Carlos Ruckauf

Carlos Federico Ruckauf (( listen); Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires, July 10, 1944) is an Argentine politician affiliated with the Justice Party. He has held many public offices, including the Minister of Labour of the government of María Estela Martínez de Perón, Minister and Vice President of Carlos Menem, and governor of the province of Buenos Aires. He was the first Argentine vice president since Julio Argentino Pascual Roca in 1938 to complete the constitutional mandate for which he was elected.

Biography

Youth

Ruckauf was born in the province of Buenos Aires; Following the separation of his parents, at the age of 7, he lived for a time in Mar del Plata with his paternal grandfather's family before moving, with his mother and stepfather, to Buenos Aires and then to the province of Salta.. He began his secondary education at the city's military high school, but a little later he returned with his father to Buenos Aires. He would finish his studies again in Salta, and return to Buenos Aires to study law at the University of Buenos Aires, from where he would graduate in 1967.

In his adolescence he became interested in folk music, taking guitar lessons with Juan Carlos Saravia.^{[citation required]}

Beginning of his political career

Working as a typist in an insurance company, he began to act as a union member in the Insurance Union, of which he quickly became secretary, and established a relationship with Lorenzo Miguel, leader of the Metallurgical Workers Union; With his protection, he would become Minister of Labor under María Estela Martínez from July 15, 1975 until the coup d'état overthrew her on March 24, 1976.

During Menemism

Official in the government of Carlos Saúl Menem, first as Minister of the Interior and then as vice president. He was the first Argentine constitutional vice president since Julio Argentino Pascual Roca (1932-1938) to complete the term for which he was elected, the others were expelled from their positions by coups d'état, resigned, assumed the presidency or retired before time.

Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires (1999-2002)

He was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires with 48.34%; defeating the Alliance candidate, Frepasista Graciela Fernández Meijide.

In terms of security, Ruckauf promoted a hardline policy against crime (he even stated "criminals must be shot"). Towards the end of his predecessor's mandate Eduardo Duhalde there is a reform of the police, promoted by his Minister of Justice and Security León Arslanian. This reform implied a decentralization of force, civilian control and opening to society. Ruckauf, who had been opposed to it since the electoral campaign, reversed Arslanián's changes when he took office as governor. In the financial order, the RUckauft administration found a floating debt of seventy thousand five hundred million pesos, the consolidated public debt exceeded the four thousand four hundred million dollars, in addition the Province owed the Social Security Institute, more than five billion pesos. During the period of his predecessor, the financial insufficiency of the provincial treasury, the consequences of many years of excessive growth of the state plant during Armendariz's mandate were strongly felt. One of his first measures was a massive plan for the regularization and liquidation of taxpayer debts. The receipt of tax revenues increased from 3,649 million pesos/dollars to $5,103 million. The Government also strengthened the tax sharing regime of the municipalities, determining the sharing of the municipalities in the collection of the Real Estate Tax from 3 to 7.55%, plus 3% for streets and roads. To clean up the finances of the Banco de Provincia, it granted 346 million, managing to balance its finances and avoid bankruptcy. In 1994 he tested a new Industrial Promotion law to promote the activity of dairy farms and sawmills in the interior of Buenos Aires. He promoted drinking water extension works in Bahía Blanca Carmen de Patagones, General Villegas, Pehuajó, Sierras Bayas, Arrecifes, Campana, Pergamino, Ramallo Tres Arroyos, Olavarría, Bragado, Nueve de Julio, Carlos Casares, Berisso, General Madariaga, etc., which benefited from important health works.

During the second half of 2001, public securities called Patacón were put into circulation in the province as a currency, to alleviate the lack of currency.

Chancellor of Eduardo Duhalde (2002-2003)

When the government of Fernando de la Rúa resigned, Ruckauf left the governorship and was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. The province was in charge of its vice-governor Felipe Solá. In the Foreign Ministry, Ruckauf appointed Jorge Faurie (secretary) as advisors. of Foreign Affairs), Martín Redrado (Foreign Trade) and Esteban Caselli (Worship).

In August 2002 he decided to fire Vice Chancellor Jorge Faurie after it became public that he had renewed the diplomatic passport of his friend Ramón Hernández (former secretary of Menem).

National deputy (2003-2007)

He was elected in 2003 as a national deputy for the PJ. The list included several officials of Eduardo Duhalde.

He received an escrache from HIJOS after his statements in the framework of the Truth Trials, upon leaving the federal courts of La Plata, in November 2003. Subsequently, when the challenge of the elected deputy Luis Patti, due to her role during the illegal repression and her statements about torture, was absent at the time of the vote.

In 2011 he was the third candidate for National Deputy for the Popular Front, which led Eduardo Duhalde as its candidate for president, but was not elected.

Controversies

The newspaper Página/12 criticized Ruckauf's management at the head of the Foreign Ministry, alleging that he did not fulfill his tasks and delegated his activities. He suffered a request for impeachment that was unsuccessful because some deputies considered that Ruckauf was "functional to the diplomatic needs of the United States.

Public positions

• 1969 - 1972: Deputy Secretary of the Insurance Union.
• 1973 – 1975: Labour Judge.
• 1975 – 1976: Minister of Labour.
• 1983: President of the Justice Party of the Federal Capital.
• 1987 – 1989: National Representative for the Province of Buenos Aires.
• 1989 – 1991: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Argentine Republic in Italy, Malta and FAO.
• 1991 – 1993: National Representative. President of the Commission on Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Chamber of Deputies.
• 1993 – 1995: Minister of the Interior of the Nation. Vice-President 1 of the Federal Capital Justice Party.
• 1994: President of the Federal Capital Justice Party.
• 1995 – 1999: Vice-President of the Argentine Nation.
• 1999 – 2002: Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires.
• 2002 – 2003: Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic.
• 2003 – 2007: National Representative for Buenos Aires.

Controversies

He was criticized for using his signature as the provincial logo, printing it on sneakers that the province distributed in needy areas.

The rock band, Bersuit Vergarabat, dedicated the song, "It comes", to Ruckauf, which is part of their album Libertinaje (1998). It was inspired by an unfortunate episode that occurred in 1997 between the politician and two members of the band: Gustavo Cordera and Alberto Verenzuela, singer and guitarist respectively of Bersuit, who were playing the guitar in the streets of the city of Mar of Silver. Ruckauf, who at the time was the nation's vice president, was there signing autographs.

At that moment, the two musicians stood behind the vice president's back and improvisedly sang the first verses of the future song: "The explosion is coming, from my guitar, from your government, too." This In fact, it disgusted Ruckauf and, annoyed, he ignored the two musicians.