Antonio Bonfatti (born December 1, 1950) is an Argentine physician and

Socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

politician who served as Governor of Santa Fe between 2011 and 2015. From 2016 to 2021, he was president of the Socialist Party.

Life and times

Bonfatti was born in

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city, located northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the ...

in 1950. He enrolled at the

National University of Rosario The National University of Rosario (, UNR) is a research public university located in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe, Argentina. Overview Rosario National University (UNR) was created in 1968 by Law 17.987. Its foundational struct ...

and was accepted into the School of Medicine. There, he developed an interest in

politics Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

, and in 1972, co-founded the Popular Socialist Party with activists Guillermo Estévez Boero and Hermes Binner. He earned a

Medical Degree A medical degree is a professional degree admitted to those who have passed coursework in the fields of medicine and/or surgery from an accredited medical school. Obtaining a degree in medicine allows for the recipient to continue on into special ...

in 1974, and for the next two years, worked with Binner in a

slum A slum is a highly populated Urban area, urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are p ...

clinic outside Rosario. The

March 1976 coup March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 m ...

prompted him to relocate to

Las Parejas Las Parejas is a city in the southwest of the provinces of Argentina, province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe, Argentina, on National Route 178. Las Parejas has 11,301 inhabitants as per the . The town was founded in 1889 on lands belonging to the ...

, a small town west of Rosario. He would remain in Las Parejas, working as a physician in a provincial SAMCo clinic and for the Steelworkers' Union in the field of

occupational medicine Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM), previously called industrial medicine, is a board certified medical specialty under the American Board of Preventative Medicine that specializes in the prevention and treatment of work-related ill ...

. Upon the return of democracy in 1983, he was elected Mayor. Bonfatti's term expired in 1989, at which time he was elected to the City Council for a four-year term. He maintained his medical practice during his tenure as mayor and councilman, and in 1993 earned a

postgraduate degree Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor ...

in healthcare administration. The election of Hermes Binner as Mayor of

in 1995 was followed by Bonfatti's appointment as Municipal Secretary of Public Health. He was named Secretary of Government by Mayor Binner in 1997 and remained in the post until the end of Binner's term in 2003, when Bonfatti was elected to the Provincial Legislature. His entry into the legislature coincided with Binner's election as governor, and the Socialist Party caucus elected Bonfatti as its leader. Governor Binner, who was re-elected in 2007, appointed Bonfatti Minister of Government and State Reform. Bonfatti streamlined the bureaucratic and electoral process in the province during his tenure, and was endorsed by Binner as candidate for governor in 2011 on the Progressive, Civic, and Social Front, whose nomination he sought without opposition. He was elected governor on July 24 with nearly 40% of the vote; followed by

Republican Proposal Republican Proposal (), usually referred to by its abbreviation PRO, is a political party in Argentina. PRO was formed as an electoral alliance in 2005, but was transformed into a national party in 2010. It is the major component of the Juntos ...

candidate, actor Miguel del Sel, with 36%; and Congressman Agustín Rossi of the FpV, with 23%.

External links

Gobierno de Santa FeAntonio Bonfatti. Gobernador

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonfatti, Antonio 1950 births Living people Politicians from Rosario, Santa Fe Argentine people of Italian descent National University of Rosario alumni Argentine physicians Mayors of Rosario, Santa Fe Governors of Santa Fe Province Socialist Party (Argentina) politicians