Buenos Aires, November 24 (NA) – The death of Juan José Mussi at the age of 84 represents the departure of one of the last exponents of the traditional 'barons of the conurbano' race, a lineage of Peronist leaders characterized by their long tenure in power in their small towns. This led the writer Jorge Asisa to define them, not without reason, as 'mini-governors'. Indeed, that is what they are. Mussi performed his role like few others, moving with astuteness in the always treacherous waters of Peronism, between Duhalde's faction, Kirchnerism, and his recent requests for autonomy from the designs of Cristina Kirchner and the leadership of La Cámpora. In recent months, and during his sixth term as mayor of Berazategui, Mussi went so far as to threaten during the closing of lists for the last elections to present a short ballot to stay out of the silent (and not so silent) dispute between La Cámpora and Governor Axel Kicillof, as revealed at the time by the Argentine News Agency. 'As cautious as we are, we presented our short ballot 'I Choose Berazategui' just in case. There's trouble over there, I don't want to get into trouble,' Mussi, an expert in internal disputes, said on that occasion. He had previously served as Minister of Health of Buenos Aires Province and Deputy Minister of the Interior (in both cases alongside Eduardo Duhalde), as well as a provincial deputy and president of the Deliberative Council of his city. By profession a doctor, Mussi first assumed his position as mayor in 1987.
