The Radical Citizens’ Union (UCR) has new leadership. The plenum of delegates met today at the headquarters of the National Committee on Alsina Street and appointed the young mayor of Venado Tuerto, Leonel Chiarellaas the new president of space. Will be replaced Martin Lousteau.
Chiarella, 36, faces the challenge of leading a party worn down by its own internal party and which has not yet been able to find a unified position in the face of the advance of Javier Milei, a turning point in a space torn between approaching the Casa Rosada and its traditional flags.
“We will give our lives in this party,” said the community leader after his election with the support of 81 delegates and added: “For some this was a hot potato. For us it is the most beautiful challenge of our political life.”
Chiarella becomes president of the party after its main leaders refuse to take office. The governor of Corrientes, Gustavo Valdeswho until this week was the most consensus figure on the centenary issue, indicated he had no interest in leading the party.
In this context, Chiarella will assume the national leadership from next Monday, when Lousteau’s mandate officially ends, who supported his appointment, as did the radical governors of the United Provinces Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe) and Juan Pablo Valdés (Corrientes). The three heads of state and government attended the plenary session this afternoon, as did former presidents Gustavo Valdés, brother and predecessor of the governor of Corrientes, and Gerardo Morales of Jujuy.
The plenary session began with the presence of 69 delegates – 52 were required to reach a quorum – after 3:30 p.m., but a few minutes later a breakout room was opened that lasted until almost 5:00 p.m., when Chiarella’s appointment was finally confirmed. The young 36-year-old mayor received the support of 81 delegates at the national plenary session.
Chiarella will be accompanied by the former President of the FUA, Piera Fernández as Secretary General, Inés Brizuela y Doria (La Rioja) as First Vice President, Javier Bee Selllares (Córdoba) as Second Vice President and María Inés Zigarán (Jujuy) as Third Vice President. Also at the table as secretaries are: Daniel Kroneberger (La Pampa), Gabriela Valenzuela (Corrientes), Marcos Ressico (Chaco), Danya Tavela (Buenos Aires), Ramón Mestre (Córdoba), Agustina Madariaga (Río Negro) and Daniel Angelici (CABA).
After his appointment as party leader, Chiarella assured that he would dedicate himself to trying to reconcile the various internal currents that have multiplied in recent years, but set a clear course by declaring that radicalism will continue to aim at breaking polarization and will not ally itself directly with the government of Javier Milei.
“We live in a time when crack only benefits those who are part of crack. What we can say to society, listen to it and tell it that there is another way to do politics,” he said. It is a similar position to that of the governors of the United Provinces when they decided to open a space of their own and not to enter into agreements with the national ruling party in their districts, a strategy to which Alfredo Cornejo (Mendoza) and Leandro Zdero (Chaco) appealed.
Chiarella came to the municipality of Venado Tuerto in 2019 when she was almost 30 years old and was re-elected in 2023 with 83% of the vote. This high level of popular support is one of the advantages that the party wants to exploit in its reconstruction process. His young age is also an attraction for a place that wants to show signs of renewal and will now have the youngest president in its 134-year history.
The party also highlights his extensive career and management experience. The community leader began his involvement at the age of 15 while still in high school, but it wasn’t until 2015 that he gained his first elected position. This year he assumed the position of city councilor of Venado Tuerto, a position that – according to Radicalism – allowed him to chart a path to combat drug trafficking and crime in his city. It is an agenda that he later deepened after becoming municipal leader and that is consistent with the province-wide security approach proposed by Pullaro.
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