José Octavio Bordón
Encyclopedia
José Octavio Bordón is an Argentine
politician and diplomat.
in 1945, Bordón graduated in sociology
from the Universidad del Salvador
in Buenos Aires
in 1970. He was Professor of Political Sociology at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo from 1972 to 1976, and again from 1983 to 1995. He became President of the Fundación Andina in 1982. In 1983 he was elected to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
as deputy for Mendoza Province
for the Justicialist Party
. He was deputy chairman of the foreign affairs committee.
In 1987 Bordón was elected governor of Mendoza Province
, stepping down in 1991. The following year he was elected to the Argentine Senate
. Over that period he had become distant from the Peronist leadership, which under President Carlos Menem
had moved to the right with neoliberal economic policies. In 1994 he led his followers into a new leftwing alliance, FrePaSo, with other parties and dissident Peronists. FrePaSo's popularity grew quickly. At that time he was a visiting professor at Georgetown University
.
Bordón became presidential candidate for FrePaSo for the 1995 general elections, with Carlos Chacho Álvarez
as his running mate. Despite being such a new party, Frepaso came in second with 30%, relegating the well-established UCR
, Argentina's oldest political party still in existence, to third place. However, not long after the election, Bordón fell out with FrePaSo in a leadership dispute and returned to the Justicialist Party.
Bordón worked as a consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank
from 1998 until 1999, and then again in 2003. He was Director of Diálogo y Perspectiva Internacional magazine 1989-94, and Director of Temas de MERCOSUR magazine 1996-2000.
Bordón served as General Director of Culture and Education for Buenos Aires Province
from 1999 until 2001, and as Executive Director of the Social and Economic Development Program, from 2002 to 2003. President Néstor Kirchner
appointed Bordón Ambassador to the United States in June 2003, and he remained in the post throughout Kirchner's term, until December 2007.
The prominent diplomat and politician is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue
, is married to the former Mónica González Gaviola and has three children. Bordón suffered a fall while on vacation in Cariló
. Hospitalized in nearby Pinamar
, his condition was deemed stable.
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 and diplomat.
Life and times
Born in RosarioRosario
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 ....
in 1945, Bordón graduated in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from the Universidad del Salvador
Universidad del Salvador
The Universidad del Salvador is a Jesuit university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition to its main Campus, it has instructional and research facilities in Pilar, Buenos Aires; San Miguel, Buenos Aires; Santa Cruz, Misiones; and Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires...
in 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 1970. He was Professor of Political Sociology at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo from 1972 to 1976, and again from 1983 to 1995. He became President of the Fundación Andina in 1982. In 1983 he was elected to 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....
as deputy for Mendoza Province
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
for 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...
. He was deputy chairman of the foreign affairs committee.
In 1987 Bordón was elected governor of Mendoza Province
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
, stepping down in 1991. The following year he was elected to the Argentine Senate
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...
. Over that period he had become distant from the Peronist leadership, which under 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:...
had moved to the right with neoliberal economic policies. In 1994 he led his followers into a new leftwing alliance, FrePaSo, with other parties and dissident Peronists. FrePaSo's popularity grew quickly. At that time he was a visiting professor at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
Bordón became presidential candidate for FrePaSo for the 1995 general elections, with Carlos Chacho Álvarez
Carlos Álvarez (vice-president)
Carlos Alberto "Chacho" Álvarez is an Argentine politician; he was Vice-President of Argentina during part of President Fernando de la Rúa's mandate, and currently heads the Aladi Secretariat....
as his running mate. Despite being such a new party, Frepaso came in second with 30%, relegating the well-established UCR
UCR
UCR may refer to:* University of California, Riverside* Unified Cornish Revised, a variety of the Cornish language* Uniform Crime Reports* Under color removal* University of Costa Rica* Unión Cívica Radical, an Argentine political party...
, Argentina's oldest political party still in existence, to third place. However, not long after the election, Bordón fell out with FrePaSo in a leadership dispute and returned to the Justicialist Party.
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
from 1998 until 1999, and then again in 2003. He was Director of Diálogo y Perspectiva Internacional magazine 1989-94, and Director of Temas de MERCOSUR magazine 1996-2000.
Bordón served as General Director of Culture and Education for 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...
from 1999 until 2001, and as Executive Director of the Social and Economic Development Program, from 2002 to 2003. President 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 ...
appointed Bordón Ambassador to the United States in June 2003, and he remained in the post throughout Kirchner's term, until December 2007.
The prominent diplomat and politician is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue
Inter-American Dialogue
The Inter-American Dialogue is a U.S. based think tank for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs...
, is married to the former Mónica González Gaviola and has three children. Bordón suffered a fall while on vacation in Cariló
Cariló
Cariló is a beach resort town in Argentina. It is situated in a man made forest on the Atlantic coast of the Province of Buenos Aires, approximately 360 km south of Buenos Aires city in the administrative division of Pinamar Partido.Until a few years ago, access to the town was strictly...
. Hospitalized in nearby Pinamar
Pinamar
Pinamar is an Argentine coastal resort town located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Buenos Aires Province. It has about 20,000 inhabitants as per the ....
, his condition was deemed stable.
External links
- Profile, Embassy of Argentina