In local legislative elections on Sunday for Buenos Aires province – home to almost 40% of the country’s electorate – the coalition led by the President was beaten by the opposition by 47% to 34%.
In local legislative elections on Sunday for Buenos Aires province – home to almost 40% of the country’s electorate – the coalition led by the President was beaten by the opposition by 47% to 34%.
By Oscar Rotundo*
The electoral earthquake of Sunday, September 7, was not a simple tremor; it was a political tsunami that shook the foundations of power. The province of Buenos Aires, that electoral giant that represents 38% of the national electoral roll, became the battlefield where hope dealt a resounding beating to contempt.
Javier Milei, that arrogant preacher of the apocalypse against the State, came to power with his promises of destroying the political class and corruption more than a year and a half ago, believing that with his arrogance he could discipline workers and retirees to live according to his economic and social machinations. But the people, those same people who in a moment of disappointment believed in his fantasies and supported him with their votes, faced with contempt and abuse and in the face of the shameless economic and social attack against their living conditions, went out to vote in anger.
The 13-point electoral defeat is a cry of “Enough!” to the beatings of retirees, the humiliation of the most vulnerable, and the corruption that has multiplied, turning public administration into a fire sale of the national heritage.
The numbers speak
Fuerza Patria won in six of the eight electoral districts, transforming what Milei believed was a plebiscite in his favor into a political funeral. The 39 Peronist deputies and 24 senators are proof that hope is expressed and reorganized when the slogan is clear and when leaders put the interests of the nation before political pettiness.
Milei, true to form, spoke of self-criticism, but announced that he won’t change anything at all. His mythomaniac perception of reality prevents him from understanding the current political landscape. He believes society operates on his whims, and he doesn’t understand that people’s tolerance has limits. Milei isn’t going to change; all that remains is to follow the paths that will allow exchanging Milei, before he continues to cause more harm.
October 26th will not be just another election; it will be an opportunity to put a stop to the government of decrees and its clients. It will be a new opportunity to move forward in unity, alongside the people, to find the mechanisms to reverse the situation of vassalage to which this government, subservient to its northern masters, has led us.
On October 26th, we will find ourselves in a different situation, because this is a national election, and we have already seen how easily many of those who claim to defend social justice sell out, who are nothing more than opportunists waiting for an opportunity to give themselves away to the highest bidder.
This time, we will have to put all our powers of persuasion and our capacity for mobilization to the test. As the government returns to the provinces with its wallets full and its extortion rampant, seeking to corrupt anyone who lends its ear, we must ensure, through our membership, that the commitment made by those who represent us remains unchanged.
Organization defeats time
The electoral opportunity challenges our ability to connect with people, to engage them in debate and mobilization, not just to oversee votes or assist with logistics and transportation of people.
Supporting the work of our elected representatives and the projects they present or debate in Congress not only fulfills an informative mission, but also contributes to the knowledge and organization necessary to resist the onslaught of privatizing policies or those that threaten popular interests.
A new era is dawning, and we have experienced firsthand how the unthinkable can happen without any scruples. What remains is to reverse the course of this unhinged policy, and to achieve this, the support of all popular sectors is required.
The continuation or intensification of this model of expropriation of our future and our sovereignty would put us in much more serious situations and in worse conditions for political production. Now is the time when unity, solidarity, and organization can lead us to victory.
Oscar Rotundo* International political analyst. Editor of PIA Global. Columnist for the radio program Punto de Partida on Radio Grafica in Argentina and on World Tour.
Cover photo: Javier and Karina Milei, after learning the results of the Buenos Aires elections / Juan Ignacio Roncoroni – EFE
Previously published on Pia Global here, translation by UWI.