Who is Pablo Javkin, the mayor of the Argentine city where a Messi family business was shot

"The drug traffickers have won in Rosario," says Argentina's Security Minister 0:44

(CNN Spanish) --

This Thursday they attacked a supermarket belonging to the family of Lionel Messi's wife with bullets and left a note threatening the Argentine soccer team player, perhaps the country's greatest current idol.

The incident occurred in Rosario, Messi's hometown, and the authorities are looking for those responsible for the attack, which included at least 14 shots.

The note with the threats mentions the mayor of the city and, since its dissemination, his name has been reproduced in the country and in the world.

The mayor is Pablo Javkin, a 51-year-old lawyer who has governed Rosario since 2019, the largest city in the province of Santa Fe and one of the most important in Argentina.

Due to his political affiliation, he belongs to the Civic and Social Progressive Front, a coalition that brings together the Socialist and Progressive Democrat parties, among others.

• After Messi's family business was attacked, his mother says they lead a normal life

Credit: STR/AFP via Getty Images

After a career that included positions such as Rosario city councilor (2001-2005 and 2017-2019) and national deputy for the province of Santa Fe (2013-2015), his management at the head of the municipality began with unprecedented challenges for the city: the covid-19 pandemic and the escalation of violence and tension as a result of the conflict with drug trafficking.

Currently, Javkin seeks to position himself as a candidate for governor of the province of Santa Fe in this year's elections, in a sort of alliance with the opposition front Juntos por el Cambio.

The plan is to remove the Justicialista party, headed by Peronist Omar Perotti, from the governorship.

Since he began to participate professionally in politics as a member of Affirmation for an Egalitarian Republic (ARI), a group led by opposition member Elisa Carrió, the growth of Javkin's figure led him from holding the position of Rosario councilor to mayor of the municipality in a period of less than 20 years.

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They shoot at a business belonging to the family of Lionel Messi 0:59

The fight against organized crime has given it political projection on a national scale.

In fact, since last year he has held several meetings with the President of the Nation, Alberto Fernández, and the Minister of Security, Aníbal Fernández, to demand a more active participation of the national government in this fight.

In this sense, Javkin has proposed managing its own police, today managed by the province of Santa Fe, and achieving autonomy for the city, to unilaterally decide the destination of the resources generated by Rosario.

In public statements, the official stated that the phenomenon of drug trafficking "covers all of Argentina and requires institutional responses at all levels."

Credit: STR/AFP via Getty Images

In addition, he assured that "what is happening today in Rosario, as it is the most important logistics pole in the country, is happening in other places, even if it does not manifest itself violently."

A few months ago, Javkin made public the detection of a "prostatic pathology" that affects him.

Despite this, he confirmed that he will continue in his duties without problems.

After his decision, the entire political spectrum gave him unanimous support.