Reichardt to top La Libertad Avanza list as judge rejects imposition of Santilli

Federal judge Alejo Ramos Padilla has rejected a request from La Libertad Avanza seeking to impose national deputy Diego Santilli at the top of the ruling party’s slate of candidates in Buenos Aires Province in next month’s election.

The request, filed by President Javier Milei’s party after lawmaker José Luis Espert withdrew from running over his links to a suspected drug-trafficker and fraudster, means that model and actor Karen Reichardt will lead the ticket in the nation’s key battleground region.

Milei had sought to insert Santilli, an experienced lawmaker and former deputy mayor of Buenos Aires City, after Espert’s candidacy collapsed in scandal on Monday. 

Unlike Reichardt, a political novice who has voiced support for Milei on social media, Santilli hails from the PRO party led by former president Mauricio Macri, which has aligned itself with La Libertad Avanza for the October 26 midterm elections.

In his ruling, Judge Ramos Padilla said he had “decided not to grant the changes requested by the La Libertad Avanza alliance." 

His ruling means that Reichardt will lead the list for Buenos Aires Province, with Santilli and Gladys Humenuk following her.

The Milei administration is also pushing for ballots to be reprinted in the region in the wake of Espert’s decision, seeking the removal of the La Libertad Avanza deputy’s face and image from the Boletas Únicas de Papela (BUP) paper that voters use.

According to the Executive branch, reprinting the paper ballots for the district.will cost around 12 billion pesos.

Government sources anticipated Tuesday that they will appeal the measure in the wake of a negative ruling from the electoral court

“If the courts reject the reprinting of the ballots, a judicial submission will be made because LLA is legally prohibited from spending that sum” of money, explained the source.

Reichart and Santilli joined President Milei in Mar del Plata on Tuesday for a walk through the city centre and a visit to a local factory. 

Hundreds of supporters turned out to welcome the head of state, while a counter demonstration took place nearby.

– TIMES/NA