Juan Luis Manzur is a renowned Argentine politician and diplomat, born in San Miguel de Tucumán on January 8, 1969. He is currently recognized as the elected governor of the province of Tucumán.
With a strong Lebanese heritage, his most significant contributions to national politics span the health and legal sectors. He has played a pivotal role in the development and protection of birth and mortality indicators across key regions in the country, and was also instrumental in the creation of initiatives such as the Primary Care Centers (CAP).
Juan Luis Manzur: Early education and entry into public life
After spending his early years in his hometown, Manzur pursued medical studies at the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. He later specialized in healthcare through work at Hospital Álvarez in Buenos Aires and earned a master’s degree in Administration of Services and Health Systems from the University of Buenos Aires.
Although he would later shift toward political office, his contributions to the healthcare sector continued to grow. In 2009, he was appointed Minister of Health by then-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner—a key role during the response to the H1N1 swine flu pandemic that marked the end of the previous decade.
2003 and beyond: Ministry of Health and political career
From 2003 onward, Manzur’s work began to take on a distinctly political character. He collaborated closely with then-Governor José Alperovich, prioritizing improvements to the region’s health and hospital infrastructure. His political career advanced further when he became Vice Governor in 2007.
In 2015, Juan Luis Manzur was elected Governor of Tucumán with 51.64% of the vote. Among his major political affiliations is the Frente para la Victoria (Front for Victory), a political coalition with which he remained actively involved until mid-2015.
Manzur is widely respected for bridging medicine and governance, promoting integrated public health policies, and enhancing access to healthcare in underserved areas of Argentina.