After class on Wednesday, we all needed to catch up with reading, writing and -- for the professors -- correcting papers. The incredible heat continues, along with the drought that has destroyed 100% of the corn crop in Santa Fe province. This is going to be an even more difficult year for Argentina economically.
On Thursday, we walked to the Casa de Gobierno (Government Building) where we met with both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Santa Fe. This was an incredible honor, and both were very gracious. The Governor, Dr. Hermes Binner, beat long odds to become the first Socialist governor of the Province of Santa Fe. (Argentinean socialism is akin to European style socialism.) He is a physician, and he is interested in forming connections between young people in Argentina and in other countries. "Older people are tied to the past," he said. "But young people are committed to the future. If we get young people working together, that would be good for both our countries." Marisa was very moved by meeting him, as he's known to be a hard-working governor, sincerely interested in the future of the province. The Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Griselda Tessio, is a lawyer and university professor. A former federal prosecutor, she gained national recognition for her investigations into human rights abuses from the last dictatorship.
It was fascinating to meet them -- I was amazed that they took so much time out of their day for us.We were all holding gift bags -- with key rings and information about Santa Fe.
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