José Luis Ramón | |
|---|---|
 | |
| National Deputy | |
| In office 10 December 2017 – 10 December 2021 | |
| Constituency | Mendoza |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1964-04-29)29 April 1964 (age 61) Rufino,Santa Fe Province, Argentina |
| Party | Protectora |
| Other political affiliations | Intransigent Party(2017) Frente de Todos(2021–present) |
| Alma mater | University of Mendoza |
José Luis Ramón (born 29 April 1964) is anArgentine lawyer and politician who served as aNational Deputy elected inMendoza Province from 2017 to 2021. Ramón is the founder and leader ofProtector Political Force, a provincial party in Mendoza originally established as a consumer rights advocacy group. In the Chamber of Deputies, he sat in and presided the "Federal Unity for Development"inter-bloc.
Ramón ran for thegovernorship of Mendoza in 2019, and was the third-most voted candidate with 8.71% of the vote.
Ramón was born on 29 April 1964 inRufino,Santa Fe Province.[1] His father's job as a railway worker forced the family to relocate toPalmira, inMendoza Province, when José Luis was young.[2] He finished high school at the National School of Commerce in Palmira. In his youth he played rugby, and worked as a rugby trainer for some time.[3] Ramón studied law at theUniversity of Mendoza.[2]
In 1994, Ramón co-foundedProtectora, a consumer rights' advocacy group.[4]
Ahead of the2017 legislative election, Ramón – alongside Mendoza provincial deputy Mario Vadillo and Ramón's brother, Gustavo Juan Ramón – reformedProtectora into a provincially-recognized political party.Protectora formed an alliance with theIntransigent Party, and Ramón was the first candidate in the Intransigent Party's list to theNational Chamber of Deputies.[5] The Protectora – Intransigent Party list received 17.21% of the vote, and Ramón was elected.[6]
Ramón became widely recognized due to his unconventional campaign tactics, such as the use of an oldLand Rover truck dubbed as "La Ramoneta", and his use of blankets over his suit (a nod to one of his campaign issues: heating prices during winter).[7] During his time in office, he has continued to wear a number of blankets, which has earned him the nickname ofel loco de la frazada ("the crazy blanket man").[2][8] Upon being sworn in on 6 December 2017, he wore a pink blanket over his shoulder.[9] In 2021, when a bill expanding gas and heating subsidies passed the Chamber, Ramón waved a blanket from his seat in celebration, gaining further media attention.[10][11]
Ahead of the2021 legislative election, Ramón announced his incorporation into the governingFrente de Todos.[12][13]
Ramón's position on thelegalization of abortion in Argentina was subject of controversy. During his 2017 campaign, Ramón stated he was against legalizing the practice.[14] Later, in 2018, he stated that despite his personal opposition, he would not vote against legalizing the practice.[15] On 12 June 2018, however, a day before the Chamber of Deputies was due to vote on the subject for the first time, Ramón reversed his position once again and voted against theVoluntary Termination of Pregnancy Bill. His opposition caused his expulsion from the Social Democraticinter-bloc, which he had formed alongside theEvolución deputiesMartín Lousteau,Carla Carrizo and Teresita Villavicencio.[16][17]
In 2020, when a second Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy Bill passed the Chamber, Ramón once again voted against the legalization of abortion and instead proposed anational plebiscite on the matter.[18][19]
On 28 February 2019, Ramón announced he would be running for thegovernorship of Mendoza in the Protectora Fuerza Política list.[20] He was widely seen as a potential second-runner up.[21] On election day, he faced off City of Mendoza mayorRodolfo Suárez (of theUCR) and National SenatorAnabel Fernández Sagasti (of thePJ), and came in third with 8.71% of the vote.[22]
