New holiday created to honour former president

The former president was Governor of Santa Cruz for 14 years

The province of Santa Cruz has declared the 27 October as an official holiday in honour of former President Néstor Kirchner.

The provincial legislature passed a proposal by Deputy Stella Maris García to make the date of Kirchner’s death a public holiday on Thursday.

Mr Kirchner, who was born in Rio Gallegos, Santa Cruz, died of a heart attack, aged 60, in 2010.

He served as the province’s governor from 1991 until assuming the presidency in 2003.

His wife, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, succeeded him as president in 2007.