The dispute between President Javier Milei and the governors of Argentina's provinces escalated this Friday evening to the brink of an institutional crisis. For weeks, Milei has been intensifying the dispute with the provincial governments, which he accuses of being among the culprits who failed to pass his major law dissolving the state after it was discussed in Congress, and who cut transfers from federal tax collections in order to reduce his Government spending. Government. This Friday, tensions escalated even against governors the president might consider political allies.
The conflict erupted on Friday when the governor of Patagonia's Chubut province, Ignacio Torres, threatened at a rally to cut off gas and oil supplies to the federal government unless it released nearly 13.5 billion pesos (around 16 million euros). U.S. dollar). “We are giving the national government until Wednesday,” Torres said. “If he doesn’t get away from us and doesn’t leave Chubut for Argentina with another barrel of oil. And I want to see them there to see if they are so beautiful.” The government has responded through the Home Secretary that the money was withheld due to debts.
Governor Torres, 35, took office in December as a representative of the Republican Proposal (PRO) party, founded and still led by former conservative President Mauricio Macri. The PRO was Milei's great ally in Congress and even gave territorial strength to an up-and-coming Milei in last November's elections to oversee the vote in its favor across the country. However, the governors of this party and its alliance have spoken in favor of Torres.
President, I want to tell you that unlike others, I am not afraid of you. We will not give in to their insults, threats and pressure. I do not believe in violence and will defend the people of Chubut to the last.
They must govern for all Argentines,… https://t.co/jYKW8pahFG— Nacho Torres (@NachoTorresCH) February 24, 2024
“Failure to comply with the law and agreements between the nation and the provinces does not affect the governors, but rather the 50 million Argentines living in the country's 24 jurisdictions,” the leaders said in a statement issued by the province's governor published statement Santa Fe, Maximiliano Pullaro and signed by his colleagues from the provinces of Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Jujuy, Mendoza, San Juan, San Luis and the mayor of the federal capital. It has also received the support of the six Patagonian provinces, which have told Milei that “taking away from a province more than a third of its share is a criminal act with the deliberate aim of causing suffering to its residents.” his government, to make certain political decisions. In one fell swoop, Milei faced opposition from more than half the political leaders of Argentina's 24 jurisdictions.
“Hello Nachito and accomplices, I'm going to tell you something about the Penal Code,” replied Milei, who plunged into another hectic night of threats and insults on her social networks, supporting the messages of her followers who tried to accuse a “blackmailer”. be. “€, “stupid”, “crying” or “chavista” for Torres and described the governors as “playing with their gills”. [tontos]“To avoid paying your debts, you have to keep the money.” [dinero]†. “Seeing the entire caste that has ruined the lives of good Argentines come together to defend their obscene privileges in sky-high poverty makes me sick…” Milei wrote on his X account.
I never thought in my life that I would experience so many joys along with the principle of revelation…
Furthermore, I feel sick when I see the entire caste that has ruined the lives of good Argentines come together to defend their obscene privileges with sky-high poverty… pic.twitter.com/Ri7o0kzw2p— Javier Milei (@JMilei) February 24, 2024
“The president is looking for imaginary enemies to avoid taking responsibility for what he has to do: govern,” Torres reiterated in a radio interview this Saturday. “There was no national government that aimed to kill like this one in Chubut province. We don’t ask for a single peso, we ask for respect.”
The battle, embedded in a legal dispute over public funds, exposes another battle in the PRO, whose electoral alliance Together for Change is already divided on support for Milei in Congress. Torres denounced this Saturday that Milei is trying to split the party founded by Macri to which he belongs, which will hold internal elections next month to elect the new president and its political course between a full alliance with Milei in Congress or a whereabouts.
The favorite candidate is former President Macri, who remains in contact with Milei after pledging his support in the elections. And according to Governor Torres, he has sought channels of communication with the president to de-escalate the crisis. The party's current president is former presidential candidate and current Milei Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, who has sided with the president in the dispute. “No member of the PRO can agree or confirm the threat to confiscate private property,” Torres said on his social networks. “The dilemma is simple: either everything stays the same, or we welcome freedom and change.”
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