The Budget detonates internal conflict in the libertarian PRO and fractures the UCR

In a tense meeting, the provincial leaders yesterday sent Luis Caputo to redo the public works annex. Not only were the funds for the works already transferred by the Nation missing, but there were gross errors in their preparation. “There were works that corresponded to Chaco but were listed in another province, beyond the lack of funds,” he told Scope one of the participants in the zoom with the chief of staff, Guillermo Francos, and with the Minister of Economy.

Complaints about the Budget

The governors achieved their first objective. A commitment from the Ministry of Finance to redo the public works annex of the 2025 Budget and a public retraction, via Jose Luis Espert, of the presidential demand to adjust US$60 billion in the provinces. The head of the Budget and Finance Committee clarified that in reality it would be a lesser adjustment, of US$20 billion, while Caputo clarified that it was more than US$10 billion. “a discursive resource of the President” than a demand for adjustment based on real numbers.

In parallel, and on the same day, when not even 24 hours had passed since Milei’s presentation in the House of Representatives, Patricia Bullrich crossed paths with the Secretary of Parliamentary and Institutional Relations, Omar de Marchi, after he said that Mendoza “is the most unsafe province in Argentina.” De Marchi is the political leader of the PRO in Mendoza and an adversary of Luis Petri, another libertarian radical, in the race for the governorship.

“An official must be guided by specific data from the Ministry of National Security and not by his political passions,” was Bullrich’s post on her X account where she presents statistics on security in each province. “He should be guided by the data of the Ministry of Security and not by his political passions”he complained about De Marchi.

Friendly fire by Patricia Bullrich

Bullrich’s Twitter offensive comes after De Marchi posted: “Mendoza, the most unsafe province in Argentina.” “Structural problems due to the lack of management and team in the province inevitably arise,” he posted, adding: “You can’t hide the sun with your hands. Despite the scandalous advertising, reality prevails.” The message was directed against Alfredo Cornejo, governor of Mendoza and De Marchi’s executioner in the last elections. Bullrich’s post was followed by a harsh response from Gabriel Pradines, president of the PRO of Mendoza, who came out to confirm the figures on insecurity in his province published by De Marchi.

But Bullrich and Cornejo also got involved in the internal affairs of the UCR due to the suspension of part of the National Convention, of 4 deputies who supported Milei’s veto of the retirement mobility, some of whom were brought by the Minister of Security to the Casa Rosada. But in addition to Mariano Campero, Martín Arjol, Luis Picat and Pablo Cervi, there are more UCR deputies questioned by the party authorities who should also face the Ethics Tribunal to be investigated: Santa Cruz’s Roxana Reyes and Chaco’s Gerardo Cipolini, absent during the vote on the veto.

The suspension of the radical deputies was criticized by Bullrich but also by figures of the UCR such as Cornejo and the head of the radical bench in the House of Representatives, Rodrigo De Loredo. “The policy of popular majorities is not for sects, nor is it done with purges. The UCR is not a university group, it is a national party. This decision is wrong. I ask the party authorities to assume the task of leading, not to be the voice of a faction,” was the complaint of the governor of Mendoza.

While Bullrich and the radicals expose the internal conflict in the middle of the debate over the 2025 Budget, the four suspended deputies will go tonight to Olivos to the barbecue that Milei will offer them in honor of the “87 heroes of the country” who prevented a raise for retirees.