La Libertad Avanza, PRO ink alliance in Buenos Aires Province

President Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party has agreed a deal with Mauricio Macri’s PRO which will see the two forces unite in a right-wing electoral alliance for the September 7 elections in Buenos Aires Province.

After months of speculation, the two parties smoothed out final details at the start of the week, finally inking an agreement on Wednesday, July 9, Argentina’s Independence Day.

The new alliance – the Frente La Libertad Avanza – will see both parties line up on the same ticket, in a bid to damage Peronism’s electoral prospects.

Sebastián Pareja, La Libertad Avanza’s main organiser in Buenos Aires Province, hosted his PRO counterpart Cristian Ritondo at his offices in Buenos Aires City, before they offered a press conference at the Hotel Libertador, the libertarian party’s preferred spot in the capital.

Also in attendance was Lower House Speaker Martín Menem and Presidential Chief-of-Staff Karina Milei, who was the first to speak. “Now Kirchnerism will have a stronger enemy,” she declared before reporters.

Ritondo was accompanied by PRO national deputy Diego Santilli and the mayor of General Pueyrredón, Guillermo Montenegro, who attended on behalf of the party’s 13 municipal leaders, who had announced their support for a deal earlier in the day.

“‘We feel comfortable working together, we don't have to make an effort,” Ritondo emphasised, playing nice for the camera.

Santilli and Montenegro are among those who have pushed hardest for an agreement, which the ruling party hopes will be enough to damage Peronism’s control of Buenos Aires Province, its historic stronghold.

“From the province of Buenos Aires, we’ll say it plainly: the ‘K’ [Kircherite] era is over. With the vision of Karina Milei and the courage of our President Javier Milei, we have been working for some time to build a space where everyone who agrees with the ideas of liberty is welcome,” cheered Pareja in a statement on social media.

“Today, on the anniversary of our Independence, we took a historic step to join forces and finally put an end to the populism that has left the province abandoned in misery,” he added, vowing to turn the region into a “bastion of liberty.”

After several days of tension and internal disputes, PRO’s 13 Buenos Aires Province mayors confirmed they would sign up to the agreement. 

Some initially expressed reservations about negotiating with Milei’s national government and called for greater autonomy when assembling candidate lists. 

After considering the option of running on a separate, shorter ballot, the local leaders ultimately chose to support the direction of the party’s top leaders.

“The participation of our mayors strengthens a space which has emerged in response to the call for deep change expressed every day by millions of people in Buenos Aires Province. With proven leadership and strong territorial presence, all PRO mayors bring experience, capability and political leadership to the alliance,” said Ritondo in a statement.

– TIMES/NA/PERFIL