Ramón Puerta
Encyclopedia
Federico Ramón Puerta is an Argentine
Peronist
politician who has served as a governor, senator and national deputy and effectively acted as President of Argentina
during 2001.
, Misiones Province
. He attended the Universidad Católica Argentina in Buenos Aires
and qualified as a civil engineer. However, he entered the family business of the cultivation of yerba maté
, and became a successful businessman and millionaire.
Puerta was elected a national deputy
for Misiones in 1987. In 1991 he was elected Governor of Misiones Province, re-elected in 1995 and served until 1999. He followed the neo-liberal economic model of President Carlos Menem
, including privatising the provincial bank of which his own grandfather had been a founder.
In 1999 he was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies
and in 2001 he was elected to the Senate
. In November of that year, he was elected provisory President of the Argentine Senate
, constitutionally third in line to the nation's presidency.
Puerta served as the acting head of the executive branch of the country for two days on December 21 and December 22, 2001. He came to that position in his capacity as President Pro Tempore
of the Senate and, as there was no Vice President, he was next in line to the nation's highest office when President Fernando de la Rúa
resigned amid rioting
. A week after giving up the presidency, Puerta resigned as leader of the Senate in order to avoid retaking the presidency, following a second institutional crisis.
Puerta stood to be Governor of Misiones in 2003, but lost to his successor, Carlos Rovira
. He retired from the Senate in 2005. He ran for governor of Misiones again in 2007, and was defeated in the October election, coming in third place with 15% of the vote.
Puerta is unmarried and has two children.
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...
Peronist
Peronism
Peronism , or Justicialism , is an Argentine political movement based on the programmes associated with former President Juan Perón and his second wife, Eva Perón...
politician who has served as a governor, senator and national deputy and effectively acted as President of Argentina
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...
during 2001.
Biography
Puerta was born in ApóstolesApóstoles
Apóstoles is a city in the province of Misiones, Argentina. It has 26,858 inhabitants as per the , and is the seat of government of Apóstoles Department...
, Misiones Province
Misiones Province
Misiones is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamiсa region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes Province of Argentina to the southwest.- History :The province was...
. He attended the Universidad Católica Argentina in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and qualified as a civil engineer. However, he entered the family business of the cultivation of yerba maté
Yerba mate
Maté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
, and became a successful businessman and millionaire.
Puerta was elected 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....
for Misiones in 1987. In 1991 he was elected Governor of Misiones Province, re-elected in 1995 and served until 1999. He followed the neo-liberal economic model of President Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, including privatising the provincial bank of which his own grandfather had been a founder.
In 1999 he was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies
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....
and in 2001 he was elected to the Senate
Argentine Senate
The Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...
. In November of that year, he was elected provisory President of the Argentine Senate
Argentine Senate
The Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...
, constitutionally third in line to the nation's presidency.
Puerta served as the acting head of the executive branch of the country for two days on December 21 and December 22, 2001. He came to that position in his capacity as President Pro Tempore
President pro tempore
A President pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer...
of the Senate and, as there was no Vice President, he was next in line to the nation's highest office when President Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa is an Argentine politician. He was president of the country from December 10, 1999 to December 21, 2001 for the Alliance for Work, Justice and Education ....
resigned amid rioting
December 2001 riots (Argentina)
The December 2001 uprising was a period of civil unrest and rioting in Argentina, which took place during December 2001, with the most violent incidents taking place on December 19 and December 20 in the capital, Buenos Aires, Rosario and other large cities around the country.- Background :The...
. A week after giving up the presidency, Puerta resigned as leader of the Senate in order to avoid retaking the presidency, following a second institutional crisis.
Puerta stood to be Governor of Misiones in 2003, but lost to his successor, Carlos Rovira
Carlos Rovira
Carlos Eduardo Rovira is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician, until 2007 governor of Misiones Province at the head of the Front for Renewal....
. He retired from the Senate in 2005. He ran for governor of Misiones again in 2007, and was defeated in the October election, coming in third place with 15% of the vote.
Puerta is unmarried and has two children.