Yerko Núñez
Yerko Núñez | |
|---|---|
 Núñez in January 2020 | |
| Minister of the Presidency | |
| In office 3 December 2019 – 6 November 2020 | |
| President | Jeanine Añez |
| Preceded by | Jerjes Justiniano Atalá |
| Succeeded by | María Nela Prada |
| Minister of Public Works, Services, and Housing | |
| In office 13 November 2019 – 3 December 2019 | |
| President | Jeanine Añez |
| Preceded by | Oscar Coca |
| Succeeded by | Iván Arias Durán |
| Senator for Beni | |
| In office 22 January 2015 – 13 November 2019 | |
| Mayor of Rurrenabaque | |
| In office January 2005 – July 2014 | |
| In office 2000–2003 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Yerko Martin Núñez Negrette 17 April 1973 Rurrenabaque, Bolivia |
| Political party | Revolutionary Nationalist Movement Beni First National Unity Front |
| Parents |
|
Yerko Martin Núñez Negrette (born 17 April 1973) is a Bolivian agronomist and politician who served as Minister of the Presidency from December 2019 to November 2020 and briefly as Minister of Public Works, Services, and Housing between 13 November and 3 December 2020 during the interim government of Jeanine Añez.[1][2][3][4] Núñez previously served as Senator for Beni from 2015 to 2019 and as the Mayor of Rurrenabaque from 2000 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2014.
Biography
Yerko Núñez was born on 17 April 1973 in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia. He is the son of Antonio Núñez Gamarra and Carmen Negrette Arce who were teachers. He was a member of an upper-middle-class family linked to politics and closely affiliated with the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR). His father, Antonio Núñez Gamarra, and his grandfather were recognized MNR mayors of Rurrenabaque.
Throughout the 1990s, Núñez participated in various training courses abroad in the United States, Germany, Colombia, and Peru.[5] Núñez served as National Director of Popular Participation in 2003 and worked for a time as a public official in the position of technical secretary of the Chamber of Senators in 2004.[5] From 2007 to 2012, he served as President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Municipalities of Beni. During this period, he also held the position of Secretary of the Beni Autonomous Council.[6]
Mayor of Rurrenabaque
Yerko Núñez entered began his political career at age 26. In 1999, he ran as a candidate for Mayor of Rurrenabaque in that year's municipal elections on behalf of the MNR. He won with 27.8% of the electorate. He was the youngest mayor in Bolivia at the time. He held the post of mayor from 2000 to 2003.[7]
In 2004, he ran for a nonconsecutive term, again representing the MNR. He won with 35% of the votes. In 2010, he ran for reelection as part of the Beni First (PB) political group, then led by Ernesto Suárez Sattori. He won with 44% of the popular vote, the highest out of his three mayoral bids, and allowing him to stay in office until 2015.[7]
Senator for Beni (2015–2019)
Núñez ran for Senator for the Beni Department on behalf of the Democratic Unity (UD) political alliance along with Jeanine Áñez who was seeking her re-election in the 2014 general elections. Both Núñez and Áñez won. As a Senator in 2016, he held the position of second vice president of the Senate and was a member of various commissions.[8][9][10]
Cabinet Minister
Minister of Public Works, Services, and Housing
On 13 November 2019, now President Jeanine Áñez installed Yerko Núñez in the position of Minister of Public Works, Services, and Housing. Núñez held the position for 20 days when he was reassigned and replaced by Iván Arias Durán.[4]
Minister of the Presidency (2019–2020)
Núñez replaced Jerjes Justiniano Atalá as Minister of the Presidency on 3 December 2019.[3]
Miss Rurrenabaque 2016 case
On 3 May 2020, Núñez was denounced for misuse of State property for transporting the former Rurrenabaque beauty queen Yarakoby Shiraishi on a "high authority" government aircraft from Rurrenabaque to La Paz.[11] Núñez admitted to allowing the flight but claimed it was for "humanitarian reasons" as the model was in poor health and urgently needing medical treatment.[12] On 6 May, he apologized for the incident and announced the authorization of solidarity flights for those who could not return to their respective regions due to quarantine restrictions.[13]
Coronavirus
It was announced that Núñez had contracted COVID-19 on 2 July 2020. A few hours later, he confirmed that his health was stable.[14]
Núñez resigned on 6 November 2020 along with other cabinet ministers in advance of the inauguration of Luis Arce on 8 November.[15]
References
- ^ "Vicepresidencia del Estado". www.vicepresidencia.gob.bo. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Añez destituye a Justiniano y posesiona en su lugar a Yerko Nuñez; Iván Arias llega al gabinete". Urgentebo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Áñez designa a Yerko Nuñez como nuevo ministro de la Presidencia en reemplazo de Jerjes Justiniano". Los Tiempos (in Spanish). 3 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Núñez, de senador a ministro de Obras Públicas". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Ministro de la Presidencia". web.archive.org. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Alcalde de Rurrenabaque preside la asociación beniana de municipios". 11 July 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Ballivián, Romero (2018). p. 414.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Senado conforma Directiva Camaral legislatura 2016-2017". Cámara de Senadores (in Spanish). 20 January 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Senado conforma comisiones y comités por la Legislatura 2017 – 2018". Cámara de Senadores (in Spanish). 31 January 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Senado posesiona a su Directiva Camaral para la gestión 2018-2019 y conforma comisiones y comités". Cámara de Senadores (in Spanish). 19 January 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Denuncian que exmiss también llegó a La Paz en una nave de la FAB". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Núñez admite que trajo a la miss en nave de la FAB "porque estaba mal"". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Yerko Núñez pide disculpas por haber llevado a una miss en un avión de la Fuerza Aérea Boliviana | EL DEBER". eldeber.com.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Ministro Yerko Núñez: "Gracias a Dios me encuentro estable" | EL DEBER". eldeber.com.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ Bolivia, Opinión. "Una decena de ministros y viceministros de Áñez renuncia a sus cargos". Opinión Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 December 2020.