Mario Ishii, candidate K for Vice President of the Senate, together with Magario/X
The political dispute that Axel Kicillof is waging with Kirchnerism is more lively than ever. This became clear again in recent days when spaces of power and institutional representation were discussed in both chambers of the legislature.
Together with Sergio Massa’s Renovador Front, Kirchnerism exploited the governor’s efforts to intervene in the debate over the presidency and vice-president of the lower house. Kicillof had a name: the current former mayor of Almirante Brown, Mariano Cascallares. But the internal Camporista-Massista front again imposed numbers and took both positions.
He again appealed to the rotating presidency. The first year will be for the former mayor of Monte Hermoso, Alejandro Dichiara. He was a leader close to Martín Insaurralde and supported by Camporista. Dichiara encountered resistance from the Kicillofist mayors of the Sixth Section, who already tried to veto him in the section list meeting. But not only was he on that list, he also ended up topping it.
Dichiara also has a very good relationship with Cristina Kirchner. In fact, he hosted the last vacation the now-imprisoned former president enjoyed overlooking the ocean at the Sauce Grande spa, in the very seaside community where she has a strong influence.
The vice-presidency of the deputies was left to Massista Alexis Guerrera, former mayor of General Pinto. The positions will rotate: on December 10, 2026, Guerrera will assume the presidency again, a position he already held until a few days ago under the same program.
In addition, La Cámpora retained the presidency of the bloc, which remained in the hands of Facundo Tignanelli.
ANOTHER IMPULSE
These definitions paved the way for another fight that moved to the Senate. In the session in which the new senators were sworn in, the Axel Kicillof sector, whose main sword there is the vice-governor Verónica Magario, tried to impose Ayelén Durán, a former camper from Bahía Blanca who is now under the plan of the Minister of Community Development Andrés “Cuervo” Larroque, as vice president of the upper house.
The resistance of Kirchnerism and Massism was immediate. They blocked Durán and instead proposed the historic mayor of José C. Paz, Mario Ishii, who was elected senator.
Ishii knew how to be close to Kicillof and even sent some of his men to the Buenos Aires cabinet, but recently he made an agreement with Cristina Kirchner herself that now pushes him to become strategic vice president of the Senate.
However, the lack of agreement not only blocked Durán, but also prevented Ishii from taking office.
On the one hand, Kirchnerism claims that this position and the presidency of the bloc correspond to it. In fact, he exercised it through Luis Vivona and Teresa García. Both ended their terms of office.
Consequence
But Kicillofism explains its attack by saying that it raises institutional problems: the vice-presidency of the Senate is at stake. It is the third position of great importance after the governor and the vice president. Therefore, the intention is to tailor this program to leaders reporting to the Right to the Future movement.
In the middle of this fight, the name Sergio Berni appears. Kicillof’s former security minister, but now estranged from the president, fought to stay in the vice presidential office two years ago. He failed in his attempt at Kirchnerism and in his place promoted Luis Vivona, the strongman from Malvinas Argentinas, who now took office as deputy.
Now it is said that Berni would try to intervene in this fight.
For now, he has already raised his profile. First on the spot and then in a letter he sent to Magario, he objected to the fact that in last Monday’s session the legislators who were sworn in at the same time voted on the licenses of the Peronist Gabriel Katopodis and the militant Diego Valenzuela.
The first will remain in the Ministry of Infrastructure together with Kicillof. Valenzuela, meanwhile, will end up in the national government’s migration area.
Another open discussion concerns the chairmanship of the bloc, which is expected to be occupied by a camp senator.
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