Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, is pushing to annul a law that links the presidency to an old werewolf myth. The law, which allows the president to become the godparent of the seventh consecutive child in a family, stems from a superstition that the seventh child would turn into a werewolf, or lobizón, during a full moon.
The tradition, rooted in rural folklore, has been part of Argentine culture for over a century.
The law, enacted in 1974, grants the president or a representative the honor of attending the baptism of the seventh child, offering a gold medal and a small scholarship. The custom began in 1907 when President José Figueroa Alcorta became the godfather of the seventh son of a family in Coronel Pringles.
Under Milei’s reforms, Minister of Deregulation Federico Sturzenegger has proposed the Ley Hojarasca (Fallen Leaves Law), which aims to eliminate outdated laws like this one. Sturzenegger has called the werewolf tradition “medieval” and argues it no longer has a place in modern Argentina.
More than 12,000 children have been made godchildren of Argentine presidents since the law’s passage. If the reform is approved, the tradition could soon be abolished, marking the end of a quirky chapter in the country’s history.
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