters of President
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
. His campaign capitalized on, and was centered on gaining support for, the successful policies implemented by Kirchner on the national level; Rossi presented himself as "Kirchner's candidate".
Rossi's candidate list came second (with 33% of votes) after the one headed by Hermes Binner
Hermes Binner
Hermes Juan Binner is an Argentine medical doctor and a politician. He was elected Governor of Santa Fe in 2007. Binner is the first Socialist to become the governor of an Argentine province, and the first non-Justicialist to rule Santa Fe since 1983.Binner was previously a Deputy of the Civic and...
(43%), which was considered a relative defeat, since Rossi was not well known in the province. He then became the head of the Front for Victory block in the lower house of Congress.
Since then, he has taken on the task of imposing party discipline and rally for legislative support of Kirchner's policies. He has stated that "the block [belonging to the ruling party] has the fundamental role of being the legislative arm of the government... I cannot conceive a [government party] block that has doubts or criticism for the government's projects... Society tells us: 'I choose you to strengthen the course of action initiated by the President."
Rossi was one of the pre-candidates for the governorship of Santa Fe for the 2007 elections. Rossi's rival within the party was Rosario-born National Deputy and former Foreign Relations Minister Rafael Bielsa
Rafael Bielsa
Rafael Antonio Bielsa Caldera is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician from Rosario, province of Santa Fe. He is the brother of former Argentina national football team coach Marcelo Bielsa; both are well-known Newell's Old Boys supporters...
. The Mayor of Rafaela
Rafaela
Rafaela is a city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, about 96 km from the provincial capital. It is the head town of the Castellanos Department. It has a population of 99,150 per the ....
, Omar Perotti, campaigned for some time as well, but finally gave up and turned to support Bielsa. Although some in the party, including Bielsa, would have rather negotiated on a consensus candidacy, Rossi insisted on conducting a primary election. Rossi also stated that he wanted Bielsa's sister María Eugenia
María Eugenia Bielsa
María Eugenia Bielsa Caldera is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician, born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province. She was the vice-governor of Santa Fe, accompanying governor Jorge Obeid, from 2003 until 2007. As such, she also presides the provincial Senate...
(then vice-governor of Santa Fe) to be on his list, though he finally chose Jorge Fernández, former Minister of Education during the governorship of Víctor Reviglio
Víctor Reviglio
Víctor Félix Reviglio is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician and diplomat. He was the governor of the province of Santa Fe from 11 December 1987 to 11 December 1991.Reviglio qualified as a doctor at the National University of Córdoba...
.
Bielsa was eventually chosen as the party's candidate in primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
s on July 1, 2007, but subsequently lost the election to Socialist
Socialist Party (Argentina)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in Argentina. The history of socialism in Argentina began in the 1890s, when a group of people, notably Juan B. Justo, expressed the need for a greater social focus....
Hermes Binner
Hermes Binner
Hermes Juan Binner is an Argentine medical doctor and a politician. He was elected Governor of Santa Fe in 2007. Binner is the first Socialist to become the governor of an Argentine province, and the first non-Justicialist to rule Santa Fe since 1983.Binner was previously a Deputy of the Civic and...
.
Rossi continued in his role as Deputy and was elected as head of the Front for Victory caucus, which has a majority in the Chamber, in 2007.
In what many believe to be a "dictatorial attitude" of Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner , commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner is the 55th and current President of Argentina and the widow of former President Néstor Kirchner. She is Argentina's first elected female president, and the second female president ever to serve...
, the government unilaterally revoked the license of an ISP, called Fibertel which has been previously legally dissolved as a company, owned by Grupo Clarín
Grupo Clarín
Grupo Clarín is the largest media conglomerate of Argentina.-Overview:Established as such in 1999, it includes the Clarín newspaper , Papel Prensa , the Artear media company, and numerous other media outlets.Rooted in the successful, 1945 launch of the centrist daily,...
(a group that is not aligned with the government). Argentine congress quickly reacted to this by presenting a bill to revert the president's decision, and Mr. Rossi alleged that those who tried to modify the president's decision are acting as "lawyers" for Grupo Clarin.