The governor of Salta, Gustavo Saenz, and Tucuman, Osvaldo Galdo, unite
A new internal bloc has been created in both chambers of the National Congress. Its creation was completed yesterday, in the Salta District House of the federal capital, and will involve legislators who respond to some northern governors and perhaps to two Patagonian governors who have not yet confirmed their participation.
It primarily includes the Byronic rulers who fell outside the orbit of Christina Kirchner. The official goal: to restore political weight and demand from Javier Miley a more federal agenda with the immediate goal of disputing the resources of their provinces in negotiating the 2026 budget, which will be discussed in the special sessions.
Strictly speaking, this movement is sponsored by the government because it leaves the ruling party one step away from obtaining the first minority of representatives, which by the way is the disintegration of Peronism, in the midst of a crisis of national identity and leadership.
Gustavo Sainz of Salta served as host yesterday. Osvaldo Galdo (Tucuman), Raul Jalil (Catamarca) and Rolando Figueroa (Neuquen) arrived at his office in Buenos Aires. Although they showed signs of joining, Gerardo Zamora (Santiago del Estero) and Hugo Passalacqua (Misiones) did not ultimately send their representatives. Also in the match were the Deputy Ministry of the Interior, Oscar Zago, and Carlos D’Alessandro, from the Coherencia bloc, who could also join the initiative. And legislators from Salta such as the former Minister of Energy in the previous government, Flavia Royon, who will take over as senator. Catamarca Representatives Fernanda Avila, Fernando Monguilot and Sebastian Nobilega and Senator Fernando Andrada were present, along with Carolina Moises and Fernando Salino of San Luis, who are already members of the Federal Conviction Caucus.
New meeting
For now, next week there will be a new meeting. Promoters of the new bloc hope that it will bring together between 12 and 20 representatives and 10 senators. There are no definitions about who will lead the blocks.
Sáenz, who was a spokesperson yesterday, predicted that there would be dissent with legislators in Tucuman, Salta, Catamarca, Misiones, Río Negro and Neuquén, and cast a focus on his peers from the United Provinces, a space that brings together six other governors (extremists, supporters and Peronists from Córdoba). “I always say that we are cousins with the United Provinces, but we have a responsibility to govern each of our provinces and that is what we focus on: providing solutions for the people of Tucuman, the people of Salta, the people of Catamarca, the missionaries, the people of Neuquén and Río Negro and everyone, right?” said the man from Salta.
There could have been a connection between Saenz and Interior Secretary Diego Santilli, who was instrumental in the rehabilitation of the biosphere corridor project demanded by the governor.
not now
Figueroa, from Neuquén, expected there to be coordinated action, but ruled out his deputies joining the new bloc. He said, “We will support the independent bloc, which will be called New Quinidad, and we will not merge any bloc, let that be clear. Yes, we will work in coordination with the rest of the governors to think about what is best for each of our provinces.”
Meanwhile, Figueroa planned a meeting with the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, to support the removal of the reservation on conventional crude oil. Just like Claudio Vidal from Santa Cruz. Both lead to oil boycotts.
Some doubts
However, it looks like things are still in the assembly stages. The confidence with which Sáenz asserted that the overlap was a fact contrasted with the silence of Jalil, who had an agreement with his predecessor in Catamarca, Lucia Corpaci (close to Kirchnerism) and with Figueroa of Neuquén’s refusal to join. Added to this are the errors of Alberto Weretelnik from Rio Negro; And the missionary Passalacqua, although the latter, with the endorsement of his political boss Carlos Rovira, already plays in Congress within the bloc called Federal Innovation.
Fact: The man from Catamarca met Diego Santilli at Casa Rosada after meeting with his peers. Calls for greater regional participation in the YMAD Water Mining Deposit (YMAD). The government is likely to grant it and may soon announce its joining the new bloc.
The meeting organizers justified Passalacqua’s absence for health reasons and stressed that Vertelnik was not part of the party either because he was left without parliamentary representation of his own.
Thus, to the flight of legislators that the Peronist bloc in the Deputies and the Senate will suffer due to this move, to this will be added the possible departure of the seven people from Santiago who answer to Governor Gerardo Zamora, who will once again use the Seal of the Civic Front even though he can continue to be part of the Peronist bloc. Their counterparts in the north are betting, based on pragmatism, that some will remain within the Justice and Development Party bloc and that others will separate from it.
The state rulers ignored the political blow that this separation would deal to Peronism in general and Kirchnerism in particular.
“We are worried about our provinces, we are not worried about the first minorities, nor about who currently leads the AKP, we are worried about our people and we have to offer them solutions,” warned the very sincere Saenz, who at the same time criticizes Cristina Kirchner and complains about the unfinished business of this government.
Budget and reforms
Provincial leaders ratified their support for budget and labor reform and conditioned it on including promised public works — after two years of drought — and the sharing of the ATN Fund and other resources.
They explained that the new bloc would have an independent federal character, and would neither be liberal nor Kirchnerian.