Julio Cobos
Julio César Cleto Cobos (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxuljo ˈkoβos] ⓘ; born 30 April 1955) is an Argentine politician who was the Vice President of Argentina in the administration of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner from 2007 to 2011. He started his political career as member of the Radical Civic Union party (UCR), becoming Governor of the Province of Mendoza in 2003. He was expelled from the UCR in 2007, and was then selected by presidential candidate Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, of the ruling Front for Victory (FpV), as her candidate for vice-president in the elections of that year, which they won.
Julio Cobos | |
|---|---|
Cobos in 2009 | |
| National Deputy | |
| Assumed office 10 December 2021 | |
| Constituency | Mendoza |
| In office 10 December 2013 – 10 December 2015 | |
| Constituency | Mendoza |
| National Senator | |
| In office 10 December 2015 – 10 December 2021 | |
| Constituency | Mendoza |
| Vice President of Argentina | |
| In office 10 December 2007 – 10 December 2011 | |
| President | Cristina Fernández de Kirchner |
| Preceded by | Daniel Scioli |
| Succeeded by | Amado Boudou |
| Governor of Mendoza | |
| In office 10 December 2003 – 10 December 2007 | |
| Vice Governor | Juan Carlos Jaliff |
| Preceded by | Roberto Iglesias |
| Succeeded by | Celso Jaque |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 April 1955 Mendoza, Argentina |
| Political party | Radical Civic Union |
| Other political affiliations | Front for Victory (2007–2008) Plural Consensus (2008–2011) Progressive, Civic and Social Front (2013–2015) Juntos por el Cambio (2015–present) |
| Spouse |
Cristina Cerutti
(m. 1980; div. 2016) |
| Domestic partner | Natalia Obón (Since 2016) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | National Technological University |
| Profession | Civil and construction engineer |
| Signature | |
His popular prestige got a big boost in 2008, when the Senate was voting on a controversial and contentious law to increase taxes on grain exports. The voting ended in a tie, which gave Cobos, as President of the Senate, the deciding vote. In a stunning and now notorious move, he voted against the law. This led to strong criticism from his party, who deemed him a traitor, and approval from sectors of the population that opposed the government. As he further distanced himself from the FPV, the UCR revoked his expulsion from the party.
Cobos was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2013, to the Senate in 2015, and again to the Chamber of Deputies in 2021.