Two groups of governors, one linked to 'Provincias Unidas' and another closer to the national government, are accelerating political maneuvering to form inter-blocs in Congress and are neck-and-neck to become the third force in a hyper-polarized Chamber of Deputies. The carrot driving them in this frantic race against time, with the finish line being the preparatory session next Wednesday, is the third vice-presidency and some of the few remaining committee seats outside of the two-party system. The first decisive move was made last Wednesday by the governors of Santa Fe, Maximiliano Pullaro, of Chubut, Ignacio 'Nacho' Torres, and the Vice Governor of Córdoba, Myrian Prunotto, who met in an office at the Chamber of Deputies to send a political message: that Provincias Unidas was not just an electoral experience but a living force seeking to make a strong mark in Congress. The bloc's structure is more or less clear: six deputies from Córdoba led by Juan Schiaretti, two from Buenos Aires (Martín Lousteau and Mariela Coletta), the Buenos Aires provincial deputy Pablo Juliano, the Jujuy deputy Jorge 'Colo' Rizzotti, the Santa Fe socialists Esteban Paulón and Pablo Farías, and the one seeking to lead the bloc, also from Santa Fe, Gisela Scaglia. However, to become the third force in the Chamber of Deputies, they will need much more than that. The same is being asked by the Civic Coalition. The day after the meeting where Santa Fe, Córdoba, and Chubut took the lead, another meeting was held at the Casa de la Provincia de Salta in downtown Buenos Aires, generating significant media buzz. It was attended by the governors of Salta, Gustavo Sáenz, of Catamarca, Raúl Jalil, and of Tucumán, Osvaldo Jaldo. Following this meeting, the plan to form an 'Interbloque del Norte Grande' gained momentum, which would unite the deputies from these three provinces with the Missionaries of the Frente de la Concordia, led by Carlos Rovira and Governor Hugo Passalacqua. Neuquén's Rolando Figueroa also attended this governors' meeting but would not initially be part of this new realignment in a federal inter-bloc. Additionally, there are intense negotiations to bring in the two MID deputies, Oscar Zago and Claudio Falcone, and at least two of the four members of the Coherencia bloc: Carlos D'Alessandro and Gerardo González. The fight is open, and the outcome is uncertain... From the Radicalism, they need to convince the Jujuy deputy María Inés Zigarán, who answers to Governor Carlos Sáenz, and also the Corrientes deputy Diógenes González. The latter awaits instructions from Radical Governor Gustavo Valdés, who must decide whether to send his protégé to the Provincias Unidas bloc or to the Unión Cívica Radical bloc. If Valdés accepts the presidency of the UCR National Committee, as he has been proposed, he would have little room to place his deputy in a bloc outside of the century-old party. Also in doubt is the Santa Cruz deputy José Luis Garrido, who awaits the decision of Governor Claudio Vidal, and the Entre Ríos deputy Francisco Morchio, who will decide his fate next week together with his governor Rogelio Frigerio. On another track, negotiations continue to integrate Miguel Pichetto and Nicolás Massot from Encuentro Federal and the two 'lilitos' from the Civic Coalition, Maximiliano Ferraro and Mónica Frade. According to what Agencia Noticias Argentinas (NA) was able to find out, Pichetto is upset because he learned through the press that Provincias Unidas wanted to oust him from the presidency of the space to impose Scaglia, close to Pullaro. The native of Río Negro is also not interested in being diluted in Provincias Unidas and demands that an inter-bloc with several benches be enabled where particular identities are respected.
