Church in the World

Retired cleric forces presidential U-turn

Argentina

THE VICTORY of a retired bishop in elections in a remote corner of northern Argentina last month has already had a remarkable impact on the country's political life (The Tablet, 4 November), writes Colin Harding.

After an opposition alliance headed by the bishop, Mgr Joaquín Piña of Puerto Iguazú, thwarted plans by the provincial governor,

Carlos Rovira, to change the constitution in Misiones province to enable him to be re-elected indefinitely, President Néstor Kirchner instructed governors of much bigger and more important provinces, including Buenos Aires, to abandon similar ambitions. The president was seemingly afraid of provoking the opposition further, and giving an added impetus to its unity.

Last week, Mgr Piña, 76, confirmed his improbable new status as a political star when he chaired the first and only meeting of the Misiones constituent assembly, which was elected on 29 October. Under Mgr Piña's brisk guidance, and to the accompaniment of wild applause from his fans, the assembly, which also included two nuns and two evangelical pastors, quickly resolved not to lift the constitutional ban on re-election, and promptly dissolved itself.