Daniel Peralta
Encyclopedia
Daniel Román Peralta is an Argentine
Justicialist Party
politician, elected governor of Santa Cruz Province in 2007.
, and joined the Bank Employees' Union in 1973. He was named secretary general of the Bank Employees' Union of Santa Cruz in 1983, and became the head of the provincial chapter of the CGT
. Peralta was appointed Minister of Social Policy by Governor Ricardo del Val in 1988. He returned to the private sector in 1991 as manager of the Punta Arenas, Chile
, branch of the then state-owned Bank of Santa Cruz, and in 1995 became manager of its central branch in Río Gallegos. Peralta led the transitional committee during the bank's 1996 privatization
.
Governor Néstor Kirchner
, who had been a protégé of Peralta's parents, appointed him Secretary of Labor in 1999, and in 2003, he was elected to the Provincial Legislature on the Justicialist Party
ticket. Kirchner, who became President of Argentina
, appointed Peralta director of the state coal concern, Yacimientos Carboníferos Fiscales (YCF), in 2004. Taking a leave of absence
from the party's regional congress, Peralta accepted the post following a mine accident which killed 14.
Upon incumbent governor Carlos Sancho
's announcement of his resignation on May 11, 2007, in which he cited poor health (Sancho had himself taken office when the previous governor resigned amid scandal and fights with Kirchner), Peralta returned to his post as Provincial Deputy and was elected 1st Vice President of the House of Deputies, effectively making him the legislature's senior member. This allowed him to be named acting governor upon Sancho's resignation.
In the general elections in October 2007, Peralta was officially elected Governor, beating UCR
candidate Eduardo Costa by almost 20 points on the Kirchnerist Front for Victory
slate; he was sworn into office in December 2007.
Peralta took office as Governor of Santa Cruz at a troubled time for the Province, amid strikes, sporadic riots, and allegations of police brutality; amid high levels of federal spending on local infrastructure projects the situation in the province later stabilized. Inheriting a growing pension
system deficit, the governor ordered withholding rates increased and benefited trimmed for early retirees.
Governor Peralta continued to enjoy the support of President Cristina Kirchner, the successor and widow of Néstor Kirchner. She defended the governor against calls from the opposition for impeachment following his refusal to reinstate Eduardo Sosa, a prosecutor
who had been dismissed by then-Governor Kirchner in 1995, and who won a federal court ruling to that effect.
Peralta presided over a federally and provincially-funded public works
boom in Santa Cruz. Much as his predecessors did, however, Peralta faced restive labor unions in the province, and contended with general strike
s in the educational and petroleum sectors beginning in February 28, 2011; strikes in the latter industry reportedly cost the province us$50 million in lost revenues, as well as over us$200 million in federal revenue.
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, elected governor of Santa Cruz Province in 2007.
Biography
Daniel Peralta was born to Nélida Cremona and Hugo Peralta, two prominent Peronist figures in Santa Cruz. Peralta became a bank tellerBank teller
A teller is an employee of a bank who deals directly with most customers. In some places, this employee is known as a cashier. Most teller jobs require cash handling experience and a high school diploma. Most banks provide on the job training....
, and joined the Bank Employees' Union in 1973. He was named secretary general of the Bank Employees' Union of Santa Cruz in 1983, and became the head of the provincial chapter of the CGT
General Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
. Peralta was appointed Minister of Social Policy by Governor Ricardo del Val in 1988. He returned to the private sector in 1991 as manager of the Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is a commune and the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antartica Chilena. The city was officially renamed Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to Punta Arenas...
, branch of the then state-owned Bank of Santa Cruz, and in 1995 became manager of its central branch in Río Gallegos. Peralta led the transitional committee during the bank's 1996 privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
.
Governor 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 ...
, who had been a protégé of Peralta's parents, appointed him Secretary of Labor in 1999, and in 2003, he was elected to the Provincial Legislature on the 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...
ticket. Kirchner, who became 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...
, appointed Peralta director of the state coal concern, Yacimientos Carboníferos Fiscales (YCF), in 2004. Taking a leave of absence
Leave of absence
Leave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
from the party's regional congress, Peralta accepted the post following a mine accident which killed 14.
Upon incumbent governor Carlos Sancho
Carlos Sancho
Carlos Alberto Sancho is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician and former governor of Santa Cruz Province.Sancho ran the family real estate and construction firm. A supporter of Governor Néstor Kirchner, he became a member of the Deliberative Council of the city of Río Gallegos in 1999,...
's announcement of his resignation on May 11, 2007, in which he cited poor health (Sancho had himself taken office when the previous governor resigned amid scandal and fights with Kirchner), Peralta returned to his post as Provincial Deputy and was elected 1st Vice President of the House of Deputies, effectively making him the legislature's senior member. This allowed him to be named acting governor upon Sancho's resignation.
In the general elections in October 2007, Peralta was officially elected Governor, beating UCR
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
candidate Eduardo Costa by almost 20 points on the Kirchnerist 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...
slate; he was sworn into office in December 2007.
Peralta took office as Governor of Santa Cruz at a troubled time for the Province, amid strikes, sporadic riots, and allegations of police brutality; amid high levels of federal spending on local infrastructure projects the situation in the province later stabilized. Inheriting a growing pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
system deficit, the governor ordered withholding rates increased and benefited trimmed for early retirees.
Governor Peralta continued to enjoy the support of President Cristina Kirchner, the successor and widow of Néstor Kirchner. She defended the governor against calls from the opposition for impeachment following his refusal to reinstate Eduardo Sosa, a prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
who had been dismissed by then-Governor Kirchner in 1995, and who won a federal court ruling to that effect.
Peralta presided over a federally and provincially-funded public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
boom in Santa Cruz. Much as his predecessors did, however, Peralta faced restive labor unions in the province, and contended with general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
s in the educational and petroleum sectors beginning in February 28, 2011; strikes in the latter industry reportedly cost the province us$50 million in lost revenues, as well as over us$200 million in federal revenue.