Claudia Ledesma Abdala

Claudia Ledesma Abdala
Governor of Santiago del Estero Province
Assumed office
December 10, 2013
Lieutenant José Neder
Preceded by Gerardo Zamora
Personal details
Born (1974-09-14) September 14, 1974
La Banda, Santiago del Estero Province
Political party Civic Front for Santiago
Radical Civic Union (until 2005)
Spouse(s) Gerardo Zamora
Alma mater Catholic University of Santiago del Estero
Profession Lawyer and Notary

Claudia Alejandra Ledesma Abdala de Zamora (born 14 September 1974) is an Argentine politician of the Civic Front for Santiago (Frente Cívico por Santiago), allied to the Front for Victory. She was elected Governor of Santiago del Estero Province in 2013, succeeding her husband, Gerardo Zamora, currently Provisional President of Argentine Senate.

Biography

Vice Governor José Neder, President Cristina Kirchner, Governor Claudia Ledesma Abdala, and her husband and predecessor Gerardo Zamora shortly after Ledesma's election in 2013.

Ledesma was born in La Banda. Her father, Oscar Ledesma, was active in local politics as a supporter of Governor Carlos Juárez.[1] She graduated as a lawyer and notary from the Catholic University of Santiago del Estero.[2]

Ledesma entered public service in 2003 when she was elected Citizen Ombudsman for La Banda on the UCR ticket, and in 2005 she was appointed local infractions judge. Ledesma and her first husband, Jorge Amerio, were divorced,[3] and in 2005 she met her future husband, Governor Gerardo Zamora.[1] She was later appointed by her husband as Director of the Provincial Motor Vehicle Registry.[2] The couple had two sons and a daughter.[4]

Governor Zamora nominated his wife for the governor's race held in 2013, while he himself ran for Senator. Both won their respective races on the Civic Front for Santiago ticket, and Ledesma was elected governor with nearly 65% of the vote.[5]

Zamora had presided over an ambitious public works agenda in historically underdeveloped Santiago del Estero, 90% of whose US$1.8 billion budget was financed by the federal government in 2013.[3] Ledesma continued this policy and initiated or inaugurated numerous significant projects as governor. These included among others a new building for the Provincial Legislature;[6] the Juan Felipe Ibarra provincial office building (the first LEED certified government building in Argentina);[7] increases in the educational budget for 1,100 new teachers and 10,000 new desks;[8] and improvements in sewer systems and other public services.[9][10]

Some of the most notable health and social care improvements during her tenure include expansion works in 14 hospitals and a new, 150,000 ft² hospital in La Banda;[11] a driver safety education and enforcement program that led to a 40% reduction in motor vehicle accidents;[11] a new child nutrition program that provides probiotic yogurt to over 47,000 poor children;[12] and housing programs that included public housing,[13] as well as the promotion of both cooperative housing[14] and of self-building programs that financed over 3,000 such homes in 2015.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "El camino a la gobernación". Página/12. 2 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Claudia Ledesma Abdala se impuso en las elecciones y es la nueva gobernadora de Santiago del Estero". La Nación. 1 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Gerardo Zamora, el heredero del feudo de Santiago del Estero". La Voz del Interior. 10 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "Nació la hija del gobernador Zamora, se llama Amparo". El Liberal. 17 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Escrutinio definitivo: el Frente Cívico obtuvo el 64,67% de los votos". El Liberal. 5 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "Claudia Zamora inauguró el nuevo edificio de la legislatura provincial". Nuevo Diario. 8 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "La Presidenta y la Gobernadora inauguraron las torres de Economía y Educación". Secretería General de la Grobernación de Santiago del Estero. 26 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "La gobernadora inauguró una escuela y presidió el cierre del ciclo lectivo 2014". El Liberal. 6 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "La gobernadora y Cristina firmaron el contrato para iniciar la obra de la cloaca máxima". El Liberal. 13 February 2014.
  10. ↑ "La Gobernadora inauguró importantes obras de agua en La Banda". Nuevo Diario. 15 December 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Tenemos que cumplir las normas viales para poder vivir tranquilos". El Liberal. 28 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "La Gobernadora destacó los avances en lo atinente a la salud pública". Nuevo Diario. 28 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "La gobernadora inauguró más de 300 viviendas en La Banda y en el Vinalar". El Liberal. 14 February 2014.
  14. ↑ "La Gobernadora inauguró viviendas construidas por cooperativas". Diario Panorama. 13 February 2014.
  15. ↑ "Les propongo hacer el doble de viviendas de autoconstrucción". Nuevo Diario. 28 April 2015.
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