A poor television appearance by national deputy José Luis Espert – who attempted unsuccessfully to clarify his links with businessman Federico Andrés ‘Fred’ Machado, a man accused of drug-trafficking – has failed to satisfy the majority of the Cabinet. They continue to defend him only at the explicit request of President Javier Milei.
In truth, the doubts and evasiveness displayed by the former Juntos por el Cambio member during prime time fell short of the expectations of several members of the La Libertad Avanza administration, many of whom spent much of Wednesday in deep discussion over the lawmaker's plight.
Following the President’s backing – he remains his only staunch defender – and at the Casa Rosada’s request, Espert was set up to appear before the media and answer each question according to a script overseen by the government.
But none of that came to pass. The top congressional candidate for La Libertad Avanza in Buenos Aires Province appeared hesitant and refused to answer whether he had in fact received a US$200,000 contribution from Machado, claiming he would not “give the satisfaction” to Fuerza Patria and Juan Grabois, who made the complaint, of stepping away from the campaign.
“The explanations were poor. He didn’t need to respond to Grabois – what he should have done was explain things to the public,”a senior government source told Noticias Argentinas. “The President’s defence was better than his. Everything he said only made it worse.”
In line with this, National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich raised the stakes again, publicly calling on Espert to repeat his explanations to the press, only this time with greater clarity.
Although she blamed the opposition for spreading the story as a campaign “operation,” she insisted that the libertarian-turned-ally “has to go back on the air” and “give a clear answer.”
“Full stop. That’s what I think,” the minister declared in an interview with A24, the same television channel Espert had appeared on just hours earlier.
In the corridors of Balcarce 50, Bullrich’s concerns are understood, and many believe she is among the most politically damaged by the controversy. “She’s hurt, and it affected her. The fight against drug-trafficking is her flagship issue, and she needs to defend it,” insiders told Noticias Argentinas.
Another voice to break the silence was Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos, speaking at an event organised by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), in which he reaffirmed support for the candidate in the lead-up to the October elections but urged him to “give a clear and forceful explanation of the matter.”
“I don’t think he should step down unless he admits to some kind of responsibility – which I don’t believe he has,” Francos said on Thursday morning, adding: “He needs to give an explanation that’s clear to the public and get out of this situation.”
The string of political shifts undertaken by Espert has generated distrust among several members of the libertarian administration. With almost no allies left, his presence has even led La Libertad Avanza's Presidential Chief-of-Staff Karina Milei and Presidential Adviser Santiago Caputo to agree on a negative assessment.
Fortunately for him, the lawmaker enjoys the backing of the senior-most member of the so-called “Iron Triangle”: the President himself. “The problem with Espert is that not even his own people like him – only the President does,” said one libertarian source with access to the presidential office.
As previously reported, Espert’s situation was heavily debated during political and Cabinet meetings Wednesday, with the possibility of removing him from La Libertad Avanza’s electoral list even being considered, despite the tight calendar. In the end, Milei’s will prevailed.
From the head of the table in his office, the President laid out one-by -one the political reasons for continuing to support Espert, later repeating them in the Eva Perón Room in an effort to bring sceptical allies into line behind the embattled deputy.
The fact that the accuser is Juan Grabois, leader of the Movimiento de Trabajadores Excluidos (MTE), is seen as a potential advantage. “If someone serious had made the accusation, it would be a different story. Grabois is a serial accuser and involved in countless legal cases,” one source told this outlet.
Some believe that if La Libertad Avanza were to prepare a solid argument justifying Espert’s removal, they would “walk” the legislative elections on October 26. Nonetheless, at present, that possibility is not being considered, as the President is said to be “a man of his word and wouldn’t do that.”
Until then, Espert continues to buy time under the President’s protection. He is expected to appear alongside him on stage at the Movistar Arena next Monday, October 6, during the launch of Milei’s new book, La construcción del milagro.
The following day, the pair are scheduled to appear together again – barring unforeseen events – on a campaign trail; visit to San Isidro, an activity that was recently rescheduled for diary reasons.
“None of these decisions had anything to do with the operation orchestrated by Juan Grabois,” campaign teams repeatedly insisted following the changes.
by Sofia Rojas, Noticias Argentinas
Comments