Ginés González García was born in 1945. He is a physician and served as Argentina’s Minister of Health and Environment during the administrations of Presidents Eduardo Duhalde and Néstor Kirchner. In December 2019, he was reappointed by Alberto Fernández.
González García was born in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Buenos Aires Province, and graduated as a surgeon from the National University of Córdoba. He first entered public service as Minister of Health of Buenos Aires Province from 1988 to 1991. He was appointed Argentina’s Minister of Health in January 2002, days after the interim President Eduardo Duhalde was confirmed by Congress, and was ratified in the role by President Néstor Kirchner upon taking office in May 2003.
Minister of Health
González García became the center of controversy in February 2005, when he was verbally attacked by the Chief Military Chaplain, Bishop Antonio Baseotto, due to the minister’s public support for the legalization of abortion in Argentina (where terminating a pregnancy is a serious crime, except when the mother’s life is in grave danger or in cases of rape of a mentally disabled woman), as well as his endorsement of sex education and his implementation of a free contraception and condom distribution program. The dispute highlighted both the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Argentina and the de facto nature of local church-state relations.
Although González García was not retained in his post by Kirchner’s wife and successor, Cristina Kirchner, when she took office in December 2007, and was instead appointed Ambassador to Chile, he influenced the appointment of a new Minister of Health, Juan Luis Manzur, in July 2009.