Rodolfo Terragno
Encyclopedia
Rodolfo Terragno is an Argentine politician and lawyer, former Senator
and journalist.
, Argentina
, in 1943 and obtained a Law Degree from the University of Buenos Aires
in 1967, founding the law firm of Terragno & Associates. He married Sonia Pascual Sánchez, with whom he had two children. He became a prestigious journalist, appointed editor-in-chief for the newsmagazine
Confirmado between 1967 and 1968, was a columnist for La Opinión newspaper, and an editor in Cuestionario magazine. Terragno became Adjuct Professor of Law at his alma mater in 1973. Intimidation by the dictatorship
installed in 1976 led to his exile in Caracas
, where he became editor-in-chief of El Diario de Caracas
. In 1980, he was appointed researcher for the Institute of Latin American Studies
in London
and for the London School of Economics
, posts he held until 1982. He remained in London as editor-in-chief of Letters, until 1987.
Affiliated to the centrist Radical Civic Union
since 1961, he was appointed Minister of Public Works by President Raúl Alfonsín
in 1987, whereby he initiated a modest program of privatizations. Terragno received the Ordre National du Mérite
from French
President François Mitterrand
, in 1987. Elected Congressman
in 1993, he campaigned against the Olivos Pact negotiated between UCR leader Raúl Alfonsín
and President Carlos Menem
, who sought the deal in a bid to amend the Argentine Constitution
to allow himself reelection. He sought the UCR's Vice-Presidential nomination in a ticket with Federico Storani, but was defeated by Alfonsín's choice: Río Negro Province
Governor Horacio Massaccesi
. Loyal to the struggling UCR, he agreed to be Massaccesi's Chief of Staff-designate in March, a move that did not stave off defeat in the May 1995 elections.
Out of Congress, he sought and won election as President of the UCR, helping negotiate a successful alliance with the center-left Frepaso. The Alliance
's victory in the 1997 midterm elections
paved the way for their victory in 1999. Terragno resigned from Congress to accept the influential post of Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers
for President
Fernando de la Rúa
, though fallout over a bribery scandal involving the President led to his resignation in October 2000. He was elected Senator for Buenos Aires
in 2001 and served until 2007, by which time he sat on a splinter UCR ticket. Terragno began efforts to join Vice President Julio Cobos
(a popular UCR figure distanced from the President, Cristina Kirchner) in an alliance with ARI leader Elisa Carrió
in January 2009, though no agreement was reached.
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...
and journalist.
Life and times
Terragno was born in Buenos AiresBuenos 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...
, Argentina
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...
, in 1943 and obtained a Law Degree from the University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
in 1967, founding the law firm of Terragno & Associates. He married Sonia Pascual Sánchez, with whom he had two children. He became a prestigious journalist, appointed editor-in-chief for the newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
Confirmado between 1967 and 1968, was a columnist for La Opinión newspaper, and an editor in Cuestionario magazine. Terragno became Adjuct Professor of Law at his alma mater in 1973. Intimidation by the dictatorship
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...
installed in 1976 led to his exile in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, where he became editor-in-chief of El Diario de Caracas
El Diario de Caracas
El Diario de Caracas was a newspaper published in Caracas, Venezuela. It was co-founded in 1979 by Diego Arria and the writer Tomas Eloy Martinez, an Argentine exile. Another Argentine exile, Rodolfo Terragno, was at one time its editor-in-chief....
. In 1980, he was appointed researcher for the Institute of Latin American Studies
Institute of Latin American Studies
The Institute of Latin American Studies was set up in 1965 at the University of London, with the objective of providing postgraduate level teaching and a focus for research on the literature, history, politics and economics of Latin America and the Caribbean.In August 2004 the ILAS merged with the...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and for the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, posts he held until 1982. He remained in London as editor-in-chief of Letters, until 1987.
Affiliated to the centrist 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...
since 1961, he was appointed Minister of Public Works by 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...
in 1987, whereby he initiated a modest program of privatizations. Terragno received the Ordre National du Mérite
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
from French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
President François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
, in 1987. Elected Congressman
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 1993, he campaigned against the Olivos Pact negotiated between UCR leader 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...
and 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:...
, who sought the deal in a bid to amend the Argentine Constitution
1994 reform of the Argentine Constitution
The 1994 amendment to the Constitution of Argentina was approved on 22 August by a Constitutional Assembly that met in the twin cities of Santa Fe and Paraná...
to allow himself reelection. He sought the UCR's Vice-Presidential nomination in a ticket with Federico Storani, but was defeated by Alfonsín's choice: Río Negro Province
Río Negro Province
Río Negro is a province of Argentina, located at the northern edge of Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.Its capital is Viedma...
Governor Horacio Massaccesi
Horacio Massaccesi
Horacio Massaccesi is an Argentine politician and former Governor of Río Negro Province.-Early career:Massaccesi was born in 1948 to an Italian Argentine family in Villa Regina, then a largely agricultural town on the banks of the Río Negro in Argentina's region of Patagonia...
. Loyal to the struggling UCR, he agreed to be Massaccesi's Chief of Staff-designate in March, a move that did not stave off defeat in the May 1995 elections.
Out of Congress, he sought and won election as President of the UCR, helping negotiate a successful alliance with the center-left Frepaso. The Alliance
Alliance for Work, Justice and Education
The Alliance for Work, Justice and Education was a party coalition in Argentina around the turn of the third millennium...
's victory in the 1997 midterm elections
Argentine legislative election, 1997
Argentina held national parliamentary elections on 26 October 1997 and the results were as follows:-Background:President Carlos Menem, who successfully campaigned to have the Argentine Constitution amended in 1994 largely for the sake of being eligible for a second term in office, won the 1995...
paved the way for their victory in 1999. Terragno resigned from Congress to accept the influential post of Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers
Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers
The Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers is a political office of Argentina, created by the 1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution. The current office holder is Aníbal Fernández.-Attributions:...
for 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...
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 ....
, though fallout over a bribery scandal involving the President led to his resignation in October 2000. He was elected Senator for 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...
in 2001 and served until 2007, by which time he sat on a splinter UCR ticket. Terragno began efforts to join Vice President Julio Cobos
Julio Cobos
Julio César Cleto Cobos is an Argentine politician, currently serving as the Vice President of Argentina alongside President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. He started his political career as member of the Radical Civic Union , becoming Governor of Mendoza in 2003...
(a popular UCR figure distanced from the President, Cristina Kirchner) in an alliance with ARI leader Elisa Carrió
Elisa Carrió
Elisa María Avelina Carrió is an Argentine politician, founder of the party initially known as Alternative for a Republic of Equals , now Civic Coalition ARI ....
in January 2009, though no agreement was reached.
Publications
Some of his works are:- La Simulación (2005)
- El Peronismo de los '70 (2005)
- Falklands/Malvinas (2002)
- Maitland & San Martín (1998)
- Bases para un Modelo de Crecimiento, Empleo y Bienestar (1996)
- El Nuevo Modelo (1994)
- Proyecto 95 (1993)
- La Argentina del Siglo 21 (1985)
- The Challenge of Real Development (1987).
- Muerte y Resurrección de los Políticos (1981)
- Memorias del Presente (1984)
- Contratapas (1976)
- Los 400 Días de Perón (1974)
- Los Dueños del Poder (1972)