The swearing-in of the new senators revealed an uncomfortable situation for the ruling party: a lack of intensity – not to mention a lack of enthusiasm – on their part when it comes to supporting the arrival of Lorena Villaverde to the Senate.
With Villaverde having to leave the building at the request of the Liberals themselves, the goal they propose is to be able to defend their testimony again in the Constitutional Affairs Committee, this time, to see if they get a favorable ruling. However, the real problem still lies in where the elections were held, as they did not obtain the majority that would allow Río Negro to take office.
In the Senate, various lawmakers admit that the minister has not shown much interest in seeking votes either. Even some Peronists, who see the ruling party as intertwined, enjoyed the spectacle. Bullrich realizes that if Villaverde takes office, she will be the target of criticism: “She will be the head of a drug cartel,” said the historic lawmaker. At each session, Bullrich will have to face accusations of supporting Villaverde and thus not wanting to advance the case.
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For the minister, the scenario is glass. He seeks to support a strong hand and justice agenda, and has already told some senators that he plans to create a commission to discuss criminal reform county by county: not a platform to be reckoned with if he wants to fight back toward 2027. But how can he talk about tougher penalties, zero tolerance, and even bringing back clean debate, with Villaverde sitting next to him?
They assert in Peronism that with the conclusion of the regular period on November 30, it is impossible for the committee to issue a new opinion. They admit that until March – when sessions return – there will be no news about their banking. the reason? In extraordinary sessions, only projects sent by the executive authority will be discussed, and so far there is nothing that allows this committee to be opened, as the ruling party hopes to obtain better numbers after the legislative change.
The result is immediate: the ruling party will have to go through the budget debate with one less vote. Some liberals who do not want to raise their hands for Villaverde admit that this would not be a real problem, because the votes for the law would come from allies. On the other hand, even if the replacement comes and time passes, the situation in the area around Villaverde will still be just as harsh as it was on Friday when, during the swearing-in of the new legislators, the leader of the LLA bloc had so far had to ask that the Villaverde document not be discussed because the votes were not there. Today there are 33 mandatory votes, and a large portion of them do not want their names to appear in defense of the senator when the roll call vote arrives.
The challenge posed by Peronism rests on Villaverde’s moral impotence, which is a valid argument against the assumption. It is based on the background of cocaine interception in the US and his links with Fred Machado, who was extradited today on drug trafficking charges. The relationship with this personality actually left José Luis Espert out of the election.
In these hours, there is increasing pressure from some lawmakers on the woman from Rio Negro to give up her seat in the Senate and retain the seat of Representatives, where so far she has managed to go unnoticed. Although he has already submitted his resignation to the House of Representatives, he can withdraw it if he decides to remain there and not in the Senate.
This Wednesday, MPs will discuss resignations, including yours. That’s why the weather is hectic. Karina Miley’s last order was to support him in the Senate, but many are resisting him and prefer to continue in the House of Representatives. No one, under any circumstances, would dare say that publicly to the president, but the clock is ticking.
In the House of Representatives, with the new composition, it will be easier to maintain. Although they know that if they expel her from the Senate, the opposition could also support her there, keeping the debate on the agenda.
Those around the deputy say that so far no one has come to ask her to resign permanently in either chamber. They say: “No one asked him to resign from the Senate, let alone that there was a suggestion that he would lose his place in the House of Representatives.”
The crossroads for the AFP is that if they do not spare women from Rio Negro, they will in any case bear heavy political costs as a result of being permanently on the defensive in the parliamentary game. Villaverde, for her part, is not ready to negotiate. She confirms that if she is displaced, she will go to court. He also knows that the phone from La Rosada could ring at any moment. The question is clear: Can this call continue if it finally comes?