Argentina
Interior PJ leaders seek to open the presidential race and promote a primary
Governors and provincial figures are pushing an alternative to the figures now seen at the forefront of Peronism. According to Clarín, the idea of settling the candidacy through PASO or a party election is gaining ground.
Peronist figures from different provinces have begun to make moves so that the space’s presidential definition does not remain concentrated in the Buenos Aires suburbs and the City of Buenos Aires. According to Clarín, the proposal aims to enable a contest, either in the PASO or through an internal party election, in the face of a scenario in which Axel Kicillof, Cristina Kirchner and Sergio Massa appear as the most prominent names.
In that framework, Sergio Uñac has been calling on the PJ for a formal mechanism to choose a candidate. According to Clarín, the San Juan senator toured Corrientes, Misiones, Santiago del Estero, Catamarca, Mendoza, San Luis and La Pampa in recent weeks, and plans to continue through Entre Ríos and La Rioja. His proposal is based on the assumption that the Government could move ahead with eliminating the PASO.
Uñac had already expressed his willingness to compete and proposed a party primary organized by regions. Quoted by Clarín, he said he seeks to build a national proposal “from the interior” and stressed that anyone aspiring to govern must know the country’s different realities. He will also insist on that request at a meeting with José Mayans, first vice president of the PJ and the one effectively leading the party.
Meanwhile, during a tribute to José Manuel de la Sota, the possibility of a candidacy for Gerardo Zamora was mentioned again. However, people close to the Santiago del Estero leader told Clarín that he does not consider himself a candidate and believes it is still too early to speak of that possibility. Even so, within the Peronism of the interior, he is recognized as playing a relevant role, either as a potential candidate or as an interlocutor with other governors.
Another figure seeking a place in that reorganization is Ricardo Quintela. According to Clarín, the La Rioja governor is working with the idea of contributing to the reorganization of the PJ and building bridges between opposing sectors. In that line, on Friday he held a meeting in San Vicente with members of the Buenos Aires mayors’ league, including Federico Otermín, Mariel Fernández, Federico Achával and Gustavo Menéndez.
People close to Quintela told Clarín that the meeting focused on the national and provincial situation and the need to build a collective project. They also said that the movements of other interior leaders should not be read as competition among them, but as part of a stage of tours and listening before a possible alignment behind the best-positioned leader.
Still according to Clarín, this current is also being watched with interest by Peronist governors who have a good relationship with Javier Milei. Among them is Raúl Jalil, who said that an expression from the interior can contribute a more updated agenda. In that group, the newspaper also placed Osvaldo Jaldo and Gustavo Sáenz.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
