Matías Daniel Lammens Núñez is an Argentine businessman and politician, currently serving as the Minister of Tourism and Sports since December 10, 2019, in the cabinet of President Alberto Fernández.
From 2012 to 2019, he was president of Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro, a sports club based in Buenos Aires best known for its football team, which plays in the Primera División, the top tier of the Argentine football league system, and is considered one of the “big five” clubs in Argentina. Under Lammens’ leadership, the club won its first Copa Libertadores.
In 2019, Lammens was the Frente de Todos candidate for Chief of Government of Buenos Aires, running against incumbent Horacio Rodríguez Larreta from the PRO party. Lammens lost in the first round, receiving slightly more than 35% of the vote.
Early Life and Education
Matías Daniel Lammens Núñez was born on April 5, 1980, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was educated at the prestigious Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, graduating in 1998. Lammens has stated that it was at the Colegio Nacional where he first became interested in politics. He studied law at the University of Buenos Aires and later pursued political economy at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
His business career began in 2003 when he opened a small kiosk; he later founded Ñuque Mapu SRL, a company based in Buenos Aires dedicated to the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages, mainly wine.
Involvement with San Lorenzo
A lifelong supporter of the club, Lammens’ involvement with the board of Club Atlético San Lorenzo began in early 2012 through his close relationship with club member and TV host Marcelo Tinelli, whom he met at a family gathering. Together they formed the “San Lorenzo Siglo XXI” association. After Carlos Abdo resigned from the presidency in August 2012, Lammens was appointed interim president, becoming the youngest person to hold the position at age 32. He later ran for president with Tinelli as vice president on the ticket and won with more than 80% of the popular vote.
Campaign for mayor of Buenos Aires
In June 2019, Lammens expressed his intention to run for Chief of Government (mayor) of Buenos Aires in that year’s elections as part of a broad opposition front to the government led by the Republican Proposal (PRO), which included progressive and center-left parties and leaders. He stated that “Kirchnerism is not enough in the city.” He confirmed his pre-candidacy ahead of the mandatory open primaries (PASO) on June 19, 2019, as part of the Frente de Todos, the Peronist coalition supporting Alberto Fernández’s presidential campaign.
His mayoral ticket was completed by journalist and writer Gisela Marziotta, who ran as deputy chief of government. His campaign focused on what he saw as the economic mismanagement by then-president Mauricio Macri and the association of the incumbent Rodríguez Larreta with Macri and his party.
In the October 27, 2019 elections, Lammens obtained 687,026 votes — or 35% — losing in the first round to Rodríguez Larreta, who garnered 55.9%. Despite the wide margin, Lammens’ result represented the strongest electoral performance for an opposition party in Buenos Aires since Mauricio Macri’s win in 2007.
Ministry of tourism and sports
On December 10, 2019, Lammens was appointed by incoming President Alberto Fernández as Minister of the newly reinstated Ministry of Tourism and Sports, succeeding Gustavo Santos and Diógenes de Urquiza, respectively, who had served as secretaries of Tourism and Sports under President Macri. Regarding sports, Lammens expressed his intention to focus on local neighborhood clubs.