The mayors' summit in La Plata with Axel Kicillof seemed to have been traced as a continuation of what was the summit at the Federal Investment Council (CFI) in which the PJ governors demanded that the Frente de Todos go with a unity list to the PASO. But, in the end, the postcard was very different. It is that Máximo Kirchner surprised and decided to distance himself from the pressure exerted by Sergio Massa so that there is no internal competition in the ruling party and gave freedom of action to the mayors of the Buenos Aires PJ, who did not agree and, consequently, did not issue any statement in electoral key.
Although in the previous one it was taken for granted that Kirchner, who shared a trip to China with the Minister of Economy, was going to play hard with the objective of directing the electoral discussion and blocking any candidacy that competed with the one blessed by Cristina, none of that happened. Even the issue, according to at least four of those present, was not the "central" axis but was treated superficially. "He didn't call me and from what I talked to several of the boys, either," one of the mayors told Clarín, who reviewed that neither the popes of the most populous districts, such as Fernando Espinoza (La Matanza); Marina Lesci (Lomas de Zamora) and Mariano Cascallares (Admiral Brown) made a strong statement in this regard.
As if to ratify that it was not an oversight of the former head of the FdT Deputy bloc, other sources reported that it was not a concern that camporistas such as Mayra Mendoza (Quilmes) or Juan Ignacio Ustarroz (Mercedes) approached. In the case of the latter, the reading is broader: without an agreement for a unity list, his foster brother, Interior Minister Eduardo "Wado" de Pedro, is positioned to be the K pre-candidate in that eventual contest with Scioli. Precisely, days ago and after Cristina urged "that the children of the decimated generation take the post", Kirchner propped up De Pedro with a photo with several of the mayors who this Thursday avoided collaborating with Massa's strategy.
Wado de Pedro was shown with Máximo Kirchner and wove alliances in a meeting with mayors K of the Conurbano
Although they strive to clarify that Massa opposes the PASO because he wants "political order so that there is order in the economy", it is latent that he put as a condition for not being a candidate that there is no internal competition. On the other hand, De Pedro dedramatizes the idea of facing another leader.
"If Maxi (for Kirchner) did not call anyone, it is not an issue, we never said or I (at least) never heard that he was going to do it, that was what you journalists said, he does not have to explain it," redoubled, angrily, a source of the group led by the son of the vice president when asked about the turn.
The position takes on another dimension when listening to what they let transcend from the provinces: the governors did not receive calls either. There, however, the logic prevailed that, having unfolded the local elections, no one wants noise. In fact, Jorge Capitanich, who acted as spokesman, later admitted that "no one's right to participation can be curtailed, so the most sensible thing is that, if the unity list is not achieved, there are no more than two lists." That is, he left open the possibility that there will be limited competition.
In the Frente Renovador they were enthusiastic about the possibility that, from the excellent harmony that Massa has with Kirchner, and the back and forth on the tour, the deputy played a preponderant role to lower Daniel Scioli.
On the contrary, the version that Massa would be offered to head the Senate ticket for the province of Buenos Aires and a preponderant place for Malena Galmarini or another leader of his team sounds more and more intense.
"There was almost no talk. And there was no unanimity, but Máximo did not ask us for anything," reinforced another mayor.
Strictly speaking, there were a handful of voices that raised it. Moreno's mayor, Mariel Fernández, of the Evita Movement, expressed her fear of the impact that the internal one could have on the front and, above all, the day after the PASO: "I do not even want to imagine what it can become," she would have said.
Martín Insaurralde, in his role as Buenos Aires cabinet chief and Máximo Kirchner's right-hand man, stressed the importance of unifying the efforts behind a candidate, but he was not forceful either. "He said that if there is unity it is better because we all lined up behind that candidate, but he was receptive to those who do not think the same," confided a trusted mayor of Lomense.
They say that he nodded when someone retorted that "if there is no candidate who brings together all Peronism, it can be worse."
On the other hand, before Kicillof, there was unanimity in supporting his attempt to go for re-election. The idea of putting together a communique to that effect flew over, but it was finally deactivated because no one wanted to compromise the governor: any definition along those lines could be interpreted as his personal initiative at a time when he resists Maximo's pressure to go for the Presidency.
In a context in which there were speeches with different approaches, such as that of Mario Secco (Ensenada), who vigorously defended Kicillof, or that of Alberto Descalzo (Ituzaingó), who complained about breaches in the funds promised to the municipalities, someone put his finger on the wound against Massa.
It was Julio Zamora, who confronted the economy minister, who joined a worrisome scenario that Kicillof raised for what the Supreme Court of Justice may define around the re-elections of the mayors.
The governor was not optimistic, based on what was decided by San Juan and with the focus on an eventual decision in the presentation against Gildo Insfrán, in Formosa. "If that goes wrong, it is very likely that they will also get against the mayors," the president said, words more, words less.
Zamora recalled that "he was not presented by a neighbor of Carhué who grabbed an attack of republicanism. A guy (Oscar Alva) who presides over a party (PAIS) of the Frente de Todos, filed an appeal against 91 mayors and we did not tell him anything," he complained. There was silence. No one doubted that he was alluding to the Massista membership of that leader. Kicillof avoided pursuing the matter.
