Raúl Othacehé

Raúl Alfredo Othacehé (born February 9, 1946) is an Argentine politician, lawyer, and former Mayor of Merlo, Province of Buenos Aires. He is known by his nickname "el Vasco" (Spanish: "the Basque") because of his Basque ancestry.

Life Othacehé was born in Buenos Aires. When he was four, his family moved to San Antonio de Padua, Merlo. His father and grandfather were railway workers. He was raised as devout Catholic and fervent Peronist.

In 1975 he married Mónica Susana Arnaldi; they have four sons.

Political career Othacehé attended the University of Buenos Aires, and graduated as a criminal defense lawyer in 1973. He has been re-elected four times: in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007.

In 1999 Othacehé ran for Governor, but Eduardo Duhalde persuaded him to renounce his candidacy in favor of Carlos Ruckauf.

In 2016, Pope Francis, in a dialogue with the current mayor of Merlo, Gustavo Menéndez, said he himself had suffered from attacks by Othacehé when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires.