Diana Conti

Diana Beatriz Conti (born March 29, 1956 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine lawyer and politician. She was National Senator and now is National Deputy for the Frente de Todos.

Diana Conti
National Deputy of Argentina
for Buenos Aires Province
Assumed office
December 10, 2005
Senator of Argentina
for Buenos Aires Province
In office
July 3, 2002 – December 10, 2005
Personal details
Born (1956-03-29) March 29, 1956
Buenos Aires
Political partyParty for Victory & Frente de Todos
ProfessionLawyer

Early years

Conti was born to Horacio Conti, a travelling salesman, and Martha Bascuas, a housewife who later qualified as a teacher. Bascuas was 17 when she gave birth to Diana, and the young Conti spent her early years at her grandparents' house. She was known in high school for her high grades. On December 16, 1980, she obtained her law degree from the University of Buenos Aires. Having graduated as a lawyer, she continued studying, while working at the same time. From 1981 to 198], she worked at her own law firm, and in 1982, she joined the social assistance team for prisoners in Ravignaggi-Garriga, and the judicial assistance department of the center for legal and social studies in Argentina. Politically, meanwhile, she was active for many years in the Revolutionary Communist Party. In 1983, she became chairman of a company named Corsetti S.A., a job from which she stepped down in 1985.

Years in the Justice

She was also a member of the contradictory cases legal assistance team from 1982 to 1985, and a public helper of problem youth from 1984 to 1985. On September 10, 1985, Conti formed part of an advisory council on human rights in Argentina.

1985 was a very productive year for Conti, who graduated with a degree in psychology that year. She tried to become secretary of first and second instance criminal forums in 1985 and in June 1989, losing narrowly both times in voting. In 1986, she became national secretary of first instance, on the correctional and criminal jury for first instance. Conti held that job until January 31, 1989. She had become a founding member of the citizen's correctional justice participation system organization's commission, and from February 1, 1989, she was secretary of the national appeals chamber, a job which she held until April 1, 1991.

Conti became the justice minister's cabinet helper in 1991. She held various administrative positions in Buenos Aires until 1994, when she left for Santa Fe, where she worked as Eugenio Raul Zaffaroni's legal helper for one month. She got a job on March 16 of that year as the University of Buenos Aires' penal rights and criminology department's secretary, so traveling between Buenos Aires and Santa Fe daily became a burden to Conti, who decided to quit her job in Santa Fe after only one month working there.

Politician

Conti became Argentina's human rights subsecretary on December 12, 1997, and she left her job at Buenos Aires University to concentrate on her new job. On December 26, 2001, she stepped down from that position, aiming to become a subsecretary for institutional reform and national strengthening of democracy in Argentina, a job that she obtained on January 23, 2002.

Conti had to step down from her new position however on July 2, when she was appointed as a national senator representing Buenos Aires Province for the FrePaSo party to complete the term of Raúl Alfonsín, having been number two on his list at the 2001 election. She was a senator from July 3, 2002 until December 10, 2005. As senator, she was known for championing human rights causes. Although a member of FrePaSo, she was already seen as close to the Peronists, who she had served as a minister. Eventually she joined President Néstor Kirchner's Front for Victory bloc in her time in the Senate. In December 2005, she was elected a deputy for Buenos Aires Province for the Front for Victory.is also known for several corruption acts as a member of the government.

On February 4, 2010, while she was defending Cristina Kirchner presidency a journalist—Jose Eliaschev—told her that the argument she was using remember the ones used by Russian dictator Josef Stalin, and she said "yes, I have no problem to be a stalinist", and the journalist insisted "you are a supporter of one of the biggest murderers of 20th century, 20 million of people murdered? I am an stalinist, signed Diana Conti, can I record that?" the journalist said, and Diana Conti answered "Yes, I have no problem to be stalinist, maybe it is your problem, not mine".[1]

Corruption case

While a senator, she was accused (2005) and found innocent (2012) as part of the cause that was processed before the National Court for Criminal and Correctional No. 6 by Dr. Rodolfo Canicoba Corral. The file had been issued by virtue of a complaint filed by a former employee at the Senate, Bruno Bimbi, at which time the appointee claimed to have been forced to give much of their pay under threat of losing his job. The case was initially dismissed by Judge Jose Codino in late August 2005, but the court of appeal re-opened a little later. According to Bimbi, many of the employees who appeared as Conti personnel on official documents were completely unknown to him and other real employees under the direction of Diana Conti (in fact, one was the son of Conti). In the words of Bimbi, the first time that forced him to give him the money he had just withdrawn from the bank, and seeing his face in amazement, said, "you can keep the coins", exact words of Mr. Bimbi. These statements were dismissed in the trial that was carried forward. The result was dismissed at first instance and subsequent confirmation of this ruling by the Room number 9 of the Hon. Court of Appeals in the Criminal and Correctional matter´s Federal Camera.[2][3]

Recent years

During April 2006, Conti returned to the public light when she began a campaign in favour of laws for harsher punishment to those found guilty of sexual harassment at work, regardless of sexual gender. A divorced woman, Conti has participated in several seminars and law clinics in Argentina. During 2012 she has had appearances on public, such as when referring to the possible re-election of the President Cristina Kirchner.[4]

References
  1. Los Andes - http://www.losandes.com.ar/notas/2010/2/4/politica-470425.asp (Spanish)
  2. INFOBAN, Diana Conti, sobreseída en causa que investigaba si se quedó con el sueldo de ex empleado
  3. BUENOS AIRES 2punto0, Diana Conti, sobreseída en la causa por quedarse con el sueldo de un ex empleado
  4. Perfil.com, Diana Conti: "El liderazgo de Cristina es intransferible"
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