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After growing in the background for months, Mauricio Macri returned to active politics. On his return to the stage, he managed to gather most of his party’s representatives, but there were two notable absences that marked the Pro relaunch event in La Boca: Horacio Rodriguez Larreta and Patricia Bullrichthe former presidential candidates of Together for Change.
The former president’s closest collaborators highlighted the almost perfect attendance of the top brass of the force and the former president’s allies. Accompanying the head of Pro in his return to the center of the ring was interpreted by Macri’s closest circle as a demonstration of loyalty after the political divorce with Bullrich and the deep distancing with Larreta.
In the Arenas Studios room were the governors Rogelio Frigerio (Between rivers), Ignacio Torres (Chubut) and the head of the Buenos Aires government, Jorge Macrito mayors, legislators and parliamentary authorities, such as Soledad Martínez, Guillermo Montenegro, María Eugenia Vidal, Cristian Ritondo and Martín Yeza, among others. “The Pro is Mauricio. It is an honor that he is the one who leads us. Change is, without a doubt, the most important thing for us,” he exclaimed. Clara Muzziodeputy head of the Buenos Aires government and former minister of Larreta, had barely started the event.
Mauricio Macri at the ProRodrigo Néspolo convention – LA NACION
Former Cambiemos officials and allied leaders who hold positions in the City also appeared, such as Roberto Garcia Moritanor that are orbiting close to the government of Javier Milei, such as Lucas Aparicioadvisor to Sandra Pettovello. Several former national ministers, such as German Garavanomingled among the Pro militants who helped populate the warehouse. Even the “Toothless Magician”, the historic host of the celebrations in the bunkers of Pro, appeared at the rally.
There was an atmosphere of reunion and nostalgia. Pro is experiencing a deep identity crisis due to Milei’s unexpected rise to power.. The debate over what the narrative or level of closeness to Milei’s transformist project should be dominated the conversations of the top Pro leaders. “What are we? Officialism or opposition? The guarantors of change?” they argued. From the stage, Jorge Macri or Torres asked for a “self-criticism” for the debacle of 2023 and called for preserving the spirit and principles of Pro. “This ‘guarantors of change’ thing is too much for us,” said Frigerio, who said that they must be “instruments” to “not frustrate” society’s hope of overcoming the Kirchnerist stage. Macri listened to him from the side of the stage, where he sat next to Ritondo, Montenegro, former minister Dante Sica and Fernando De Andreis, his right-hand man.
In his return to the center of the stage, Macri tried to show political strength, after the latest disagreements with Milei. In his message, The head of Pro confirmed that he is willing to fight to preserve his share of power and prevent his force from “merging” with La Libertad Avanza (LLA). He wants to preserve Pro as a right-wing republican alternative.
Mauricio Macri at the ProRodrigo Néspolo convention – LA NACION
Most members of the leadership celebrated the most energetic passages of Macri’s speech, who avoided mentioning Larreta or Bullrich. However, the former president again questioned the presidential dispute between his former partners. “Between 2019 and 2023, our internal disputes were very damaging, we were more united than we were for change. And worse in 2021: we lacked the conviction to defend changes that the vast majority of Argentines demanded,” Macri said. Deputy Hernán Lombardi, former advisor to Bullrich, applauded from the front row.
Both Bullrich and Larreta excused themselves from participating in Macri’s relaunching event. Milei’s Minister of Security claimed that I had not been inviteddespite the organizers claiming that he had received the mail with participation. Although they have been at odds since she opted to join the libertarian cabinet without the endorsement of her former electoral promoter, Macri and Bullrich met alone last week. The former president visited her in her office at the ministry to exchange views on the relationship with Milei. “We do not agree,” Bullrich summed up In conversation with LN+, she is a true supporter of Mileísta, which is why she rejects Macri’s attempt to differentiate himself from the government of La Libertad Avanza.
Mauricio Macri at the ProRodrigo Néspolo convention – LA NACION
Although Bullrich and her loyalists, such as Damián Arabia, second vice president of Pro, were absent, there were leaders close to the minister who participated in the event in La Boca, such as Silvana Giudici, parliamentary secretary of the Deputies bloc, or the mayor of San Isidro, Ramon Lanuswho intends to maintain the relationship with Macri and the national official.
Larreta argued that he was not attending because he is not part of the leadership of Pro and does not share the idea of giving Milei the keys to the party. The former Buenos Aires chief was also not mentioned in the speeches, despite having played a central role in the beginnings of Pro and having been in charge of the City for eight years. The one who did try to occupy a leading role was Jorge MacriLarreta’s successor in the Pro stronghold. He led the rally of the militants and rehearsed an energetic speech before Torres and Frigerio in the panel of governors. However, the biggest ovation was for another Pro leader who advocates settling internal differences and joining forces: Esteban Bullrich.
Panel of governors: Rogelio Frigerio from Entre Ríos, Torres from Chubut and Jorge Macri for CABARodrigo Néspolo – LA NACION
Throughout his message, For the first time, Macri pointed to public opinion against the President’s “environment”. Although he did not mention it, the head of Pro blames Santiago Caputo for the mistreatment he suffered in Tucumán or the resistance to his suggestions to strengthen the government’s management capacity. With Karina Milei, meanwhile, he has no dialogue. For example, Macri has suggested to the president that he could incorporate Guillermo Dietrich or Javier Iguacel, But Caputo did not communicate with them. For several black-palate Macristas, it was not a coincidence that Macri warned about the government’s management deficit in infrastructure. In his media raid he emphasized the failures he noticed in the Ministry of Transportation, headed by Franco Mogetta.
Macri separates Milei from his criticisms. He believes that the problem is his circle of trust and his decision-making scheme. In fact, he builds a bond with the Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francos, or Pettovello, with whom he also strengthened ties in his crusade to alert Milei about Caputo’s actions in sensitive areas of the administration.
Macri’s entourage is suspicious of the public praise that the presidential adviser gave him in an interview with the Todo Noticias portal. They are convinced that Caputo was the one who ordered that the television cameras or official photographers not focus on Macri during the signing of the May Pact in Tucumán. And they believe that he made known his desire to keep Macri away from Milei or to reduce his power of influence in the Government. The link with Caputo is broken, which is why Macri prefers to have a direct relationship with Milei, without mediators.
Conocé The Trust Project