In a recent interview on Radio Rivadavia, José Luis Espert fervently dismissed any internal conflicts within La Libertad Avanza concerning his candidacy. He boldly asserted,
“I am the candidate of La Libertad Avanza in the upcoming elections,”
aiming to quash speculations about divisions within the party’s leadership.
The simmering tensions within the Triángulo de Hierro (Iron Triangle) regarding Espert’s potential candidacy for the October 26 legislative elections have been a topic of discussion. While Javier Milei supports Espert as a candidate, his sister Karina Milei and influential presidential advisor Santiago Caputo do not share the same sentiment. The hardline mileísmo faction holds reservations towards Espert due to his past criticisms of La Libertad Avanza when he led his own party and even allied with Juntos por el Cambio, receiving votes in 2023.
Espert emphatically debunked rumors about internal strife within La Libertad Avanza by stating,
“I don’t believe in rumors talking about an internal conflict; they are false.”
He emphasized that he collaborates effectively with Karina Milei and Santiago Caputo, dismissing any claims of discord. Expressing his political stance, Espert criticized Cristina Kirchner, referring to her as “a thief
” and expressing his desire to compete against her but implying she should be incarcerated. Furthermore, he condemned Kirchnerismo as a repugnant project that he hoped would disappear from Argentina’s landscape.
The ongoing internal struggle within mileísmo over Espert’s candidacy has been brewing for months. Karina Milei, the Secretary General of La Libertad Avanza at the national level, has reservations about having the economist lead the national ticket in October. Despite this opposition, Javier Milei continues to support Espert as head of the Budget Commission in Congress.
President Alberto Fernández voiced his unwavering support for Espert during one of his recent appearances by declaring, “Espert is La Libertad Avanza.” However, Karina remains wary of Espert due to comments made by him during his brief stint with Juntos por el Cambio under Horacio Rodríguez Larreta’s failed presidential arrangement.
Notably, tensions escalated when Lilia Lemoine accused Espert of being a “
courier” while both serving as lawmakers back in 2023. Last year saw them affiliating with the libertarian party together at Casa Rosada—an image that could resurface during the campaign season amid controversies involving Federico ‘Fred’ Machado’s alleged drug-related involvements while detained in the United States.
Karina empowered Sebastián Pareja as her primary strategist in the Province after rifts emerged when Milei-backed Espert began asserting demands for positions as early as 2024. The situation eased following a meeting and photo opportunity at La Plata governor’s office under La Libertad Avanza’s banner.
Despite affirming support for forming alliances to challenge Kirchnerismo’s dominance politically, Experto did not engage in discussions alongside Karina and key PRO figures like Cristian Ritondo and Diego Santilli to shape a unified electoral strategy aimed at countering Kirchnerismo forces effectively.
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