Argentine politician
Soher El Sukaria (born 16 May 1975) is a Lebanese-born Argentine politician. She was a member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies elected in Córdoba Province from 2019 to 2023. A member of Republican Proposal, El Sukaria previously served as a member of the Córdoba Provincial Legislature from 2015 to 2019.
A practicing Muslim, El Sukaria is the first Muslim woman elected to the Argentine Congress. Since 2023, she has been a councilwoman in the city of Córdoba.
Early life and education
El Sukaria was born on 16 May 1975 in Jdeide, a small village in northeastern Lebanon.[1] Her mother, Rosa, is Argentine of Arab descent, while her father, Mounif, was a prominent Sunni imam in Córdoba until his death in 2002. Her parents met during a trip to Lebanon and married there; Soher was born shortly thereafter. The family moved back to Argentina when Soher was a month old, settling in Córdoba.[2]
El Sukaria studied law at the National University of Córdoba and attained a master's degree on International Relations from the same university. She also has a master's degree on International Relations from the International University of Andalusia.[3]
Political career
At the 2015 general election, El Sukaria was a candidate in the Juntos por Córdoba list to the Córdoba Provincial Legislature; she was elected.[1] She was later appointed president of the City of Córdoba chapter of the Republican Proposal.[4]
El Sukaria was the second candidate in the Córdoba Province Juntos por el Cambio list to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies in the 2019 general election, behind Mario Negri; the list was the most voted in the province, and El Sukaria was elected.[5] Upon being elected, El Sukaria became the first Muslim woman elected to the National Congress of Argentina – a number of Muslim men, most prominently Eduardo Menem, had previously served in both houses of Congress before.[3]
