Martín Insaurralde (born 30 May 1970[1]) is an Argentine politician of the Justicialist Party.[2] He was intendente (mayor) of the Lomas de Zamora partido (municipality) from 16 December 2014 to 20 September 2021,[3] and was previously between 28 October 2009 and 4 December 2013. Between 2013 and 2014, he was a member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies.[4] Since 2021, he has served as chief of the Cabinet of Ministers of Buenos Aires Province, under Governor Axel Kicillof.

Martín Insaurralde
Insaurralde in 2013
Cabinet Chief of Buenos Aires Province
In office
20 September 2021 – 30 September 2023
GovernorAxel Kicillof
Preceded byCarlos Bianco
Succeeded byPost dissolved
Mayor of Lomas de Zamora
In office
16 December 2014 – 20 September 2021
Preceded bySantiago Carasatorre
Succeeded byMarina Lesci
In office
16 December 2014 – 4 December 2013
Preceded byJorge Rossi
Succeeded bySantiago Carasatorre
National Deputy
In office
10 December 2013 – 16 December 2014
Succeeded byLuis Cigogna
ConstituencyBuenos Aires
Personal details
Born (1970-05-30) 30 May 1970 (age 53)
Lomas de Zamora, Argentina
Political partyJusticialist Party
Other political
affiliations
Front for Victory
Spouse(s)Liliana Toledo (1994-2000)
Carolina Álvarez (2005-2008)
Jesica Cirio (2014-2023)
Children4
OccupationPolitician

On October 2, 2023, Buenos Aires Province Cabinet Chief Martín Insaurralde, running for councillor in Lomas de Zamora in October elections, resigned post and candidacy in scandal; Kirchnerite leader's girlfriend Sofía Clérici posted images from luxury trip online, prompting corruption allegations and criminal complaints.

Political career edit

Early work edit

In 2003, Martín Insaurralde was elected as a councillor in the municipal council of Lomas de Zamora, under the electoral list led by Jorge Rossi as mayor.[1] In the 2007 elections he was re-elected as a councillor under the banner of the Front for Victory, with 17% of the vote.[1][5]

On 27 October 2009, Rossi resigned his post for personal reasons, and Insaurralde replaced him as a caretaker mayor,[6] as a consequence of his being the top of the electoral list, and so the first in the line of succession.[1][7]

First term as mayor edit

After two years of being a caretaker mayor of Lomas de Zamora, Insaurralde was elected in the 2011 Argentine general election with 66.16% of the vote, against the 8.24% gained by the Broad Progressive Front candidate; this was the highest percentage in the history of local elections in the partido.[8][9] Insaurralde also won the primary elections in August 2011 with a large margin, obtaining 62.73% of the vote, against 10.2% for the nearest candidate from the Popular Union.[10]

Insaurralde focused on infrastructure during his first term, calling it a "revolution of works", and describing the resultant costs as "not a spend, [but] an investment".[11] Over the course of his term, more than 1300 city blocks were newly paved.[11][12] Significant improvements to the sewer network were made jointly with national government,[13] especially in connecting them into the Unamuno[14] and del Rey[15] streams, which the local government claimed would benefit 270,000 families.[16]

He remained in the role of mayor until 2013, at which point he resigned to become a member of the Chamber of Deputies.[5] He was replaced by Santiago Carasatorre.[17]

Chamber of Deputies edit

 
Martín Insaurralde (left) in 2013 with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, at the time the President of Argentina.

On 22 June 2013, Martín Insaurralde was confirmed as the first list candidate for member of the Chamber of Deputies, on the Buenos Aires province list of the Front for Victory for the August primary elections.[18][5] Days later, on 26 June, the list he headed received support from the mayors of 78 municipalities of Buenos Aires,[19][20] and from the governor of the province, Daniel Scioli.[21][22]

In the primary elections of 11 August 2013, Insaurralde's list gained 29.65% of the vote, putting the list in second place behind the Renewal Front of the mayor of Tigre Partido Sergio Massa, which gained 35.05%.[23][24] He subsequently spoke of his conviction that this result could be overturned by the time of the legislative elections on 27 October.[25] During these elections, the Front for Victory list gained a greater percentage of the vote - 32.18% - but still remained roughly the same distance behind the Renewal Front, who won the elections with 43.92% of the vote.[26]

Second term as mayor edit

Insaurralde resigned his post as a member of the Chamber of Deputies to return as a candidate for mayor of Lomas de Zamora in the 2015 Argentine general election. He was replaced in the Chamber of Deputies by Luis Cigogna.[27]

In the primary elections, he obtained 48.63% of the vote, against 22.53% from the Cambiemos alliance, and 15.91% from the United for a New Alternative alliance.[28]

