(Updated with more details)
Buenos Aires, February 22. The mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, one of the main figures of the political opposition in Argentina, published this Wednesday a message on social networks which is considered the beginning of his campaign to launch the presidential elections which will take place will be held this year in the South American country.
“It’s time to encourage us to transform the country forever,” said Rodríguez Larreta, who is part of the Republican Proposal (Pro), a party to which former President Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) also belongs.
The capital’s mayor accompanied the message with an image of the Cabo Vírgenes lighthouse in the southern province of Santa Cruz, as well as a sign announcing kilometer zero of Route 40 – Argentina’s most iconic road , which crosses all its territory- .
Although the politician has yet to be explicit in his post about his presidential aspirations, both the press and analysts are taking his candidacy for granted, which is expected to become official this week.
At 57, a native of Buenos Aires and an economist by profession, Rodríguez Larreta has governed the Argentine capital since December 2015, with a mandate renewed by popular vote at the end of 2019.
In 1993, under the government of Peronist Carlos Menem (1988-1999), he made his debut in public management by joining the Undersecretary for Investment of the Ministry of Economy, in charge of global attention to foreign investors .
Two years later, he was appointed Director General of the National Social Security Administration (ANSES) and in 1998, he joined the Ministry of Social Development as Under-Secretary for Social Policy.
In 2000, under the government of the radical Fernando de la Rúa (1999-2001), he was appointed controller of the Integral Program of Medical Care (PAMI, Public Medical Service for Pensioners) and a year later he chaired the Social Council Institute of welfare of the province of Buenos Aires.
At the end of 2001, he was appointed Director General of the General Directorate of Taxes (Fisco) of Argentina.
After the outbreak of the serious economic, political and social crisis that shook Argentina, Rodríguez Larreta turned to active politics at the hands of Macri, with whom in 2005 he founded the Pro.
INTERNAL OPPOSITION
As a member of Pro, Rodríguez Larreta is part of Together for Change, the main opposition front in Argentina, where other candidates are also emerging for the presidential elections.
Macri, in fact, has yet to rule out a presidential bid, while Pro president Patricia Bullrich has already confirmed her presidential aspirations.
They are joined as a possible candidate by the former governor of Buenos Aires, María Eugenia Vidal.
In another of the front forces, the Civic Coalition, its leader Elisa Carrió has confirmed that he wants to run for the presidency, while in the century-old Radical Civic Union, also part of Together for Change, there is more of a potential candidate.
Argentina will hold primary, open and compulsory elections next August, and there each electoral front will be able to present one or more lists of candidates, although only the most voted in each coalition will be qualified to participate in the general elections in October.
During these elections, in addition to the president and the vice-president, the composition of the Parliament will be partially renewed. EFE
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