Paula Penacca | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| National Deputy | |
| Assumed office 10 December 2019 | |
| Constituency | City of Buenos Aires |
| Legislator of the City of Buenos Aires | |
| In office 12 December 2013 – 10 December 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1981-04-27)27 April 1981 (age 44) Zárate, Argentina |
| Political party | Justicialist Party |
| Other political affiliations | Front for Victory (2003–2017) Unidad Porteña (2017–2019) Frente de Todos (2019–2023) Union for the Homeland (2023–present) |
| Profession | Politician, social activist |
Paula Andrea Penacca (born 27 April 1981) is anArgentine politician and social activist, who is currently a member of theArgentine Chamber of Deputies. She was elected in theAutonomous City of Buenos Aires since 2019, for theFrente de Todos coalition. A member of theJusticialist Party andLa Cámpora, Penacca previously served as a member of theBuenos Aires City Legislature from 2013 to 2019.
Penacca was born on 27 April 1981[1] inZárate,Buenos Aires Province, though she has lived in theCity of Buenos Aires since she was 5 years old. Her father was a sympathizer of theRadical Civic Union and ofRaúl Alfonsín.[2] She has stated that the economic hardships her family faced during the 1990s inspired her to become politically active; she began her political involvement in public schools in thevillas of Buenos Aires. Following the election ofNéstor Kirchner as president of Argentina in2003, Penacca became involved inLa Cámpora.[3]
Later, she would be instrumental in the organization of La Cámpora in Villa 20, in thebarrio ofLugano. She has also been active inVilla 31.[4]
In the2011 general election, Penacca was the 6th candidate in theFront for Victory list to theBuenos Aires City Legislature.[5] Although the list received 14.02% of the vote and Penacca was not elected, she assumed office uponAlejandro Amor's resignation in 2013.[6] Penacca was re-elected in2015, this time as the second candidate in the Front for Victory list.[7]
Penacca was the second candidate in theBuenos Aires CityFrente de Todos list to theArgentine Chamber of Deputies in the2019 general election, behindFernando "Pino" Solanas; the list received 34.22% of the popular vote, and Penacca was elected.[8][9] She took office on 10 December 2019.[10]
Penacca was one of the 131 members of the Chamber of Deputies who voted in favor of the 2020Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy bill, which later went on to be passed by theSenate andlegalize abortion in Argentina.[11] During the debate, Penacca stated that "without [legal access to] abortion, there is nosocial justice".[12]
Penacca forms part of and presides the parliamentary commission on internal security. In 2021, she presented a bill to establish a protocol against institutional violence, backed by a number of human rights activists as well as theSecurity Ministry.[13][14]
| Election | Office | List | # | District | Votes | Result | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | ||||||||
| 2011 | City Legislator | Front for Victory | 6 | City of Buenos Aires | 247,140 | 14.07% | 2nd[a] | Not elected[b] | [15] | |
| 2015 | Front for Victory | 2 | City of Buenos Aires | 380,806 | 20.76% | 3rd[a] | Elected | [16] | ||
| 2019 | National Deputy | Frente de Todos | 2 | City of Buenos Aires | 641,054 | 35.02% | 2nd[a] | Elected | [17] | |
| 2023 | Union for the Homeland | 1 | City of Buenos Aires | 577,225 | 31.41% | 2nd[a] | Elected | [18] | ||