Election 2023: Candidates stage closing campaign rallies ahead of PASO primaries

Argentina’s political parties and coalitions are closing out their campaigns ahead of this Sunday’s PASO primaries, with each force hosting events with a last push for votes.

Javier Milei, presidential hopeful for La Libertad Avanza, was the first to host a rally, taking advantage of a break in singer Luis Miguel’s run of shows at the Movistar Arena to stage an event for supporters. Internet users clashed over the attendance at the 15,000-capacity stadium but there was a strong turnout as the libertarian lawmaker railed against the political establishment and riled up his fans, vindicating former president Carlos Menem’s decade in office with demands for dollarisation and the eradication of the Central Bank.​

Economy minister Sergio Massa, who shares his Unión por la Patria ticket with Agustín Rossi, will conclude his agenda with a rally on Thursday at 6pm, at the Teatro Argentino in La Plata.

Last Sunday, Massa gained the support of ruling party social movements in an event at the Ferro stadium and on Monday he held meetings with the Independent Workers’ Association, educational and cultural authorities.

Juan Grabois, leader of the MTE, also competing in the ruling party primary, will hold a rally on Wednesday at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium, under the slogan “vote with your heart."

The opposition coalition is also preparing their multiple campaign closings. On the one hand, Buenos Aires City mayor and presidential hopeful Horacio Rodríguez Larreta is heading a tour which started on Sunday in Tucumán and will conclude on Wednesday in Paraná, Entre Ríos, next to governor hopeful Rogelio Frigerio. He will also travel to Córdoba along with his running-mate Gerardo Morales.

On Monday, Rodríguez Larreta toured San Isidro, Vicente López and walked around Belgrano. He also took part in an event headed by Jorge Macri, who aspires to succeed him in the mayoralty, which concluded with a photo showing unity among the main players in the bloc, including former president Mauricio Macri, and his competitor Patricia Bullrich. He will close his campaign on Thursday at the Club Atenas in La Plata, together with his governor hopeful Diego Santilli and local mayor Julio Garro.

PRO leader Patricia Bullrich, also in the Juntos por el Cambio primary, chose a symbolic town for her rally at the Lanús stadium, a town ruled by her governor hopeful Néstor Grindetti. She will also go to Rosario and Córdoba.

The Hacemos por Nuestro País ticket, headed by Juan Schiaretti and Florencio Randazzo will have their gathering with leaders and a press conference presenting their platform at the NH hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. The next day, they will have a rally in Córdoba.

The Frente de Izquierda is no exception and its main left-wing leaders will have a fierce PASO primary between the Partido Obrero (PO) candidate Gabriel Solano, sharing a ticket with Vilma Ripoll (MST), and Myriam Bregman and Nicolás del Caño, both from the Partido de Trabajadores Socialistas (PTS).

Their closings will be as divided as their campaigns. Under the slogan “Unity of fighters and the left”, Solano and Ripoll will close their campaign on Wednesday by the Cabildo in central Buenos Aires.

On the other hand, Bregman y del Caño will hold a rally at Club Atlético Fernández Fierro, next to mayoral hopeful Jorge Adaro and City of Buenos Aires legislator Andrea D'Atri.

Outside the FIT, the Nuevo MAS, headed by Manuela Castañeira, the youngest presidential hopeful, will have a walk on Thursday, from the corner of Callao and Corrientes to 9 de Julio, together with Juan Cruz Ramat and Federico Winokur.