| Estela Regidor | |
| Office: | National Deputy |
| Term Start: | 10 December 2017 |
| Term End: | 10 December 2021 |
| Constituency: | Corrientes |
| Birth Date: | 24 March 1970 |
| Birth Place: | Mercedes, Corrientes Province, Argentina |
| Party: | Radical Civic Union |
| Alma Mater: | University of Buenos Aires |
Estela Mercedes Regidor Belledone (born 24 March 1970) is an Argentine politician who served as a National Deputy elected in Corrientes Province. A member of the Radical Civic Union, Regidor was elected at the 2017 legislative election.
Regidor Belledone was born on 24 March 1970 in Mercedes, in Central Corrientes Province.[1] She studied law at the University of Buenos Aires, graduating in 1998, and specialized on pension law.[2]
Regidor was appointed comptroller of the Social Prevision Institute (IPS, Instituto de Previsión Social) of Corrientes Province in 2009.[1] In 2016, she was appointed head of the Comprehensive Attention Unit of ANSES in Corrientes Province.[3]
At the 2017 legislative election, Regidor was the first candidate in the Encuentro por Corrientes (ECO)–Cambiemos list. The list was the most voted in the province, with 55.43% of the vote, and Regidor was easily elected.[4] [5]
As national deputy, Regidor formed part of the parliamentary commissions on Pensions and Social Security, Labour Legislation, Political Trials, Families and Childhood, and Elderly People.[1] She was a vocal opponent of the legalization of abortion in Argentina, voting against the two Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy bills that were debated by the Argentine Congress in 2018 and 2020.[6] [7] During her speech during the debate on the 2018 bill, she made a controversial analogy with dogs, stating that "when our dogs get pregnant, we don't take them to the vet for them to have an abortion; we give away the pups."[8] [9] She later introduced an unsuccessful bill to establish an "early adoption" programme.[10]
In 2021, Regidor caused controversy when leaked voice notes between her and her legislative aides revealed she was extorting her staff to take up to 50% of their salaries.[11] [12] The scandal led to her taking an unpaid leave from her position in the Chamber of Deputies.[3] She also presented herself to a Corrientes tribunal for investigation.[13]