Héctor Timerman
Héctor Timerman | |
---|---|
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 22 June 2010 – 10 December 2015 | |
President | Cristina Fernández de Kirchner |
Preceded by | Jorge Taiana |
Succeeded by | Susana Malcorra |
Ambassador to the United States | |
In office 10 December 2007 – 18 June 2010 | |
President | Cristina Fernández de Kirchner |
Preceded by | José Octavio Bordón |
Succeeded by | Alfredo Chiaradía |
Personal details | |
Born | Héctor Marcos Timerman 16 December 1953 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Died | 30 December 2018 Buenos Aires, Argentina | (aged 65)
Political party | Justicialist Party |
Other political affiliations | Front for Victory (2003–2018) |
Spouse | Annabella Selecki |
Alma mater | Columbia University |
Héctor Marcos Timerman (16 December 1953 – 30 December 2018) was an Argentine journalist, politician, human rights activist and diplomat. He served as his country's
Life and times
Early life and career
Héctor Timerman was born in
He was named editor-in-chief of La Tarde, one of a number of periodicals owned by his father, in 1976, and steered the daily in support of the newly installed
Journalist and activist
Timerman earned a
Timerman remained active in human rights advocacy. He served as a director of the Buenos Aires office of the
Foreign Minister
President Néstor Kirchner appointed Timerman
Timerman's tenure was marked by intensified diplomatic foreign controversies. Bringing perpetrators of the 1994 AMIA bombing to justice was prioritized, pursuant to which he persuaded the neighboring government of Bolivia to cut short a state visit to that country in 2011 by Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi (whose arrest Argentine authorities had sought since 2007 in connection with the attack),[9] while also working to establish a Truth Commission jointly with Iran in 2013 to investigate the 1994 bombing.[10] He likewise advanced ongoing efforts against vulture funds seeking payment at face value on bonds bought from resellers for pennies on the dollar, and whose attempts to block payments to all other bondholders continued to threaten Argentina's successful earlier debt restructuring.[11][12]
The longstanding Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute figured prominently during Timerman's tenure as well. Timerman said, "We have been trying to find a peaceful solution for 180 years. I think the fanatics are not in Buenos Aires."[13] His policy regarding the dispute remained assertive, refusing to accept a letter from a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands who ambushed Timerman following talks in February 2013 with U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague,[14] obtaining declarations in support of Argentine sovereignty from African and Latin American nations,[15] and later declaring that the Falklands "will be under our control within 20 years."[16] He nevertheless described the dispute in January 2014 as a "peaceful struggle".[15]
Arrest and death
Timerman was arrested in late 2017 under charges of covering up Iranian involvement in the 1994 AMIA bombing which left 85 people dead. He died of cancer while he was under arrest on 30 December 2018.[17] After his double-dealing regarding Argentine relations with Iran and the fraudulent efforts to attain justice for the 1994 AMIA bombing, the Argentine Jewish community released a joint non-condolence "no comment" release after his death.
References
- ^ "Argentina names envoy to US as foreign minister". The Guardian. 19 June 2010.
- ISBN 9780810376885.
Risha Mindlin Timerman.
- ^ "Timerman dirigió un diario que defendía la dictadura". Perfil. 3 November 2007.
- ^ a b c "Curriculum vitae" (PDF). Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2013.
- ^ "Timerman, un progresista que paso por exilio, el periodisimo, la militancia y la diplomacia". La Nacion. 30 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Un kirchnerista fiel, al palacio San Martín". La Nación. 18 July 2010.
- ^ "Una frase de Cristina molestó a Taiana y lo llevó a presentar la renuncia". Clarín. 18 June 2010.
- ^ "Argentine Foreign Minister Taiana in shock resignation". BBC News. 18 June 2010.
- ^ "Bolivia apologises to Argentina for Iran minister visit". BBC News. 1 June 2011.
- ^ "Argentina says Iran committed to probing 1994 bombing". Reuters. 28 September 2013.
- ^ Arthur Phillips and Jake Johnston (2 April 2013). "Argentina vs. the Vultures: What You Need to Know". CEPR. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ^ "Africa and Latin America Still Fight Vulture Funds". Huffington Post. 14 November 2012.
- ^ "Argentina vows to control Falklands". BBC News. 5 February 2013.
- ^ Dominiczak, Peter (5 February 2013). "Argentina's foreign minister refuses to speak to Falkland Islander". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ a b "A Peaceful Struggle". Embassy of Argentina in the United States. 3 January 2014.
- ^ "Falklands will be under our control within 20 years, says Argentina". The Guardian. 5 February 2013.
- ^ "Héctor Timerman, Argentine diplomat and foreign minister, dies at 65". The Washington Post. 30 December 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2019.