Elisa Carrió
Encyclopedia
Elisa María Avelina Carrió (born December 26, 1956) is an Argentine
politician, founder of the party initially known as Alternative for a Republic of Equals (Alternativa para una República de Iguales, ARI), now Civic Coalition ARI (Coalición Cívica ARI).
in a traditional family, Carrió was a former teenage beauty queen. She enrolled at the National University of the Northeast
and earned a Law Degree
in 1978. Carrió entered public service as a technical advisor to the Chaco Province Prosecutor's Office in 1979, and was appointed to the provincial Solicitor General's office in 1980.
She later taught constitutional law
at her alma mater, and from 1986 to 1988 served as director of the human rights
department of the University of Buenos Aires
Law School. Carrió entered politics at the request of her mentor, Raúl Alfonsín
, was elected to the 1994 Constitutional Amendments Convention, during which she was a leading sponsor of Article 75, section 22, which mandated the adoption of international human rights
treaties ratified by Argentina into the Argentine Constitution. She was elected to the Chamber of Deputies
for her province, representing the centrist Radical Civic Union
(UCR), in 1995, and in 1997, obtained passage of a bill giving constitutional authority to the international Treaty of Disappeared Persons.
She campaigned heavily for Fernando de la Rúa
in 1999. Re-elected to Congress, Carrió earned growing publicity as the chair of the Congressional Committee on Corruption and Money Laundering after 1999, particularly during a series of exchanged accusations in 2001 between herself and Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo
. The dispute backfired against Carrió, however, when documents she presented in court in August as evidence of corruption on the part of Cavallo were proven to be forgeries created by Daniel Díaz, who was arrested in October on charges of counterfeiting and securities fraud
.
After the rupture in 2000 of the Alliance for Work, Justice and Education
(which the UCR had formed in 1997 with Socialists and the Front for a Country in Solidarity
), Carrió turned to the Democratic Socialist Party
and other politicians with leftist leanings who were discontented in their parties, and formed an informal front, initially called "Argentinians for a Republic of Equals" (Argentinos por una República de Iguales), ARI. After dissensions, the socialists left, and so did Carrió and other figures from their original parties. Together, they formed a new party, called Alternative for a Republic of Equals (also ARI), in 2002.
Carrió was a presidential candidate in the 2003 elections, obtaining fifth place with about 14% of the votes. She was returned to the Lower House of Congress in 2005, winning a seat as a Deputy for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
.
Carrió ran again for the Presidency on the 2007 elections
, representing a front called the Civic Coalition
. In March 2007 she resigned her seat in Congress to conduct the campaign. Together with her running mate Rubén Giustiniani
(chairman of the Socialist Party
), Carrió obtained about 23% of the vote, coming in a distant second after Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
. She won the majority vote in two of the three largest cities of Argentina (Buenos Aires
and Rosario
), but she suffered a larger defeat in Buenos Aires Province
, the most populous district, and could not force a runoff election.
Following the 2007 election, Carrió announced she would not be running for the presidency again, declaring that she would instead enhance her role as "leader of the opposition" and seek to become a member of or influence in a future administration following the 2011 elections. She was reunited ahead of the June 2009 mid-term elections
with erstwhile allies, the UCR and Socialists, in the Civic and Social Agreement
. This coalition yielded gains only for the UCR, however, and Carrió's reduced influence therein ended in her acrimonious departure from the group in August 2010. She later reconsidered her earlier decision to opt out of the 2011 presidential race
, and on December 12, 2010, she announced her candidacy on the Civic Coalition/ARI ticket.
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...
politician, founder of the party initially known as Alternative for a Republic of Equals (Alternativa para una República de Iguales, ARI), now Civic Coalition ARI (Coalición Cívica ARI).
Biography
Born in Resistencia, ChacoResistencia, Chaco
Resistencia is the capital and largest city in the province of Chaco, in northeastern Argentina. At the 2001 census, the population of the Resistencia city proper was 274,490 inhabitants. It is the anchor of a slightly larger metropolitan area, Greater Resistencia, which comprises three more...
in a traditional family, Carrió was a former teenage beauty queen. She enrolled at the National University of the Northeast
National University of the Northeast
The National University of the Northeast is an Argentine national university. It is located in the cities of Corrientes and Resistencia, capitals cities of the Provinces of Corrientes and Chaco respectively, and was established on December 4, 1956...
and earned a Law Degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
in 1978. Carrió entered public service as a technical advisor to the Chaco Province Prosecutor's Office in 1979, and was appointed to the provincial Solicitor General's office in 1980.
She later taught constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
at her alma mater, and from 1986 to 1988 served as director of the human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
department of 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...
Law School. Carrió entered politics at the request of her mentor, 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...
, was elected to the 1994 Constitutional Amendments Convention, during which she was a leading sponsor of Article 75, section 22, which mandated the adoption of international human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
treaties ratified by Argentina into the Argentine Constitution. She was 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....
for her province, representing 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...
