Raúl Othacehé

Raúl Alfredo Othacehé
Raúl Alfredo Othacehé
Mayor of Merlo, Buenos Aires
	In office; 1995–1999; 1999–2003; 2003–2007; 2007–2010
Minister of Government (Home Affairs)
	In office; December 1999 – January 2002
Personal details
Born	February 9, 1946; Buenos Aires
Nationality	Argentinian
Spouse	Mónica Susana Arnaldi
Children	Four
Alma mater	University of Buenos Aires
Profession	Lawyer

Raúl Alfredo Othacehé (born February 9, 1946) is an Argentine politician, lawyer, and former Mayor of Merlo, Province of Buenos Aires. He is known by his nickname "el Vasco" (Spanish: "the Basque") because of his Basque ancestry.

Life

Othacehé was born in Buenos Aires. When he was four, his family moved to San Antonio de Padua, Merlo. His father and grandfather were railway workers. He was raised as devout Catholic and fervent Peronist.[1]

In 1975 he married Mónica Susana Arnaldi; they have four sons.[2]

Political career

Othacehé attended the University of Buenos Aires, and graduated as a criminal defense lawyer in 1973.[2]

In 1984, Othacehé was offered an appointment as a judge, but he declined. In 1987 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies of Buenos Aires Province.[2]

Othacehé was first elected mayor of Merlo in 1991, winning more than 50 percent of the vote.[3] He has been re-elected four times: in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007.

In 1999 Othacehé ran for Governor, but Eduardo Duhalde persuaded him to renounce his candidacy in favor of Carlos Ruckauf.[3]

In December 1999, Othacehé was appointed as Minister of Government (Home Affairs) by Governor Ruckauf. In January 2002, he resigned and resumed his role as mayor of Merlo.

In 2008, Othacehé was named among a list of long-term Argentine politicians referred to as "barons of the conurbation" (barones del conurbano), who have been compared to the Sicilian Mafia.[4]

In 2016, Pope Francis, in a dialogue with the current mayor of Merlo, Gustavo Menéndez, said he himself had suffered from attacks by Othacehé when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

References

O'Donnell, María (2005). El Aparato: Los intendentes del Conurbano y las cajas negras de la política (in Spanish). Editorial Aguilar. ISBN 978-987-04-0162-9.

References and footnotes

Carrasco Quintana, Martín (2001-05-28). "El rugbier que amenazó a De la Rúa" [Rugby that threatened De La Rúa] (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
"Intendente Municipal Dr. Raúl Alfredo Othacehé" [Mayor Dr. Raúl Alfredo Othacehé]. Municipalidad De Merlo (in Spanish). Municipality of Merlo. 2009. Archived from the original on 2014-01-18. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
Ríos, Gustavo César (1999-10-27). "Othacehé, un convite al duhaldismo para el gabinete provincial" [Othacehé, a threat to Duhalde for the provincial cabinet]. La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 2010-02-02.
"Nestor y los sospechosos de siempre" [Nestor and the usual suspects]. TotalNews (in Spanish). Alicia Moreau de Justo. 2008-12-01.

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[1] Carrasco Quintana, Martín (2001-05-28). "El rugbier que amenazó a De la Rúa" [Rugby that threatened De La Rúa] (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved 2010-02-01.

[municipality-2] "Intendente Municipal Dr. Raúl Alfredo Othacehé" [Mayor Dr. Raúl Alfredo Othacehé]. Municipalidad De Merlo (in Spanish). Municipality of Merlo. 2009. Archived from the original on 2014-01-18. Retrieved 2010-02-02.

[threat-3] Ríos, Gustavo César (1999-10-27). "Othacehé, un convite al duhaldismo para el gabinete provincial" [Othacehé, a threat to Duhalde for the provincial cabinet]. La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 2010-02-02.

[nestor-4] "Nestor y los sospechosos de siempre" [Nestor and the usual suspects]. TotalNews (in Spanish). Alicia Moreau de Justo. 2008-12-01.