Ángel Maza

Infobox_Governor
name= Ángel Maza


caption=
order=
office= Governor of La Rioja
term_start= 1995 – 1999
1999 – 2003
2003
term_end=2007
lieutenant= Luis Beder Herrera
predecessor= Bernabé Arnaudo
successor= Luis Beder Herrera
birth_date= 18 December 1954
birth_place= La Rioja
profession= Geologist
party= Justicialist Party
footnotes=

Ángel Eduardo Maza (born 18 December 1954) is an Argentine Justicialist Party (PJ) politician. [ [http://www.larioja.gov.ar/informacion/gobernador.htm Governor's profile] at the La Rioja Province government website.] He was the governor of La Rioja Province during several terms, until he was ousted by impeachment in 2007. His sister, Ada Maza, is a national senator.

Maza was educated at the National University of Córdoba and qualified as a geologist, later gaining a doctorate. He worked in the geological and mining services of the Government of Argentina and of La Rioja Province.

Political career

From 1985, Maza served as a minister in the provincial government of La Rioja under then governor Carlos Menem, continuing until 1992, when Menem, by now President of Argentina, appointed Maza as minister for mining, a position which he held until 1995. That year he was elected governor of his province, taking office on 9 December. He was re-elected in 1999 and 2003.

Maza served as minister and collaborator of former President and La Rioja governor Carlos Menem, whose family dominated local politics. However Maza switched to support the Front for Victory faction of fellow Peronist President Néstor Kirchner. In 2006, Maza won the primary elections to head the Justicialist Party of La Rioja, defeating the Menemist candidate. This was seen as a final defeat against Carlos Menem by Kirchner. [El Periódico Austral, 3 July 2006. [http://www.elperiodicoaustral.com/diario/noticias.php?leer=61817 Kirchner ganó en La Rioja] .]

Impeachment

In mid-2006 a political conflict between Maza and his lieutenant governor Luis Beder Herrera erupted, as the legislature, dominated by supporters of Herrera, heavily modified the budget, restricted certain powers of the governor, and admitted impeachment accusations against Maza. Later, as Maza contradicted a previous agreement with Herrera regarding his willingness to step aside and forfeit re-election, the legislature amended the provincial constitution to forbid re-election. [Clarín, 8 March 2007. [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/03/08/elpais/p-00401.htm Una larga disputa política en la que se cruzan ambiciones y deslealtades] .]

On 13 March 2007 the legislature suspended Maza while impeachment procedures were followed. [Clarín, 13 March 2007. [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/03/14/um/m-01380183.htm Tras los incidentes, Maza abandonó la Casa de Gobierno de La Rioja y ya la ocupa su vice] .] The impeachment commission resolved to oust Maza on 12 April, charging him with not fulfilling his duties and ilegally bypassing the legislative branch in the case of an expropriation operation in 2004. [Clarín, 12 April 2007. [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/04/12/um/m-01398773.htm Destituyeron al suspendido gobernador Ángel Maza] .] Beder Herrera assumed the governor's office "pro tempore" and announced upcoming elections.

References