The governor of Tucumán, Osvaldo Jaldo, had to advance his return from vacation by a day after finding himself at the center of a strong political and media controversy over the dissemination of images of him on a Caribbean beach, while the province was going through an intense rainy spell that caused flooding and waterlogging in different parts of the territory.
Jaldo had started a leave of absence for personal reasons on January 8 without pay and was scheduled to formally rejoin this Thursday. The controversy erupted after current photographs of him on a Caribbean beach circulated on social networks, generating harsh criticism from La Libertad Avanza. The movement questioned the governor's absence in the midst of a climate emergency and cast doubt on the execution of prevention works financed through the Pre Rain plan.
In response to these questions, Jaldo classified the dissemination of the photographs as a case of "political carnival" and accused opposition sectors of trying to take advantage of a personal and family situation. Without giving details about the chosen destination for vacationing with his family, he emphasized that he decided to reintegrate ahead of schedule and launched a defiant message: "I'm handsome, I reintegrated a day earlier".
During the press conference, Jaldo was accompanied by the Vice Governor Miguel Acevedo and members of his cabinet. The governor insisted that the province maintained full institutional functioning during his absence and highlighted the role of the vice governor at the head of the Executive. In a tough tone, he assured that they did not manage to wear him down politically and remembered the electoral support obtained by the official Tucumán bloc in the last legislative elections.
He also urged the governor to eliminate the coupling system to ensure a "legitimate" electoral competition. In parallel, Jaldo made it clear that, despite the tensions, Tucumán will continue to dialogue with the national Government.
"There are victims, there are families that suffer, and we are not going to allow these issues to be politicized," he stated, referring to both the weather event and recent security incidents that shook the province.
The governor also expressed his displeasure at what he considered an intrusion into his private life and reiterated that he has the "right to rest for ten days" after "breaking my soul working all year long." "The Constitution is clear: when the governor is not there, the vice governor takes charge. He will attend to you again in '27," he warned, in reference to 2027.
From La Libertad Avanza Tucumán, the president of the space, Lisandro Catalán, responded with an extensive statement in which he defended the role of the opposition in pointing out the structural shortcomings of the province and demanded a reduction in political spending.
However, due to the impact of the criticisms, he decided to return earlier and reappear publicly this Wednesday with a press conference in which he sought to defend his actions, reject the opposition's questions, and reaffirm the institutional continuity during his absence.
"I have requested a leave of absence for personal reasons, at no cost to the province. This governor is tough, he is tough. It is a personal right and no one else can have an opinion on how I use that time," stated the head of the executive, visibly upset by the controversy.
Meanwhile, Jaldo seeks to close ranks in his management and contain the political impact of an episode that revived questions about priorities, social sensitivity, and leadership at times of crisis.
