Starting next May 2, the staff of the Córdoba regional office of the National Ombudsman’s Office will carry out its duties at the headquarters of the Provincial Ombudsman’s Office, under a cooperation agreement signed between both institutions.
“Within the framework of this adjustment, the central office warned us two months ago that there would be no resources to pay the rent for the workspace and that we had to find another place to operate,” he told The voice the delegate María del Carmen Campos.
The rental contract for the office on 500 Colón Avenue expires in the next few days and they were warned a few weeks in advance that they should look for another form of financing or request accommodation in another state department.
“We understand reality,” added Campos.
Although there were rumors of a possible closure of the delegation, Campos personally took charge of the relocation and met with the deputy ombudsman of the province, Hugo Pozzi, and asked him for the possibility of sharing the citizen service space on 300 Dean Funes Street. Together with the provincial defender, Mario Decara, they responded affirmatively.
Currently, the National Ombudsman’s Office has 10 employees and occupies an office of more than 150 square meters that includes a mezzanine.
A sign above the window warns of an imminent move. The real estate agency that manages the premises assured that its market price is around US$1,000, that is, around $1 million today.
What is it and what does it do
The National Ombudsman’s Office is an organization created in our country after the constitutional reform of 1994 and has the objective of improving the control mechanisms over the three powers of the State and making justice more accessible to broad sectors of the population.
It has among its powers to initiate trials, demand documentation and carry out inspections. The distribution depends on Congress and the appointment of its director is in the hands of a Bicameral Commission.
In 2009, its last incumbent, Eduardo Mondino, resigned from his position and since then he has not been replaced, which meant that the activity of the defense office was reduced to minimal levels. It has not had a national head appointed by Congress for more than a decade, as mandated by its founding law.
At the end of last year, the members of the Association of Ombudsman of the Argentine Republic (ADPRA) reiterated the request for appointment, a position vacant for 14 years.
“The resolution of this situation is necessary for the comprehensive protection of people’s rights, the strengthening of control organizations and the promotion of human rights,” they said in a statement.
In this framework, an employee of the ombudsman’s office lacks legitimacy to initiate a judicial case and his impact on a claim is low.
The tasks are reduced to providing advice to residents on national rights or programs and some recommendations to public organizations or individuals. In this way, its role and its real usefulness for citizens have been blurred.
In addition to the Córdoba office, it has offices in Buenos Aires, Jujuy, La Pampa and Río Negro.
Where it all started
With the move, the regional office of the National Ombudsman’s Office will return to “where it all began.” At the end of the ’90s, during Nelson Filippi’s administration, the tasks were carried out in a space that they shared with the provincial defense office.
Then they went through their own offices on Tucumán Street and 27 de Abril, until they ended up on Colón Avenue, 11 years ago.
In this new stage, the ombudsman offices –Nation and Province– will maintain their areas of competence, functional and budgetary independence.
“Nothing changes organically or functionally. Nor in the modality of citizen service. We have always worked together with our peers from the national defense office in all the procedures that we receive and that are within their competence, whether collaborating, making joint efforts or referring claims,” Pozzi explained.
Pozzi added that the national defense office “comes with its equipment, furniture and other resources for its operation and performance,” and that both institutions will be accommodated to work in the same space.
Facility for joint actions
Campos and Pozzi agreed that coexistence in the same space will be a positive change for both institutions. “It will even be easier to carry out joint actions,” considered the provincial deputy defender.
In fact, they are already participating in the operations of the “The Ombudsman Closer” program, which consists of in-person and personalized attention points in public spaces in different neighborhoods of the city and in towns in the province.
“We have always had a good relationship and fluid dialogue, so the relocation is an excellent challenge,” concluded Campos.
