Villa Carlos Paz officials propose abolishing Ombudsman's Office

Political actors in Villa Carlos Paz are proposing the elimination of the Ombudsman's Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) from the Municipal Charter. The Frente Cívico party argues the institution has lost its representativeness and is experiencing a process of exhaustion.

Proponents cite low voter turnout in the 2025 elections, where only 17.2% of the electorate participated, as evidence of a “silent plebiscite” against the office. Councilman Carlos Quaranta of Carlos Paz Inteligente has re-introduced a project to abolish the entity, suggesting that the 83% abstention rate represents a legitimate rejection by the citizenry.

In addition to lack of legitimacy, critics point to the financial burden on the municipal budget. For 2026, the Ombudsman's budget is estimated to be approximately 600 million pesos. Because the office is enshrined in the Municipal Charter, officials state that its removal would require a partial reform through a Constitutional Convention rather than a simple ordinance.