Weretilneck prevents Pedro Pesatti from running for the Senate
The Vice Governor of Río Negro, Pedro Pesatti, publicly denounced having been excluded from the list of pre-candidates for the National Senate by decision of Governor Alberto Weretilneck. According to Pesatti, his veto was motivated by political and ideological differences, especially because of his critical stance towards the national government and his closeness to Peronism. The vacant seat was filled by Facundo López, current president of the legislative block of Juntos Somos Río Negro (JSRN), who will represent the provincial ruling party in the elections.
The decision was first communicated internally and then publicly confirmed by Weretilneck, who endorsed López's candidacy to head the list, thus displacing Pesatti. This provoked a crisis within the party, which became visible in statements of high political impact. "I have been vetoed for my ideas", expressed Pesatti, who also questioned the electoral strategy chosen by the party leadership and affirmed that "the methods undress the true ideology".
The antecedents: Is the same history repeating itself?
The dispute is framed in the internal elections called by JSRN for August 9, with a system that establishes a minimum of endorsements of 15% of the list of affiliates, which restricts the possibility of alternative lists. Pesatti and López had initially been the two names with the highest visibility to head the Senate ticket. However, the governor's early decision in favor of López changed the internal electoral dynamics.
Pesatti has held key positions since the founding of JSRN, including the role of vice-governor since 2014. He was a central player in the consolidation of the party and reelected alongside Weretilneck in 2023. The current internal conflict evidences ideological differences within the space, which brings together profiles of different political currents, from progressive sectors to figures linked to justicialism and radicalism.
The controversial statements of Weretilneck
While Pesatti pointed to an exclusion for ideological reasons, the ruling party sought to play down the conflict. Weretilneck declared in public that "he is not worried about the timing", although in private he said he was annoyed by what he considered a "rush" by Pesatti. For his part, Facundo López maintained that "the decision was taken jointly" and that Pesatti's anger "did not measure the impact" of his public expressions.
The differences are also reflected in the political approach of each figure: Pesatti promotes a vision focused on provincial autonomy, while the decision to promote López was interpreted by analysts as a gesture of alignment with the national government, in a political context of strong polarization at the national level.
Political implications and electoral projections
The exclusion of Pesatti has generated repercussions in the provincial political chessboard. From some sectors it is interpreted as an internal fracture in JSRN between critical sectors and other more pragmatic ones. The high requirement to form internal lists limits open competition and reinforces the centralized control of candidacies by the party leadership.
At the electoral level, this decision could modify the map of alliances. Some observers consider that a part of the electorate supporting Pesatti could turn to other options, such as the Frente Renovador or sectors of the local Peronism. It is also pointed out that the nomination of López seeks to send a message of internal unity and political stability before the possible irruption of more disruptive proposals linked to La Libertad Avanza.
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