They removed the communist Marisa Graham, who wanted to remain in office indefinitely.

The controversial situation involving communist Marisa Graham, head of the Office for Children and Adolescents, who endangered the institutionality by extending her term by her own decision in January, came to a close this Wednesday after a joint vote between the ruling party and moderate opposition sectors that decided to terminate her administration as of that same day.

However, the bicameral commission responsible for overseeing the agency was left in an uncertain transition, since it is not clear who will take over the leadership of the Office, after a chaotic and tense meeting led by Radical Deputy Natalia Sarapura, president of the commission.

The controversy with Marisa Graham

To understand the situation, it is necessary to go back a few months. Since the last part of last year, the Government of Javier Milei expected Graham to complete her term, which was set to expire at the end of February, and step down from the institution. In that context, the formation of the bicameral commission was postponed.

Among the criticisms directed at the communist in the position of Ombudswoman were accusations of having politically taken over the agency and of having actively promoted the bloody abortion law.

Law 26.061, enacted in 2005, on the comprehensive protection of the rights of children and adolescents, establishes in its article 49 that "the Ombudsperson for the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents shall be proposed, appointed, and removed by the National Congress, which shall appoint a bicameral commission composed of ten members, five from each Chamber, respecting the proportion of political representation, who shall be responsible for evaluating the appointment to be carried out through a public competition of background and opposition."

Graham, whose term was to end on February 28, 2025, attempted to remain in her position by taking advantage of uncertainty in the functioning of the Bicameral in Congress, which had not been formed due to disagreements in its constitution.

In that context, instead of allowing for a legitimate renewal, the now former head of the institution, in her eagerness to hold on to her position like any leftist, received the support of the Kirchnerist bloc which, in a clear act of political backing, promoted a resolution through Senator Alicia Kirchner at the end of 2023.

This support, far from being a step forward for the defense of children's rights, turned out to be more of a political maneuver in which Graham's administration sought to perpetuate itself in power through favors and political agreements.

To ensure she could remain in the position, Marisa Graham issued a resolution (1/25) on January 7 in which she modified the internal regulations of the Office, based on a highly questionable interpretation of Law 26.061.

In her resolution, she argued the existence of an alleged "legal vacuum" and an "unavoidable uncertainty" that would justify her remaining in office, even though the lack of reelection or appointment of her successor should not be grounds for violating the principles of renewal and institutional oversight.

In March, the bicameral commission was finally formed and, after debates, leadership was assumed by Radical Natalia Sarapura. From that moment, the commission avoided meeting, giving the impression that an understanding was being protected between Kirchnerist sectors and the UCR to keep Marisa Graham in her position until a new competition could be called. This situation was pointed out by other blocs as being of dubious legality and outside what is institutionally correct.

It was not until this Wednesday, almost three months after the start of the regular period, on March 1, that the commission decided to launch the selection process, setting the start of the competition for next June 16. From that date, the 180-day period will begin, with the possibility of extension.