Insaurralde was re-elected in the October 2015 elections with 47.53% of the vote, against the 26.31% of his closest rival, Gabriel Mercuri of Cambiemos.[29] During the 2019 Argentine general election his mandate was re-confirmed, obtaining 59.16% of the vote, against 30.13% obtained by the Together for Change candidate, who was closest.[30]

In April 2019, Insaurralde launched "Eco Lomas",[31][32] a programme with an aim of caring for the environment in Lomas de Zamora, and heading for "a greener city with a better quality of life".[33] As part of this programme, nine new recycling centres were built across the municipality,[34] and a scheme was set up to provide school pupils with bicycles to incentivise physical activity.[35]

On 19 September 2021, Insaurralde was tapped as the new Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers of Buenos Aires Province, under Governor Axel Kicillof. He replaced Carlos Bianco as part of a cabinet reshuffle following the governing Frente de Todos' defeat in the 2021 primary elections.[36]

Personal life edit

In 1993, Insaurralde married Liliana Toledo, with whom he had two children, Martín and Rodrigo; they divorced in 2000.[37] In 2005, he married Carolina Álvarez, with whom he had a third child, Bautista; Insaurralde and Carolina also divorced, three years later.[37][38] In November 2014, Insaurralde married the actress and model Jésica Cirio,[39] with whom he had another child, Chloé.[40][41]

During the 2011 election campaign, Insaurralde announced that he had been diagnosed with a seminoma, a type of testicular cancer.[42] He went through surgical treatment for the cancer, and treatment including chemotherapy.[43] On 10 September 2011, he said that the experience was "one of the most difficult" of his life, and that without the "company" of his constituents, it would have been more difficult.[8]

His father, Rodolfo Insaurralde, died in 2017. He was more than 80 years old at the time of his death.[44]

On 12 June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Insaurralde announced that he had tested positive for the virus, and urged people to stay home to protect themselves.[45] He had recently been in contact with Argentine president Alberto Fernández, who later went into voluntary self-isolation.[46] After nearly two weeks in hospital, as well as receiving a blood transfusion, he was cleared to return to his home on 24 June.[47][48]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Martín Insaurralde, biografía del candidato más llamativo de la política actual, el cáncer y sus logros como Intendente de Lomas de Zamora". La TV Nos Domina. 15 July 2013. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Martín Insaurralde reinauguró Consejo del Partido Justicialista con homenaje a Eduardo Duhalde" [Martín Insaurralde reinaugurates the Congress of the Justicialist Party with a homage to Eduardo Duhalde]. Diario 26 (in Spanish). 20 December 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Aceptan la renuncia de Insaurralde a su banca" [The resignation of Insaurralde from his seat is accepted]. Clarín (in Spanish). 16 December 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  4. ^ "La lista de los diputados que asumirán sus bancas el 10 de diciembre" [The list of deputies who will assume their seats on 10 December]. Telam (in Spanish). 28 October 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Insaurralde, Massa, Stolbizer y De Narváez, los principales candidatos a diputados por Buenos Aires". Agencia de Noticias Télam. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Renunció el intendente de Lomas de Zamora por "motivos personales"". Todo Noticias. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Martín Insaurralde". LaNoticia1.com (in Spanish). 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Martín Insaurralde: el candidato que busca sacar a la luz su política". Diario InfoNews. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  9. ^ ""Este municipio está orientado al servicio de la gente, así entiendo la política y así la llevo a la práctica"". Fundación Metropolitana. 1 March 2012. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Escrutinio definitivo" (PDF). Junta Electoral de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. 7 October 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  11. ^ a b ""El Gobierno invierte y apoya"". Diario Página/12. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  12. ^ "Insaurralde: "Detrás de cada cuadra asfaltada están las historias de vecinos que viven cada día mejor"". Agencia de Noticias Télam. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  13. ^ "San José: las obras de ampliación de la red cloacal están avanzadas en un 90 %" [San José: the expansion works of the sewer network are 90% complete]. Municipio Lomas de Zamora (in Spanish). 30 September 2012. Archived from the original on 25 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Scioli e Insaurralde inauguraron la estación de bombeo del arroyo Unamuno" [Scioli and Insaurralde inaugurate the pumping station of the Unamuno stream]. InfoRegión (in Spanish). 26 October 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  15. ^ "Avanzan las obras de saneamiento en el Arroyo del Rey". La Noticia Sur. 24 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  16. ^ "Avanzan las obras de cloacas en el municipio de Lomas de Zamora" [Sewer works in Lomas de Zamora advance]. Autoridad de Cuenca Matanza Riachuelo (in Spanish). 3 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  17. ^ "Lomas: con la muerte del presidente del Concejo, se abren movimientos en el mapa político" [Lomas: with the death of the president of the Council, movements in the political map are opened]. Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  18. ^ "Insaurralde y Di Tullio son los candidatos del FpV en Buenos Aires". Agencia de Noticias Télam. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Insaurralde se reunió con intendentes bonaerenses y recibió un "rotundo respaldo"". Agencia de Noticias Télam. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Casi 80 intendentes bonaerenses respaldan la candidatura de Martín Insaurralde". El Diario 24 Tucumán. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Scioli a Insaurralde: "Todos estamos encolumnados con vos"". Diario La Capital. 2 July 2013. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Todo el apoyo a Insaurralde". Diario Página/12. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  23. ^ "Insaurralde y Massa se dividen el conurbano bonaerense". Minuto Uno. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  24. ^ "Insaurralde: "Vamos a recorrer con mucha fuerza toda la provincia"". Agencia de Noticias Télam. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  25. ^ "Martín Insaurralde: "El resultado de las PASO puede revertirse"". Diario InfoBAE. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  26. ^ "Elecciones Municipales 2013 Buenos Aires Provincia". ELECCIONES 2013 - Más voces, más democracia. 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  27. ^ "Luis Cigogna, el "soldado K" que reemplazará a Insaurralde" [Luis Cigogna, the "K soldier" who will replace Insaurralde]. Perfil (in Spanish). 11 December 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  28. ^ "Martín Insaurralde, el intendente con mayor porcentaje de votos". El Intransigente. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 17 August 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  29. ^ Ariel Agustín Martino (26 October 2015). "Insaurralde ganó y obtuvo su reelección". Agencia Universitaria de Noticias y Opinión. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  30. ^ "Lomas: Contundente triunfo de Martín Insaurralde". Detrás de la Noticia (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  31. ^ "Insaurralde presentó el programa Eco Lomas" [Insaurralde presented the Eco Lomas programme]. Política Del Sur (in Spanish). 15 April 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  32. ^ "Martín Insaurralde lanzó el Programa "Eco Lomas"" [Martín Insaurralde launched the "Eco Lomas" programme]. Prensa Municipios (in European Spanish). Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  33. ^ "ECO Lomas - Una ciudad más verde" [ECO Lomas - A greener city]. Municipio de Lomas de Zamora. Retrieved 30 June 2020. ECO LOMAS es un programa integral para cuidar nuestro medio ambiente y caminar hacia una ciudad más verde con mejor calidad de vida.
  34. ^ "Eco Lomas: ¿dónde se encuentran los "puntos verdes"?" [Eco Lomas: where can you find the "green points"?]. El Diario Sur (in European Spanish). 2 May 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  35. ^ Rodriguez, Maru (13 April 2019). "Lanzaron el Programa Eco Lomas, para preservar el medioambiente" [The Eco Lomas programme is launched, to preserve the environment]. La Unión (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  36. ^ "Martín Insaurralde será el nuevo jefe de Gabinete de la provincia de Buenos Aires". Página/12 (in Spanish). 19 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  37. ^ a b "Las mujeres de Martín Insaurralde" [The women of Martín Insaurralde]. Yatasto (in Spanish). November 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  38. ^ "Martín las prefiere rubias". Perfil Noticias. 9 November 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  39. ^ "Se casaron Jésica Cirio y Martín Insaurralde". Clarín (in Spanish). 6 November 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  40. ^ "Nació la hija de Jésica Cirio y Martín Insaurralde" [The daughter of Jésica Cirio and Martín Insaurralde is born]. Clarín (in Spanish). 5 November 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  41. ^ "Martín Insaurralde". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  42. ^ "Intendente de Lomas anunció que tiene cáncer, pero irá por la reelección". Diario InfoBAE. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  43. ^ "El elegido de Cristina". Revista Veintitrés. 4 July 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  44. ^ Montiel, Gustavo (22 May 2017). "Falleció el padre de Martín Insaurralde y se postergó el cónclave peronista" [Martín Insaurralde's father dies, and the Peronist conference is postponed] (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  45. ^ "Martín Insaurralde, el intendente de Lomas de Zamora, reveló que tiene coronavirus" [Martín Insaurralde, mayor of Lomas de Zamora, reveals that he has coronavirus]. Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  46. ^ Goñi, Uki (17 June 2020). "Argentina's president enters voluntary isolation amid coronavirus surge". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  47. ^ "Coronavirus: Insaurralde recibió el alta y vuelve a su casa" [Coronavirus: Insaurralde receives the all clear and returns to his home]. La Nacion (in Spanish). 24 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  48. ^ Díaz, Joaquín Mugica (29 June 2020). "Martín Insaurralde, después del coronavirus: "Sabía que la podía pasar mal por mis antecedentes, pero no entiendo la vida sin responsabilidades"" [Martín Insaurralde, after coronavirus: “I knew that it could go badly because of my family history, but I don't understand a life without responsibilities”]. MSN. Infobae. Retrieved 29 June 2020.

External links edit