MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine president picks 3 women for ministerial posts

Gómez Alcorta's departure came as a surprise. The other two were already being discussed

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez chose three women to fill the recent vacancies within his cabinet.

The head of state “has summoned three women of different ages, geographic origins, and a wide trajectory in her areas of reference to be part of her cabinet in order to deepen the breadth of views and efficiency in management,” the government announced in a statement.

Deputy Victoria Tolosa Paz (49) will take over Social Development; lesbian and feminist activist Ayelén Mazzina (32) will become the new Minister for Women, Gender, and Diversity; and Raquel 'Kelly' Olmos (70) will be in charge of Labor.

Fernández hastened the cabinet changes after Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta resigned Friday following the eviction of Mapuches of the Lafken Winkul Mapu community from lands in Villa Mascardi, Río Negro, they claim as their own in Patagonia, which she considered “incompatible” with her political values. The operation included the arrest of one pregnant woman and two others who were breastfeeding their children. The Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity was created by Fernandez when he took office on Dec. 10, 2019.

Mazzina has been Secretary of Women's Affairs in the province of San Luis where the 35th Plurinational Women's Meeting has just been held this past weekend.

Olmos and Paz will need to handle critical areas in a country with an inflation rate of 56.4% between January and August of this year and which is expected to exceed 90% by December, wreaking havoc on salaries and incomes.

President Fernández has made 18 ministerial changes only five remain in office since 2019. He had discussed matters with outgoing Ministers Claudio Moroni (Labor) and Juan Zabaleta (Social Development) during the weekend.

Zabaleta's departure had been agreed upon weeks earlier and Moroni cited health reasons.