This is a list of mayors and chiefs of government of the city of Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, since its federalization in 1880.
History Ever since the federalization of Buenos Aires in 1880, during the government of President Nicolás Avellaneda, the city of Buenos Aires – federal capital of Argentina – became a separate entity from Buenos Aires Province, operating as a non-autonomous city directly dependent on the government of Argentina. The Mayor of Buenos Aires () was from that point on appointed directly by the President of Argentina, while the city's Deliberative Council () served as the only democratically elected local authority. The first mayor () of the City of Buenos Aires was Torcuato de Alvear, who was appointed by President Julio Argentino Roca following the city's federalization in 1880.
In the 1990s during the presidency of Carlos Menem, calls for Buenos Aires to become politically autonomous grew, and the issue was one of the main points of the 1993 Pact of Olivos, which led to the 1994 amendment of the Constitution of Argentina. The 1994 amendments (specifically article 129 of the new constitution) granted autonomy to the city, with the appointed mayor replaced by an elected chief of government. The capital thus had the right to elect its chief executive for the first time. In popular usage, especially outside of Argentina, the chief is still often called mayor.
The 1996 elections in Buenos Aires were the first held in the city's history to elect local authorities, following the 1994 amendment of the Constitution of Argentina which granted autonomy to the city and allowed it to vote for its own head of government and legislature. The election resulted saw Radical Civic Union senator Fernando de la Rúa become the city's first democratically elected chief of government, and the FREPASO coalition of progressive and left-leaning parties become the largest bloc in the Constitutional Convention, which was tasked with writing and adopting a new Constitution for the newly-autonomous city.
Mayors (1883–1996) The party of the mayor reflects party registration, as opposed to the party lines run under during the general election.
Portrait Name Term Party Appointed by Previous office 1 Torcuato de Alvear 10 May 1883–10 May 1887 National Autonomist Party Julio Argentino Roca President of the Buenos Aires Municipal Commission 2 Antonio F. Crespo 14 May 1887–14 August 1888 Independent Miguel Juárez Celman National Deputy for Entre Ríos 3 Guillermo Cranwell 14 August 1888–10 May 1889 National Autonomist Party President of the Deliberative Council 4 Francisco Seeber 10 May 1889–4 June 1890 National Autonomist Party Businessman 5 Francisco P. Bollini 22 June 1890–31 October 1892 National Autonomist Party Vice President of the Deliberative Council 6 Juan José Montes de Oca 31 October 1892–7 November 1892 National Autonomist Party Carlos Pellegrini President of the Deliberative Council 7 Miguel Cané 7 November 1892–7 June 1893 National Autonomist Party National Deputy for the Federal Capital 8 Federico Pinedo 20 June 1893–20 August 1894 National Autonomist Party Luis Sáenz Peña Director of the National Bank 9 Emilio Bunge 20 August 1894–12 September 1896 National Autonomist Party Businessman 10 Francisco Alcobendas 12 September 1896–14 September 1898 National Autonomist Party José Evaristo Uriburu President of the National Chamber of Deputies 11 Martín Biedma 14 September 1898–20 October 1898 National Autonomist Party President of the Deliberative Council 12 Adolfo Bullrich 20 October 1898–20 October 1902 National Autonomist Party Julio Argentino Roca Director of Banco Hipotecario 13 Alberto Casares 20 October 1902–20 October 1904 National Autonomist Party General Intendant of the Argentine Navy 14 Carlos Roseti 20 October 1904–16 March 1906 National Autonomist Party Manuel Quintana 15 Manuel Obarrio 16 March 1906–22 March 1906 National Autonomist Party José Figueroa Alcorta President of the Municipal Commission 16 Alberto Casares 22 March 1906–9 November 1906 National Autonomist Party Mayor of Buenos Aires 17 Manuel Obarrio 9 November 1906–7 February 1907 National Autonomist Party President of the Municipal Commission 18 Carlos Torcuato de Alvear 8 February 1907–7 January 1908 National Autonomist Party Ambassador to Belgium 19 Manuel Güiraldes 25 January 1908–12 October 1910 National Autonomist Party President of the Sociedad Rural Argentina 20 Joaquín Samuel de Anchorena 20 October 1910–24 October 1914 National Autonomist Party Roque Sáenz Peña National Deputy for the Federal Capital 21 Enrique Palacio 26 October 1914–23 February 1915 National Autonomist Party Victorino de la Plaza President of the Deliberative Council 22 Arturo Gramajo 23 February 1915–14 November 1916 National Autonomist Party Businessman 23 Joaquín Llambías 14 November 1916–14 November 1919 Radical Civic Union Hipólito Yrigoyen President of the Argentine Medical Association 24 Saturnino García Anido 14 November 1919–3 December 1919 Radical Civic Union President of the Deliberative Council 25 José Luis Cantilo 5 December 1919–25 October 1921 Radical Civic Union Interventor of Buenos Aires Province 26 Juan Bartneche 25 October 1921–13 October 1922 Radical Civic Union Member of the Deliberative Council 27 Virgilio Tedín Uriburu 13 October 1922–15 October 1922 Radical Civic Union Marcelo T. de Alvear Member of the Deliberative Council 28 Carlos Noel 16 October 1922–3 May 1927 Radical Civic Union Ambassador to Chile 29 Horacio Casco 3 May 1927–12 October 1928 Radical Civic Union President of the Deliberative Council 30 Adrián Fernández Castro 12 October 1928–14 November 1928 Radical Civic Union Hipólito Yrigoyen President of the