New Peronist Faction Launches in Buenos Aires, Demands Cristina Kirchner's Freedom

A new Peronist faction, "Peronismo por Buenos Aires," launched Saturday in Junín, Buenos Aires province, with a primary goal: to advocate for the release of former president Cristina Kirchner. The group, led by Víctor Santa María, a media executive and head of the Suterh building workers' union, seeks to ensure Kirchner can participate in next year's elections.

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We have to work for Cristina to regain her freedom and be submitted to the popular will next year.

"We have to work for Cristina to regain her freedom and be submitted to the popular will next year," Santa María stated at the event. He emphasized the need for the current head of the national Justicialist Party to be free to face the electorate. The launch event brought together leaders from the fourth electoral section of the province, signaling Santa María's expansion into provincial politics.

Other speakers echoed Santa María's sentiments. Former national deputy Gisella Marziotta declared that a democracy imprisoning its main opposition figure is not a full democracy but "wounded, conditioned, intervened." Former provincial deputy Darío Duretti reinforced this, calling "Cristina free" a mandatory slogan for all Peronists and "national and popular" militants.

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A democracy that imprisons its main opposition figure is not a full democracy. It is a wounded, conditioned, intervened democracy.

The call for Kirchner's freedom, who is currently under house arrest for her conviction in the "Vialidad" case, is a recurring theme for her supporters. This demand often creates tension with Governor Axel Kicillof, who has avoided confronting the issue directly. This internal conflict between Kirchner's allies and Kicillof's supporters represents a significant division within national Peronism.

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Cristina free is not a slogan. Cristina free is a mandatory slogan for all Peronists and national and popular militants.

The event also included criticism of President Javier Milei's administration. Santa María stated that the new faction aims to "demand answers from Argentines" and work towards solutions, particularly concerning employment. The group's formation and stated goals underscore the ongoing internal power struggles and ideological debates within the Peronist movement as it navigates the current political landscape.

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This space in the province of Buenos Aires aims to join the necessary action to question Argentines and work on the answers we feel responsible for giving them so that work becomes the social organizer again.