Griselda Tessio
Encyclopedia
Griselda Rosa de las Mercedes Tessio (born in 1946, Esperanza, Santa Fe
) is the Vice-Governor of the Argentine
province
of Santa Fe
since 11 December 2007. Formerly a federal prosecutor based on Santa Fe City
, she accompanied Governor Hermes Binner
's candidacy within the Progressive, Civic and Social Front
on the 2 September 2007 elections.
Tessio is the daughter of Aldo Tessio
, the last governor of Santa Fe who belonged to the Radical Civic Union
. She is a lawyer, Licentiate
in Education Sciences, criminologist
, and university professor.
She has been married twice, and has four children.
Tessio was affiliated to the Radical Civic Union until 1984, when President Raúl Alfonsín
appointed her a federal prosecutor. She directed the unit that the General Attorney of the Nation assigned to investigate the human rights abuses of the last military dictatorship (1976–1983, known as the National Reorganization Process
). In 2005–2006, as the laws (Ley de Obediencia Debida
, Ley de Punto Final
) protecting the security forces from trial for crimes during the dictatorship were repealed, she continued this work. Her investigations helped find the corpses of fifteen "disappeared
" people in the cemetery of Santa Fe, and shed light on crimes committed under the command of Provincial Police Chief Agustín Feced
in Rosario. She received multiple threats on account of these investigations.
She had no party affiliations at the time of the 2007 election, and resigned from the judiciary in February 2007, before the beginning of the campaign.
Tessio reminisced about her father when she accepted the nomination, talking about his ethical commitment: "I want to bring forth his memory because he was the one who taught me to be what I am and to believe in those old good truths which haven't been lost to us through postmodernity
, globalization
, injustice or the frivolization of politics."
Tessio was chosen to be a candidate as part of an agreement between the main members of his party front, the Socialists and the Radicals. Although a faction of the Radical Civic Union initially fought to select a party affiliate, governor candidate Hermes Binner insisted, first, that his running mate should be a woman, if possible from the provincial capital, and then named her directly. Tessio also fulfilled the condition of being from the north of the province, to balance given Binner's perceived link to the interests of the wealthier, more populated south (as Binner had been twice the mayor of Rosario
).
Esperanza, Santa Fe
Esperanza is a city in the center of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It has about 36,000 inhabitants as of the and it is the head town of the Las Colonias Department....
) is the Vice-Governor of the Argentine
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...
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 11 December 2007. Formerly a federal prosecutor based on Santa Fe City
Santa Fe, Argentina
Santa Fe is the capital city of province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It sits in northeastern Argentina, near the junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers. It lies opposite the city of Paraná, to which it is linked by the Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel. The city is also connected by canal with the...
, she accompanied Governor 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...
's candidacy within the Progressive, Civic and Social Front
Progressive, Civic and Social Front
The Progressive, Civic and Social Front is a provincial centre-left coalition in Argentina, based in Santa Fe Province. It is made up of the Socialist Party, the Support for an Egalitarian Republic , a faction of the Radical Civic Union, the Democratic Progressive Party , local factions of the...
on the 2 September 2007 elections.
Tessio is the daughter of Aldo Tessio
Aldo Tessio
Aldo Emilio Tessio was an Argentine politician belonging to the Radical Civic Union . He served a Governor of Santa Fe Province from October 12, 1963, to June 28, 1966....
, the last governor of Santa Fe who belonged to the Radical Civic Union
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...
. She is a lawyer, Licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
in Education Sciences, criminologist
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
, and university professor.
She has been married twice, and has four children.
Tessio was affiliated to the Radical Civic Union until 1984, when President Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
appointed her a federal prosecutor. She directed the unit that the General Attorney of the Nation assigned to investigate the human rights abuses of the last military dictatorship (1976–1983, known as the National Reorganization Process
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
). In 2005–2006, as the laws (Ley de Obediencia Debida
Ley de Obediencia Debida
Ley de Obediencia Debida was a law passed by the National Congress of Argentina after the end of the military dictatorship of the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional . Formally, this law is referred to by number Ley de Obediencia Debida (Spanish, Law of Due Obedience) was a law passed by the...
, Ley de Punto Final
Ley de Punto Final
Ley de Punto Final was a law passed by the National Congress of Argentina after the end of the military dictatorship of the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional . Formally, this law is referred to by number Ley de Punto Final (Spanish, roughly translated Full Stop Law) was a law passed by the...
) protecting the security forces from trial for crimes during the dictatorship were repealed, she continued this work. Her investigations helped find the corpses of fifteen "disappeared
Forced disappearance
In international human rights law, a forced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the...
" people in the cemetery of Santa Fe, and shed light on crimes committed under the command of Provincial Police Chief Agustín Feced
Agustín Feced
Agustín Feced was a Major and Commander of the Argentine National Gendarmerie, and the head of the Police of the Province of Santa Fe for the city of Rosario, during the Dirty War...
in Rosario. She received multiple threats on account of these investigations.
She had no party affiliations at the time of the 2007 election, and resigned from the judiciary in February 2007, before the beginning of the campaign.
Tessio reminisced about her father when she accepted the nomination, talking about his ethical commitment: "I want to bring forth his memory because he was the one who taught me to be what I am and to believe in those old good truths which haven't been lost to us through postmodernity
Postmodernity
Postmodernity is generally used to describe the economic or cultural state or condition of society which is said to exist after modernity...
, globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, injustice or the frivolization of politics."
Tessio was chosen to be a candidate as part of an agreement between the main members of his party front, the Socialists and the Radicals. Although a faction of the Radical Civic Union initially fought to select a party affiliate, governor candidate Hermes Binner insisted, first, that his running mate should be a woman, if possible from the provincial capital, and then named her directly. Tessio also fulfilled the condition of being from the north of the province, to balance given Binner's perceived link to the interests of the wealthier, more populated south (as Binner had been twice the mayor of 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 ....
).