Elisa Carrió

Elisa María Avelina Carrió (born 1956) is an Argentine politician, founder of the party initially known as Alternative for a Republic of Equals ("Alternativa para una República de Iguales", ARI), now Support for an Egalitarian Republic ("Afirmación para una República Igualitaria"). [ [http://www.elisacarrio.com.ar/index_carrio.htm Elisa Carrió's personal website] .] [ [http://www.ari.org.ar/ ARI official party website] .]

Born in Resistencia, Chaco in a traditional family, Carrió was a former teenage beauty queen [The Times, July 8, 2007: [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2042152.ece ‘Fatty’ vs. the new Evita in all-girlfight for Argentina] ] who was later appointed a prosecutor during the last military dictatorship, known as the National Reorganization Process (1976–1983). After the return of democracy, she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for her province, representing the Radical Civic Union (UCR).

Asked by her mentor, Raúl Alfonsín, she campaigned heavily for Fernando de la Rúa in 1999.

After the breaking of the coalition with the Socialists and the Front for a Country in Solidarity (FrePaSo) in 2000, Carrió turned to the Democratic Socialist Party and other politicians with left leanings who were discontented in their parties, and formed an informal front, initially called "Argentinians for a Republic of Equals" ("Argentinos por una República de Iguales"), ARI. After dissensions, the socialists left, and so did Carrió and other personalities from their original parties. Together, they formed a new party, called Alternative for a Republic of Equals (also ARI).

In the 2003 elections, Carrió was candidate for her party, obtaining fifth place with about 14% of the votes (the votes were scattered; the first-turn winner, Carlos Menem, only got 24%, but stepped down before the runoff). In 2005, Carrió was reelected as a deputy for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.

Carrió ran again for the presidency on the 2007 elections, representing a front called the Civic Coalition. [ [http://www.coalicioncivica.org.ar/ Coalición Cívica] (official website).] In March 2007 she resigned her seat in Congress to conduct the campaign. [Clarín, 5 August 2006. [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2006/08/05/um/m-01246957.htm El ARI ratificó a Elisa Carrió como candidata presidencial para el 2007] .] Together with her running mate Rubén Giustiniani (chairman of the Socialist Party), Carrió obtained about 23% of the vote, coming in distant second after Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. She won the majority vote in two of the three largest cities of Argentina (Buenos Aires and Rosario), but she suffered a larger defeat in Buenos Aires Province, the most populated district, and could not force a runoff election. [Clarín, 29 October 2007. [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/10/29/um/m-01529064.htm Cristina Kirchner conserva casi 22 puntos de diferencia sobre Carrió] .] [Página/12, 29 October 2007. [http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-93719-2007-10-29.html Kirchner, presidenta con “A” final] .]

After the election, Carrió announced she would not be running for the presidency again, but will instead acknowledge her role as "leader of the opposition" and help others in her movement to reach the government in 2011. [La Capital, 30 October 2007. [http://www.lacapital.com.ar/2007/10/30/politica/noticia_424924.shtml Carrió mantendrá el liderazgo pero no volverá a pelear la Presidencia] .]

References

ee also

* Politics of Argentina
* List of political parties in Argentina