Alberto Weretilneck (born 11 October 1962) is an Argentine politician currently serving as governorofRío Negro Province since 2023. He previously held the same position from 2012 to 2019.
Alberto Weretilneck
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Governor of Río Negro | |
Assumed office 10 December 2023 | |
Vice Governor | Pedro Oscar Pesatti |
Preceded by | Arabela Carreras |
In office 1 January 2012 – 10 December 2019 | |
Vice Governor | Carlos Peralta (2012–2014) Pedro Pesatti (2014–2019) |
Preceded by | Carlos Soria |
Succeeded by | Arabela Carreras |
National Senator | |
In office 10 December 2019 – 10 December 2023 | |
Constituency | Río Negro |
Vice Governor of Río Negro | |
In office 10 December 2011 – 1 January 2012 | |
Governor | Carlos Soria |
Preceded by | Bautista Mendioroz |
Succeeded by | Ana Piccinini |
Mayor of Cipolletti | |
In office 10 December 2007 – 7 December 2011 | |
Preceded by | Julio Arriaga |
Succeeded by | Abel Baratti |
Personal details | |
Born | (1962-10-11) October 11, 1962 (age 61) El Bolsón, Río Negro Province, Argentina |
Political party | Together We Are Río Negro (since 2015) Broad Front (until 2014) |
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From 2019 to 2023, he was a Senator for Río Negro, and he served as intendente (mayor) of Cipolletti from 2007 to 2011.
Born in El Bolsón, Río Negro, he joined the center-left Broad Front, and was elected mayor of Cipolletti, Río Negro Province, in 2007.[1] He became a supporter of Kirchnerism and was elected Vicegovernor in 2011;[2] he was also named Vice President of the Broad Front on December 17, serving with Adriana Puiggrós.[3]
Weretilneck joined Justicialist Party nominee Carlos Soria in December 2010 as his running mate for the 2011 gubernatorial campaign; while they belonged to different parties, their coalition was endorsed by both Weretilneck's Broad Front and President Cristina Kirchner's Front for Victory (which headed the Justicialist Party).[4] Elected with Soria that September in a landslide, Weretilneck became governor on January 1, 2012, after the sudden death of Governor Soria.[5]
Weretilneck's administration worked closely with the opposition UCR in the Provincial Legislature, while also participating in housing plans funded by the Federal Government which allowed the construction of 2,600 homes.[6] During his first term the Viedma Riverwalk was built, as well as the repavement of Routes 3 and 251 (which serve the province's remote southern half).[7] He also inaugurated 22 new primary schools and extended the school; among the new schools opened was the Lucerinta Cañumil Elementary School, the first officially bilingual Mapudungun/Spanish school in the province.[8]
Governor Weretilneck was comfortably reelected to a second term in 2015. His Juntos Somos Río Negro (Together We Are Río Negro) alliance defeated the Front for Victory (FpV) candidate, Senator Miguel Ángel Pichetto, by 53% to 34%.[9]