Miriam Argüello Morales (February 22, 1927 – February 7, 2019)[1] was a politician from Nicaragua. A lawyer by training,[1] she was the first woman to become president of the National Assembly of Nicaragua,[2] where she served as a deputy for 22 years.[1] She was elected Assembly president in 1990,[3] defeating Alfredo César Aguirre though he had the support of Nicaraguan President Violeta Chamorro. However, César prevailed the following year, replacing Argüello in 1991.[4]

Miriam Argüello
Argüello in 2005
President of the National Assembly
In office
April 1990 – January 1991
PresidentVioleta Chamorro
Preceded byCarlos Núñez Téllez
Succeeded byAlfredo César Aguirre
Deputy to the National Assembly
Personal details
Born(1927-02-22)February 22, 1927
DiedFebruary 7, 2019(2019-02-07) (aged 91)
NationalityNicaragua
Political partyNational Opposition Union
OccupationLawyer
Deputy
Known forFirst woman elected president of the National Assembly

In 1996, Argüello ran for President of Nicaragua as a member of the Popular Conservative Alliance (APC).[5] Though in the previous term, both the Presidency and Vice-Presidency had been held by women—Chamorro and Julia Mena Rivera, respectively—few other women served in the Chamorro administration and in 1996 Argüello was the lone woman among 23 presidential candidates.[5]

In 2007, Argüello allied with the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), but broke again with the ruling party in 2012 over the re-election of FSLN leader Daniel Ortega as President, saying the Supreme Court's ruling allowing Ortega a third term violated the Nicaraguan Constitution as well as legal precedent barring anyone from serving three terms as President or serving for two consecutive terms.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Álvarez, Leonor (8 February 2019). "Muere Miriam Argüello, expresidenta de la Asamblea Nacional de Nicaragua". La Prensa (in European Spanish). Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Fallece la Dra. Miriam Argüello". Radio Nicaragua (in European Spanish). 7 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  3. ^ Gunson, Phil; Chamberlain, Greg; Thompson, Andrew (2015-12-22). The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Central America and the Caribbean. Routledge. ISBN 9781317270539.
  4. ^ Staten, Clifford L. (2010). The History of Nicaragua. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313360374.
  5. ^ a b Metoyer, Cynthia Chavez (2000). Women and the State in Post-Sandinista Nicaragua. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 9781555877514.