Gabriel Katopodis (Greek: Γαβριήλ Κατωπόδης; born 6 March 1967) is an Argentine lawyer and politician, who served as the country's Minister of Public Works from 2019 to 2023, in the cabinet of President Alberto Fernández. From 2011 to 2019, Katopodis was intendente (mayor) of General San Martín, a partido in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area.
Gabriel Katopodis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Public Works of Buenos Aires Province | |
| Assumed office 10 December 2023 | |
| Governor | Axel Kicillof |
| Preceded by | Leonardo Nardini |
| Minister of Public Works | |
| In office 10 December 2019 – 10 December 2023 | |
| President | Alberto Fernández |
| Preceded by | Rogelio Frigerio (as Minister of the Interior, Public Works and Housing) |
| Succeeded by | Guillermo Ferraro (as Minister of Infrastructure) |
| Mayor of General San Martín | |
| In office 10 December 2011 – 10 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Ricardo Ivoskus |
| Succeeded by | Fernando Moreira |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 March 1967 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Political party | Justicialist Party |
| Other political affiliations | Frente de Todos (since 2019) Front for Victory (until 2019) |
| Alma mater | University of Buenos Aires Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences |
Since 2023, he has served as Minister of Public Works of Buenos Aires Province, under Governor Axel Kicillof.
Early life and education
editGabriel Katopodis was born in 1967 in the uptown Buenos Aires neighborhood of Belgrano to a family of Greek background.[1] He studied law at the University of Buenos Aires and became involved in political activism through his work in poor neighbourhoods of the Buenos Aires Province.[2]
He has a postgraduate degree in public management from FLACSO and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Buenos Aires School of Economics.[2]
Political career
editKatopodis's public service career began in 2003, during the presidency of Néstor Kirchner, when he worked in the Ministry of Social Development.[2] From 2005 to 2008 he was Undersecretary of Operation Co-ordination in the provincial Ministry of Social Development of Buenos Aires Province under Governor Felipe Solá.[3]
In 2007 he ran for the mayoralty of General San Martín, losing in the primaries against incumbent mayor Ricardo Ivoskus.[4]
Intendencia of General San Martín
editIn 2011, Katopodis ran for the mayoralty of San Martín for a second time, this time against Daniel Ivoskus, the incumbent mayor's son. Katopodis won in an upset victory by just 7 percentage points.[5][6] He ran under the Frente Social ticket, aligning himself to the ruling Front for Victory.
Katopodis was re-elected for a second term in 2015, this time beating former mayor Ricardo Ivoskus. Noteworthy achievements of his second term in the mayoralty include the inauguration of a municipality-run safe space for women fleeing gender-based violence in 2018, and the inauguration of the Metrobus North Line on Route 8 in 2019.[7][8]
In 2019 he ran for a third term, this time on the Frente de Todos ticket, and was elected with 54.85% of the popular vote, becoming the most voted mayor in the history of General San Martín.[1]
Ministry of Public Works
editOn 6 December 2019, the newly elected president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, announced the entirety of his incoming cabinet, in which Katopodis was touted to be the new Minister of Public Works. He assumed the position alongside the rest of the cabinet on 10 December 2019.[2] His deputy in the mayoralty, Fernando Moreira, took his position as intendente upon his appointment in the ministry.[9]
In 2020 he denounced that the previous administration had amassed a $ 35,000-million debt on public works, and up to 60% of all ongoing works were completely paralyzed.[10] Katopodis stated that due to the accumulated debt, the ministry's priorities would be federal integration, job creation, and the completion of ongoing works.[11]
Following the end of his term, he was appointed Minister of Public Works of Buenos Aires Province, under Governor Axel Kicillof.[12]
Personal life
editKatopodis is married to Nancy Cappelloni, a school teacher and politician, with whom he has two children.[13][14] Since the 1980s the Katopodis household has lived in San Martín, part of the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area.[15] He is a supporter of Boca Juniors.[1]
Katopodis observes the Greek Orthodox faith.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c Russo, Matías (6 December 2019). "Gabriel Katopodis: el elegido de Alberto Fernández para encender la economía desde el ministerio de Obras Públicas". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d Bruschtein, Julián (7 December 2019). "Gabriel Katopodis, de intendente de San Martín a ministro de Obras Públicas". Página/12 (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Dan comienzo al "Plan familia" que implementó el Gobierno". Infobae (in Spanish). 4 July 2006. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "LARRY DE CLAY Y KATOPODIS EN EL DÍA DEL NIÑO". lanoticiaweb.com.ar (in Spanish). 31 July 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Sorpresa en San Martín: Katopodis destronó a los Ivoskus". La Política Online (in Spanish). 23 October 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Katopodis confirmó su gabinete". Ámbito (in Spanish). 5 December 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "San Martín inauguró el Espacio Mujeres para asistir a víctimas de violencia de género". Infoban (in Spanish). 27 November 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "El Metrobus que superó la grieta: habilitaron un nuevo tramo de carriles exclusivos en el partido de San Martín". Clarín (in Spanish). 16 June 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Quién es Fernando Moreira, el reemplazante de Katopodis como Intendente de San Martín". lanoticia1.com (in Spanish). 5 December 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Gabriel Katopodis: "En Obra Pública tenemos una deuda de $ 35 mil millones"". Perfil. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Los planes de Katopodis para reabrir los obradores". La Nación (in Spanish). 20 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ "Axel Kicillof confirmó su gabinete: entra Gabriel Katopodis y Sergio Berni deja el ministerio de Seguridad". Perfil (in Spanish). 9 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Gabriel Katopodis, el elegido de Fernández para evitar los escándalos del pasado en la obra pública". La Nación (in Spanish). 6 December 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "Cappelloni, la mujer de Katopodis, cabeza de lista". Clarín (in Spanish). 24 June 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ "¿Quién es Gabriel Katopodis?". Ámbito (in Spanish). 6 December 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ IP Noticias (31 July 2021). Gabriel Katopodis analizó la interna rumbo a las #Paso2021 [Gabriel Katopodis analised the primary elections ahead of the #Paso2021] (Television production) (in Spanish). YouTube. 08:45 minutes in. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
Mis abuelos fueron griegos [...] Acompaño cada tanto a mi mamá a la iglesia ortodoxa griega
[My grandparents were Greek [...] I go with my mother to the Greek Orthodox Church every now and then]
External links
edit
- Official website of the Ministry of Public Works (in Spanish)
- Gabriel Katopodis on Twitter