MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Political turmoil in Kirchner's province: third governor in 15 months

Daniel Peralta will be the third Sta. Cruz province governor in 15 months

The governor of the Patagonia province of Santa Cruz resigned Thursday following three weeks of provincial employees and teachers' protests which have caused political chaos in Argentine President Nestor Kirchner's stronghold.

Carlos Sancho is to be replaced by Daniel Peralta a trusted ally of President Kirchner and elected member of the Lower House in Buenos Aires who is currently acting supervisor of the Santa Cruz government owned Rio Turbio coal mines. Mr. Peralta should have no problems in being voted in by the provincial legislature and equally important accepted by the striking unions as a valid negotiator. Apparently in Rio Turbio he has managed to streamline an overstaffed government company which extracts medium quality coal at non profitable costs. Qualities he will need to convince the government employees and teachers unions to return to work and reopen schools. Actually Peralta's name was long tipped for the job but President Kirchner was at the time more interested in organizing the coal industry of the energy rich province from where, together with his wife, he worked his way to reach Casa Rosada in 2003. Labor strife in Santa Cruz was rapidly escalating with daily clashes between strikers and riot police, later supported by gendarmes sent from Buenos Aires. Union leaders refused to negotiate since local authorities rejected the wage hikes demanded and because of the growing police repression. But this week things got out of control when over twenty street protestors suffered wounds with rubber bullets and President Kirchner called strikers "bullies" and "street criminals" for allegedly having marched and painted graffiti in his mother's house in the capital Rio Gallegos. From Buenos Aires Interior minister Anibal Fernandez announced Thursday midday the resignation of governor Sancho, arguing President Kirchner was appalled at the "brutality" of the police. He was calling in Peralta, a former union leader and a man of dialogue, according to Buenos Aires. Actually the Santa Cruz province conflict was beginning to have a negative impact for President Kirchner's administration and his political prospects for the coming presidential and congressional elections next October. Apparently the strategy of letting Santa Cruz conflict linger to exhaustion did not work given the success of striking teachers in other provinces and the killing of a chemistry teacher in Neuquen province which became a national icon for protestors and other unions which joined in support. Besides the capital Rio Gallegos is ruled by the opposition Radicales who are extremely critical of President Kirchner and his way of running the government. "Our President has a longing for hegemonic power. He tried to rule our province from Buenos Aires and here are the results", said Rio Gallegos mayor Hector Roquel. Interior minister Fernandez demanded the mayor also resign so the "province could have the chance of a fresh beginning". Roquel didn't even bother to answer. Peralta will be the third governor of the province in just over a year. In March 2006 clashes between the police and oil industry workers which left one dead, forced the ousting of elected governor Sergio Acevedo. Deputy governor Sancho took over but he also has now been forced to leave the chair that belonged to President Kirchner for well over a decade.