After several months in which he marked the public discussion, the agenda seemed to turn against Javier Milei . Last week, the deputy of La Libertad Avanza was entangled in three controversies: it was learned that he used tickets from Congress to attend his act in Mendoza, he defended the free carrying of weapons after the massacre in a school in Texas and it came to light that he denounced five journalists “for affecting honor.” The good news, however, came with the election in Colombia , where the outsider Rodolfo Hernández , with his populist speech focused on corruption, managed to convince 28.16% of the voters.
Despite the anti-state speech and contrary to the “political caste”, the official Deputies portal revealed that Milei used two tickets from the Lower House to travel to his act in Mendoza. In the past, the economist had harshly criticized the deputies for the use of these passages. “We use them temporarily due to a time dynamic. If I don’t use them, that money goes back to the Chamber of Deputies to be used by the caste, ”the deputy defended himself in LN +, and maintained that he will repay the money in the next draw for his diet.
Milei reacted against those who suggested a contradiction in her speech. “ My definition of caste has to do with the actions that politicians take knowing that they cause harm to the population ”, she answered. Some time ago the concept of “caste” was adjusted and several members of La Libertad Avanza take care to explain that it does not refer to all politicians, but to those who do not challenge “the status quo.”
The two complaints filed by the deputy against five journalists “for harm to honor” and “non-pecuniary damage” were also interpreted as a contradiction. “A liberal suing journalists for exercising freedom of opinion and information?”, the former head of Enacom Silvana Giudici raised on her Twitter account . The LED Foundation considered the lawsuit “an intimidation attempt aimed at disciplining criticism or silencing any questioning or dissent about his work as a deputy or about the expression of his ideas as a political leader.”
Victoria Villarruel with Javier Milei
The controversy over the use of the passages was not limited to Milei. Her blockmate, Victoria Villarruel , faced criticism for being the deputy who used the most tickets. “I am going to go to every corner of the country where there are Argentines without being heard,” she defended herself. In dialogue with LA NACION , he confirmed that he will continue to use them and justified: “It is my legislative activity and many of the issues that I deal with have to do with it: there is no usurpation of land by supposed native peoples in the city of Buenos Aires, for example” . Villarruel used a total of 20 Chamber passages that included trips to Tucumán , Córdoba , Corrientes , Neuquén , Tierra del Fuego ,Santa Fe , Mendoza and Salta . In the past, he had also railed against MPs’ travel expenses.
Behind the scenes, however, some acknowledge that it was a mistake that could upset his electorate and consider Villarruel’s use of tickets to be excessive. They also point out that the incorporation of the provincial legislator Ricardo Bussi – son of the ex-repressor and ex-governor Antonio Bussi – asally in Tucumán,that generated noise and criticism in the space, is another of the issues that could affect them in the face of 2023. “ The people vote for us because we are not chaste ,” insists a member of the party.
Unlike this controversy, they consider that the defense of the free carrying of weapons will not have an impact, since it is an issue that is not on the agenda. A few hours after the massacre in a Texas elementary school, the national deputy stated: “I am in favor of the free carrying of weapons.”
“As an adherent to theory and empirical evidence, when you lower the cost of an activity and increase the benefit, that activity expands. When you prohibit the use of weapons, criminals, no matter how much you prohibit them, use them just the same. The expected benefits increase and crime increases, ”Milei argued in TN . The defense that she appealed to on social networks also generated controversy.
Electoral challenges
Another issue that worries the libertarian ranks is the possible electoral unfolding in the province of Buenos Aires. “It ruins us”, one of the armed strategists was honest. In addition to losing the votes that the figure of Milei would drag from the Nation, they could share the electorate with another liberal: José Luis Espert ( Avanza Libertad ), who recently flirts with running for governor.
On the other hand, the approval of a single ballot for the next elections could favor the liberal space. In addition to being an initiative that both Milei and Villarruel have supported and consider that it coincides with their demands, from the space they are aware that its use could imply a smaller inspection team.