"Only she knows what she's going to do. Not even (Oscar) Parrilli must have the slightest idea." Deciphering Cristina Kirchner was never an easy task, even for leaders who, as in this case, accompanied her in the last two decades. In another socioeconomic context, no one would doubt that she would keep her word not to be a "candidate for anything," as she promised in December after the conviction she suffered for the National Roads case.
But the operative clamor and the difficulties that the Frente de Todos has in finding a clear leadership open questions. The vice president does not give signs of what her definition will be and has not cleared another of the great discussions in which the ruling party is immersed, whether or not she agrees with the internal competition in the face of the PASO. On the contrary: he plays at various ends and lets referents of his space do things, which generates disorder and a state of permanent deliberation, which will not dissipate this Tuesday's meeting of the PJ Congress.
"I don't know why they are so surprised, sometimes journalists are very far-fetched ... She is letting everyone play and then, with all the cards on the table, she will decide," tries to explain a leader who worked with her in the last decade. Everything suggests that there will be no definitions on his part until May 25, when the act is held for the 20th anniversary of the arrival of Kirchnerism to power.
The contradictions that are noticed within La Cámpora are an example of the chaos unleashed by the vice president's "letting go". While important leaders such as Andrés "Cuervo" Larroque stated that "the best thing is to try to go with a consensus proposal that demonstrates a powerful level of unity" and second lines and part of the leadership that accompanies Máximo Kirchner in the Buenos Aires PJ were responsible for scattering that for the group, without Cristina on the scene, the presidential candidate is Massa.
What was initially read as the rejection of the PASO and a resounding wink from the vice president to the Tigrense, due to the undoubted closeness with the leaders who supported Massa's candidacy, with the passing of the days began to be questioned. Especially when other leaders of the Christian kidney appeared, such as Senator Oscar Parrilli, who surgically took care to clarify that "no one is going to prevent interns" and listed a long list of possible candidates; or Eduardo "Wado" De Pedro himself, who this Sunday assured C5N that "there will most likely be PASO". To make matters worse, Kirchner himself snubbed on Saturday those who strive to officiate as their spokesmen: he left the door open for there to be internal and assured that what is needed is "a good government program that is by PASO or by synthesis is fulfilled as of December 10, 2023 ".
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In private he says something else, he wants Massa as a candidate who always fulfilled him," a leader of permanent dialogue with Kirchner told Clarín. Not everyone is convinced of the same thing. Many attribute the versions to Tigre himself and the Buenos Aires cabinet chief, Martín Insaurralde, and remember that the former head of the bloc of Deputies "would never pressure Cristina" through the media.
The vice president never gave indications on the subject, although she suggestively endorsed the movements of De Pedro, the interior minister who is part of La Cámpora but whose link with it already runs on a different lane from that of the organization.
De Pedro intensified his campaign activities in recent weeks and passed twice through the Senate: first he held a meeting with the ultra-Christian troops of the bloc and last Thursday he met with Cristina and shared a meeting with Juan Carlos Livraga, survivor of the massacre of José León Suárez.
The minister, who usually stops when asked about his candidacy and clarifies that he will do "what she says", seeks to show himself as the ultra K alternative before a PASO scenario, knowing that Axel Kicillof resists leading the presidential ticket. That three days after seeing Cristina, De Pedro has said that "the most likely thing is that there will be PASO" and that "people will have to define who they trust more" does not seem to be casual in a leader who checks – especially since the controversy generated by his photo with the authorities of Expoagro – every step he takes with his political leader. More: a few months ago he incorporated Fabián "Conu" Rodríguez and Carlitos Figueroa, two strategists of camporista communication, into his campaign team.
Nor does it cease to be suggestive the sum of ultra-Christian support that began to pronounce in favor of his candidacy: the last was the teacher and deputy Hugo Yasky, who pointed it out as the "Plan B" if the vice president does not play.