(UCR), in 1995, and in 1997, obtained passage of a bill giving constitutional authority to the international Treaty of Disappeared Persons.
She campaigned heavily for 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 ....
in 1999. Re-elected to Congress, Carrió earned growing publicity as the chair of the Congressional Committee on Corruption and Money Laundering after 1999, particularly during a series of exchanged accusations in 2001 between herself and Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo
Domingo Cavallo
Domingo Felipe "Mingo" Cavallo is an Argentine economist and politician. He has a long history of public service and is known for implementing the Convertibilidad plan, which fixed the dollar-peso exchange rate at 1:1 between 1991 and 2001, which brought the Argentine inflation rate down from over...
. The dispute backfired against Carrió, however, when documents she presented in court in August as evidence of corruption on the part of Cavallo were proven to be forgeries created by Daniel Díaz, who was arrested in October on charges of counterfeiting and securities fraud
Securities fraud
Securities fraud, also known as stock fraud and investment fraud, is a practice that induces investors to make purchase or sale decisions on the basis of false information, frequently resulting in losses, in violation of the securities laws....
.
After the rupture in 2000 of the Alliance for Work, Justice and Education
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...
(which the UCR had formed in 1997 with Socialists and the Front for a Country in Solidarity
Front for a Country in Solidarity
The Front for a Country in Solidarity was a political party in Argentina. It was formed in 1994 out of the Great Front , which had been founded mainly by progressive members of the Peronist Justicialist Party who denounced the policies and the alleged corruption of the Carlos Menem administration;...
), Carrió turned to the Democratic Socialist Party
Democratic Socialist Party (Argentina)
The Democratic Socialist Party was a political party in Argentina formed in 1959 as a division of the Socialist Party.The most important figure of the PSD was Alfredo Bravo, a teacher and civil rights activist, which was a deputy and the presidential candidate of the Socialist Party in the 2003...
and other politicians with leftist leanings who were discontented in their parties, and formed an informal front, initially called "Argentinians for a Republic of Equals" (Argentinos por una República de Iguales), ARI. After dissensions, the socialists left, and so did Carrió and other figures from their original parties. Together, they formed a new party, called Alternative for a Republic of Equals (also ARI), in 2002.
Carrió was a presidential candidate in the 2003 elections, obtaining fifth place with about 14% of the votes. She was returned to the Lower House of Congress in 2005, winning a seat as a Deputy for the Autonomous City of 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...
.
Carrió ran again for the Presidency on the 2007 elections
Argentine general election, 2007
Argentina held national presidential and legislative elections on October 28, 2007, and elections for provincial governors took place on staggered dates throughout the year. For the national elections, each of the 23 provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires are considered electoral districts...
, representing a front called the Civic Coalition
Civic Coalition
The Civic Coalition is a political coalition in Argentina. It was founded by Elisa Carrió, as an association supported by the ARI party , as well as a number of other political groups and individual political leaders, notably Union for All of Patricia Bullrich and GEN - Generation for a National...
. In March 2007 she resigned her seat in Congress to conduct the campaign. Together with her running mate Rubén Giustiniani
Rubén Giustiniani
Rubén Héctor Giustiniani is an Argentine senator from Santa Fe province. An engineer by occupation, he is also president of the Socialist Party ....
(chairman of the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Argentina)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in Argentina. The history of socialism in Argentina began in the 1890s, when a group of people, notably Juan B. Justo, expressed the need for a greater social focus....
), Carrió obtained about 23% of the vote, coming in a distant second after Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner , commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner is the 55th and current President of Argentina and the widow of former President Néstor Kirchner. She is Argentina's first elected female president, and the second female president ever to serve...
. She won the majority vote in two of the three largest cities of Argentina (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 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 ....
), but she suffered a larger defeat in Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, the most populous district, and could not force a runoff election.
Following the 2007 election, Carrió announced she would not be running for the presidency again, declaring that she would instead enhance her role as "leader of the opposition" and seek to become a member of or influence in a future administration following the 2011 elections. She was reunited ahead of the June 2009 mid-term elections
Argentine legislative election, 2009
Legislative elections were held in Argentina for half the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and a third of the seats in the Senate on 28 June 2009, as well as for the legislature of the City of Buenos Aires and other municipalities.-Background:...
with erstwhile allies, the UCR and Socialists, in the Civic and Social Agreement
Civic and Social Agreement
The Social and Civic Agreement is an active congressional alliance in Argentina, integrated by the Radical Civic Union and the Socialist Party , which acted as an umbrella national electoral alliance at the last 2009 Argentine legislative elections...
. This coalition yielded gains only for the UCR, however, and Carrió's reduced influence therein ended in her acrimonious departure from the group in August 2010. She later reconsidered her earlier decision to opt out of the 2011 presidential race
Argentine general election, 2011
Argentina held national presidential and legislative elections on 23 October 2011. Incumbent president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner secured a second term in office after the Front for Victory won just over half of the seats in the National Congress....
, and on December 12, 2010, she announced her candidacy on the Civic Coalition/ARI ticket.