With chicanes and cross accusations: this was the debate between the candidates of the City

With chicanes and crosses, María Eugenia Vidal (Together for Change), Leandro Santoro (Frente de Todos), Javier Milei (Libertad Avanza) and Myriam Bregman (Frente de Izquierda) starred in the first debate that brought together the candidates for deputies of the City of Buenos Aires. As has happened for several elections, the place was in the studios of A Dos Voces, in TN. There were crossed criticisms of insecurity and economic management, and marked crosses between Vidal and Santoro and Bregman and Milei. It is no coincidence: the candidates of JxC and the FdT replicate the polarization at the national level, and liberalism and the left fight to be the third force in the Capital.Vidal opened by asking for the resignation of Security Minister Aníbal Fernández, and Milei explaining that it is dangerous for the political caste because with him the of privileges is over. Santoro took aim at the management of the head of the Buenos Aires government, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, and Bregman described the libertarian candidate as “violent”. In the first topic, Institutional quality, security and justice, there were strong crossovers. Vidal began by complaining about co-participation, after the cut to the City, and Santoro asking for a disarmament plan and the use of tasers, rejected, until now, by the Security management of the national Government. Bregman took aim at Santoro – “Berni advised you” – and shot at the Libertad Avanza candidate: “He tells us ‘shitty lefties, they’re going to run.'” “He talks about caste but was an advisor to the genocidal (Domingo) Bussi,” he added. “Milei, for his part, referred to the free carrying of weapons and defended Vidal’s claim for the distribution of funds. Shouts and cross accusations dominated much of the six minutes of debate that were repeated at the end of each topic, the strongest between Milei and Bregman, and the drivers, Marcelo Bonelli and Edgardo Alfano had to intervene to bring order. Economy, education and work was the second axis. There was criticism against the management of the Buenos Aires ruling party, while Vidal highlighted the defense of face-to-face attendance that the City made in the midst of the pandemic. When he intervened, Milei emphasized the economy, pointing mainly at the Left candidate, and the latter threw at him: “Do you know Ronald Mc Donald’s theory? Because you are the employee of the month of the multinationals.” At the close of the debate, Santoro again charged against Larreta for educational management and Vidal highlighted the announcements of the Buenos Aires Government and the differences from those of Axel Kicillof, related to the trips of graduates. At the close, Milei and Bregman crossed again, who had the last 15 seconds and asked him to stop attacking: “Fallacy taster, Milei.” The last topic was Health Policy in Pandemic. Here, criticism of the management of the national government took center stage. “This genocidal government took the lives of 90,000 people for not being able to stop stealing,” Milei charged. Bregman opened by re-targeting Milei and capitalism, and against the Buenos Aires government for the passage to the professional career of the city’s nurses. Santoro joined these criticisms and defended the management of the national government. And Vidal, for his part, highlighted the role of the Minister of Health of Buenos Aires, Fernán Quirós, and recalled that the Executive had to “throw out the minister” Ginés González García. However, Milei chose to “address the Argentine people” because, he said, “I do not argue with the caste.” In the end, each candidate had a closing minute. Santoro was the first. “I know a lot of people lost jobs, businesses, some of us lost family and friends. I know it’s hard,” he began. He pledged to, in Congress, not allow a cut in education and an “irresponsible indebtedness,” and to defend “the social security model, which is the model of all Argentines.” In turn, Bregman emphasized the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and remarked that the other three candidates had already warned that they would vote in favor of an agreement. If you want to be sure of what your representation in Congress is going to be, vote for the Left-Unity Front,” he concluded. Vidal highlighted the triumph in the PASO and said that there “appeared the enormous opportunity to build a majority that is an immense wall against a government that lies and disrespects.” The candidate of Libertad Avanza, Milei, was in charge of closing the debate, and said: “Today two models were presented here: the collectivist model with Castro-Chavista end in a version at supersonic speed and another version at snail speed with good manners.” I came to defend the model of freedom, based on unrestricted respect for the life of others, “sostuvo, and closed with what is his main campaign slogan: “Long live freedom, fuck!”

Original source in Spanish