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Following the approval of the economic laws in Congress, the governor of Santa Fe, Maximiliano Pullaroappeared alongside the national senator and head of the Radical Civic Union (UCR), Martin Lousteauone of the most critical opponents of the government of Javier Milei.
Pullaro received Lousteau in Santa Fe, where a summit of radical organizations is taking place. This is a new sign of hostility that the radical leader is dedicating to the Casa Rosada, after he demanded the President to reactivate infrastructure works, in the middle of a speech for the Flag Day event, or appeared with his peers from Córdoba and Entre Ríos to warn the national Executive about the debts with the pension funds of those provinces.
Until now, Pullaro had balanced between the more cooperative position with the ruling party that the rest of the UCR governors displayed during the treatment of Milei’s reforms in Congress and the combative stance that Lousteau, his ally at the party level, displayed in the Senate to counter the libertarian proposals.
“I believe in the ideas that we represent and, as militants, we are convinced that our challenge is for our party to build power to carry out the transformation and for that the power of the party is fundamental. Here the UCR governs, which made the decision to march in unity and with a coalition to transform reality.”Pullaro pointed out throughout his speech. However, the president heads a broad coalition, which includes socialism, Pro and other forces with a presence in the territory of Santa Fe.
Because he had to fulfill commitments linked to his management, Pullaro received Lousteau and left before the party event ended. At his turn, the head of the UCR, who became a target of criticism, especially from the conservative and liberal wing of radicalism led by Alfredo Cornejo and Gustavo Valdesfor his resistance to collaborate with the Government in Congress, dedicated a battery of praise to Pullaro. The president had distanced himself a handful of weeks ago from his JxC peers, who promoted a statement to ask that the Senate approve the Law Bases and the fiscal package.
“We cannot be afraid to compete or lose for our ideas or to manage defending our ideas. Pullaro and the radicalism of Santa Fe are an example of all that,” said Lousteau, who is betting on building a centrist space with sectors of Peronism to form an alternative to Milei.
In that sense, Pullaro has already taken key steps: he built bridges with Axel Kicillofwith whom he signed an agreement to receive patrol cars from Buenos Aires to combat drug trafficking, closed ranks with Martin Llaryorasuccessor of Juan Schiaretti in Córdoba, and he released a photo with his friend, Leandro Santoro, a referent of Unión por la Patria in the Capital. Santoro is exploring a pact with Lousteau to converge in an opposition pole to Milei and Mauricio Macri in 2025 in the Pro stronghold.
Inés Brizuela y Doria and the head of local radicalism, Felipe Michlig, also participated in the event. In addition, representatives from the Radical Youth, the Purple Strip, the Radical Workers Organization, UCR Diversity and the Mayors’ Forum attended and will meet throughout Saturday.
Lousteau celebrated that the radical conclave was held in Santa Fe, the homeland of his political partner. “Santa Fe is the emblem of productive federalism and is the example of how something that seemed like an unequal fight can be transformed to demonstrate to society that this is a party that has courage that has a leader with courage like Maxi and from building that identity, manage well,” he stressed.
In turn, he called for the unity of radicalism, which carries the main deficits that prevented it from fielding a candidate for president in the 2023 electoral campaign, such as internal divisions and the lack of clear leadership. After the sanction of Milei’s reforms in Congress, his figures begin to move with their sights on 2025. For example, Facundo Manes will reappear next week in Lanús, one of the most populous districts in the suburbs. Next year Manes aspires to prove himself again at the polls under the umbrella of a heterogeneous space, which includes leaders of Peronist extraction.
“Santa Fe is the example for having a future radical president in Argentina”Lousteau concluded.
THE NATION
