Despite the saying 'hope is the last thing to be lost,' it seems that the political career of Mauricio Macri is coming to an end. On December 10, 2007, he assumed the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA), and four years later was re-elected for the same term. Subsequently, after elections, on December 10, 2015, he became President of the Republic until December 10, 2019, when he was replaced by Alberto Fernández from the unified Peronism led by Cristina Fernández. Could it be that you, sir, will lose for the PRO the territory that saw you born?
We could add more questions, but perhaps instead of awakening worthy and prosperous concerns, we could provoke your anger, and that is not the purpose of this opinion column. You have two years ahead of you, use them for those who elected you.
By the way, don't forget to go to the CSJN with an unconstitutionality action regarding Law 24588 (Cafiero Law), CABA needs it.
For insiders — 'my dear Fabiola'.
On the other hand, on December 10, 2015, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, former chief of staff of Mauricio Macri, assumed the government of CABA, swearing in for a new term on December 7, 2019. Thus, on December 7, 2023, Jorge Macri, who had been Intendant of the Vicente López Partido until mid-2023 when he joined as Chief of Staff of CABA, still under Rodríguez Larreta, took office as head of the CABA government. In other words, the hegemony of the PRO has allowed, through popular vote, to govern the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires for the last 10 years.
Essentially, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, since the entry into force of the 1994 constitutional reform, is just another province on the map of the Argentine Republic.
Three PRO governors (Mauricio's party) in the last 3 years. In Mauricio Macri's two governments, the City found a course with which the majority of voters identified. The party structure and the management of Rodríguez Larreta as Chief of Staff and figures of the stature of Esteban Bullrich, Hernán Lombardi, Guillermo Montenegro, María Eugenia Vidal, Soledad Acuña, and other collaborators in the cabinet consolidated the party, took over Communes, created the City Police, organized and created the local Judiciary, did neighborhood work and ordered the lives of the local inhabitants.
With the accumulated experience, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, not counting the failure of the bike lanes, there is nothing more anarchic in the city than daily cyclists, faced his government with great solvency and management capacity. Like his predecessor during his second term, he tried to build his launch platform to the country's presidency, even, with little fortune luckily (contradicting himself), he struck a deal with Martín Lousteau, yes, the one from Law 125, which did not work.
As a personal and curious fact, he renewed his daily coexistence with a younger partner, a circumstance that, as we will see later, currently identifies the PRO governors in the porteño lands.
In the described scenario, Jorge Macri, Mauricio's cousin, arrived at the government of CABA on December 7, 2024. Being a Governor is not the same as being a Mayor, it may sound like a platitude: 'a truth so obvious, simple or notoriously known that it is foolish or silly to say it'; but it is always important to remember it, at least so that 'Jorge Macri' becomes aware of it.
When Jaime Bayly Letts said that Buenos Aires smells like garbage, as a CABA inhabitant, I felt very ashamed, not for his words but because it is true. CABA smells like garbage, there is garbage outside containers that is anarchically left in random mode by those who handle them in the collection process, it has a disordered transit, the 'terraces' of the bars have 'legalized triple-parking', the bikes do what they want, for them traffic lights are an option. Random police controls of documentation in transit are carried out on new vehicles, it is basic, they do not want to stop a driver, nor a vehicle transporting cardboard or without the VTV (technical vehicle inspection) since they prefer not to have the conflict of asking for a transfer plate or authorizing the deposit in non-working hours; all of this would mean 'WORK'.
CABA has entered into a management decline, if I recognize anything to Rodríguez Larreta, it is that he knew what and how to do the Governor's job, the suit fit him well. Although Jorge Macri fulfilled part of the 'Governor' liturgy of CABA, for example, he got a young partner, like his predecessors, or attended the Te Deums, to date, two years in office and a six-month internship as Chief of Staff prior, the suit was too big for him.
'Never is sad the truth, what is sad is what has no remedy.'
When Antonio Machado popularized this phrase, in his poem 'Sincerely Yours', a title that carries an interesting metaphor since, in this case, the electorate is not a prisoner nor captive of the current governor. That world was more rigid in its ideas and projects, communication had a 'delay', therefore, information arrived after the event had occurred, today life is lived at a speed that the neighbors of CABA do not notice in the 'Governor' of the moment, they notice it in 'slow motion', out of timing and disconnected from the fast daily reality.
Mr. Jorge Macri, you have two more years ahead, you choose, do you want to be re-elected?
From Bs.As.