Deliberative Council 31 José Luis Cantilo 15 November 1928–6 September 1930 Radical Civic Union Mayor of Buenos Aires 32 José Guerrico 6 September 1930–20 February 1932 Independent José Félix Uriburu Businessman 33 Rómulo Naón 20 February 1932–19 September 1932 Radical Civic Union Agustín P. Justo Ambassador to the United States 34 Mariano de Vedia y Mitre 19 September 1932–19 February 1938 National Democratic Party Judge of the Court of Appeals 35 Arturo Goyeneche 19 February 1938–26 November 1940 Radical Civic Union Roberto M. Ortiz President of the National Chamber of Deputies 36 Raúl Savarese 26 November 1940–6 December 1940 Radical Civic Union President of the Deliberative Council 37 Carlos Alberto Pueyrredón 6 December 1940–11 June 1943 National Democratic Party National Deputy for Buenos Aires Province 38 Ernesto Padilla 12 June 1943–17 June 1943 National Democratic Party Pedro Pablo Ramírez Minister of Justice and Public Instruction 39 Basilio Pertiné 17 June 1943–5 April 1944 Independent Minister of War 40 César R. Caccia 12 April 1944–3 June 1946 Independent Edelmiro Farrell Secretary of the Mayorship 41 Emilio Siri 6 June 1946–16 November 1949 Peronist Party Juan Perón Mayor of Mercedes 42 Juan Debenedetti 26 November 1949–19 February 1952 Peronist Party Undersecretary of Public Works 43 Jorge Sabaté 20 February 1952–26 October 1954 Peronist Party Architect 44 Bernardo Gago 26 October 1954–23 September 1955 Peronist Party National Deputy for Buenos Aires Province 45 Miguel A. Madero 26 September 1955–8 June 1956 Independent Pedro Eugenio Aramburu Architect 46 Luis María de la Torre Campos 8 June 1956–25 January 1957 Democratic Progressive Party Architect 47 Eduardo H. Bergalli 26 January 1957–18 September 1957 Radical Civic Union 48 Ernesto Florit 18 September 1957–1 May 1958 Independent Director of the National Military College 49 Roberto Etchepareborda 1 May 1958–13 May 1958 Intransigent Radical Civic Union Arturo Frondizi President of the Deliberative Council 50 Hernán Giralt 13 May 1958–25 June 1962 Intransigent Radical Civic Union Architect 51 Alberto Prebisch 26 June 1962–12 October 1963 Intransigent Radical Civic Union José María Guido Architect 52 Pedro Carlos Riú 12 October 1963–15 October 1963 People's Radical Civic Union Arturo Illia President of the Deliberative Council 53 Francisco Rabanal 15 October 1963–28 June 1966 People's Radical Civic Union National Deputy for the Federal Capital 54 Eugenio Schettini 6 July 1966–6 September 1967 Independent Juan Carlos Onganía Director of the National Military College 55 Manuel Iricíbar 8 September 1967–1 March 1971 Independent Military commander 56 Tomás José Caballero 1 March 1971–16 March 1971 Independent Roberto Marcelo Levingston Interventor of Mendoza Province 57 Saturnino Montero Ruiz 31 March 1971–25 May 1973 Independent Alejandro Lanusse President of the City Bank 58 Leopoldo Frenkel 4 June 1973–6 August 1973 Justicialist Party Héctor J. Cámpora Lawyer 59 Juan Debenedetti 7 August 1973–27 August 1973 Justicialist Party Raúl Lastiri Mayor of Buenos Aires 60 José Embrioni 30 August 1973–23 March 1976 Justicialist Party Military commander 61 Eduardo A. Crespi 24 March 1976–2 April 1976 Independent Military Junta Military commander 62 Osvaldo Cacciatore 2 April 1976–31 March 1982 Independent Jorge Rafael Videla Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 63 Guillermo del Cioppo 31 March 1982–10 December 1983 Independent Leopoldo Galtieri Chair of the Municipal Housing Commission 64 Julio César Saguier 10 December 1983–13 January 1987 Radical Civic Union Raúl Alfonsín Member of the Deliberative Council 64 Facundo Suárez Lastra 14 January 1987–8 July 1989 Radical Civic Union Secretary of the Interior 65 Carlos Grosso 8 July 1989–26 October 1992 Justicialist Party Carlos Menem President of the Buenos Aires Justicialist Party 66 Saúl Bouer 26 October 1992–5 September 1994 Justicialist Party Economist 67 Jorge Domínguez 5 September 1994–6 August 1996 Justicialist Party National Deputy for the Federal Capital
Chiefs of government (1996–present) The Chief of Government of the City of Buenos Aires constitutes the executive branch leadership of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, established in 1996 following the city's constitutional declaration of autonomy. The Chief of Government is directly elected by popular vote for a four-year term, with the possibility of one consecutive re-election. The office includes a Deputy Chief of Government, elected on the same ticket, who assumes temporary executive authority during the leader's absence or permanently in case of vacancy.
Limitations on the autonomy of the city Because the City of Buenos Aires is not a province, but rather enjoys a regime of autonomy guaranteed by the National Constitution, there are divergences, both in the political and legal world, about the scope and limits of that autonomy. It is the National Congress that is responsible for specifying the limitations of Buenos Aires autonomy.
This has been carried out by Law No. 24,588 of 1996, known as Cafiero Law. Among the limitations established by the Cafiero Law are various judicial jurisdictions (civil, criminal, labor, commercial), the security police, various areas of transportation, powers regarding labor policy, the port area, etc. These limitations have generated complaints from various Buenos Aires political sectors and in general, Buenos Aires residents and citizens of the rest of the provinces have considerably different points of view on the limitations on the autonomy of Buenos Aires, especially in budgetary matters, that is, where the funds should come from to sustain these activities.
List of Chiefs of Government