The Senate's Constitutional Affairs Committee voted by majority to reject the nomination of Lorena Villaverde, a senator-elect for La Libertad Avanza (LLA). This non-binding decision, backed by eight Peronist votes and votes from PRO, UCR, and other opposition senators, was motivated by Villaverde's criminal record in the US and her ties to Fred Leonardo Machado, an Argentine extradited for money laundering and drug trafficking. The official opposition, with only five committee members, hopes to attract dissidents in the full Senate, where LLA grew to 11 senators after the October elections. The case against Villaverde, who was convicted in Florida in 2015 for cocaine possession, highlights the hypocrisy in Argentine politics. Her campaign in Río Negro, funded by 50 million pesos from anonymous donors, is already under AFIP scrutiny. On November 28, the plenary session will decide not only Villaverde's fate but also the tone of a Congress where LLA has grown to 11 senators but relies on fragile alliances.
