Carlos Sylvestre Begnis
Encyclopedia
Carlos Sylvestre Begnis (30 August 1903 – 22 September 1980) was a medical doctor and politician, born in Alto Grande, a village near Bell Ville
, Córdoba
province
in Argentina
. He was a rural physician and worked as a surgeon
in hospitals of the city of Rosario
, province of Santa Fe
.
He entered politics through the Radical Civic Union
. In 1958 he was elected governor of Santa Fe, following a period of de facto military rule (after the Revolución Libertadora
, which had ousted president Juan Perón
three years before). He became a part of the Intransigent Radical Civic Union (UCRI), and then formed part of the leadership of the Movement for Integration and Development (MID). His term was ended by a federal intervention
.
In the 1970s, Sylvestre Begnis moved to the Justicialist Party
(Peronism), and was elected governor again in 1973 (Argentina had just emerged from seven years of military dictatorship). The Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel
, which joins Santa Fe and Entre Ríos
under the Paraná River
, was built during his administration, and then officially renamed after him and Entre Ríos governor Raúl Uranga. The Brigadier Estanislao López Highway
, linking Rosario and Santa Fe (the two largest cities in the province), was also built at this time. Sylvestre Begnis followed the policies of desarrollismo, sponsored by the national government of president Arturo Frondizi
, devoting a large share of the provincial budget to public works (schools, roads, electric power lines, hydraulic works).
Sylvestre Begnis again could not complete his term, being removed from office in 1976 as a result of the military coup that started the dictatorship of the National Reorganization Process
. He died of acute leukemia
in 1980, at the age of 77.
His son Juan Héctor, also a politician, was a candidate for vice governor and served the Justicialist government of Jorge Obeid
as Minister of Health, and is a national deputy for the Front for Victory
. He chairs the Health Committee of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
. In 2007 he campaigned to be mayor of Rosario.
Bell Ville
Bell Ville is a city in center-south of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, located 200 km southeast from the capital Córdoba City, on the intersection of National Route 9 and Provincial Route 3 with the Córdoba–Rosario–Buenos Aires railroad....
, Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
in 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...
. He was a rural physician and worked as a surgeon
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
in hospitals of the city 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 ....
, province 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...
.
He entered politics through 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...
. In 1958 he was elected governor of Santa Fe, following a period of de facto military rule (after the Revolución Libertadora
Revolución Libertadora
The Revolución Libertadora was a military uprising that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on September 16, 1955.-History:...
, which had ousted president Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
three years before). He became a part of the Intransigent Radical Civic Union (UCRI), and then formed part of the leadership of the Movement for Integration and Development (MID). His term was ended by a federal intervention
Federal intervention
Federal intervention is an attribution of the federal government of Argentina, by which it takes control of a province in certain extreme cases. Intervention is declared by the President with the assent of the National Congress...
.
In the 1970s, Sylvestre Begnis moved to 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...
(Peronism), and was elected governor again in 1973 (Argentina had just emerged from seven years of military dictatorship). The Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel
Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel
The Raúl Uranga – Carlos Sylvestre Begnis Subfluvial Tunnel , formerly known as the Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel, is an underwater road tunnel that connects the provinces of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe in Argentina, crossing the Paraná River between the capital of Entre Ríos, Paraná, and Santa Cándida...
, which joins Santa Fe and Entre Ríos
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
under the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
, was built during his administration, and then officially renamed after him and Entre Ríos governor Raúl Uranga. The Brigadier Estanislao López Highway
Brigadier Estanislao López Highway
The Brigadier Estanislao López Highway is a highway in the Argentine province of Santa Fe, linking the provincial capital Santa Fe and the city of Rosario...
, linking Rosario and Santa Fe (the two largest cities in the province), was also built at this time. Sylvestre Begnis followed the policies of desarrollismo, sponsored by the national government of president Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ercoli was the President of Argentina between May 1, 1958, and March 29, 1962, for the Intransigent Radical Civic Union.-Early life:Frondizi was born in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province...
, devoting a large share of the provincial budget to public works (schools, roads, electric power lines, hydraulic works).
Sylvestre Begnis again could not complete his term, being removed from office in 1976 as a result of the military coup that started the dictatorship of 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...
. He died of acute leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in 1980, at the age of 77.
His son Juan Héctor, also a politician, was a candidate for vice governor and served the Justicialist government of Jorge Obeid
Jorge Obeid
Jorge Alberto Obeid is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician, currently an Argentine Chamber of Deputies and former governor of Santa Fe Province until 2007....
as Minister of Health, and is a national deputy 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...
. He chairs the Health Committee of the Argentine 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....
. In 2007 he campaigned to be mayor of Rosario.
Sources
- Homage to Sylvestre Begnis.
- La Capital. 21 September 2003. Sylvestre Begnis: ¿el mejor gobernador de la provincia?
- La Capital. 28 August 2005. Excerpt of the biographical book Carlos Sylvestre Begnis, by Miguel de Marco Jr.