The mayor of San Rafael, Omar Félix, has decided to withdraw from the list of candidates of Cristina Kirchner just hours before the official announcement of the lists for the elections of the Justicialist Party. Félix was going to run as a titular counselor but argued that he would not participate in party primaries amid the dispute between the former vice president and the governor of La Rioja, Ricardo Quintela.
Félix's resignation comes amidst tensions between Cristina Kirchner and Quintela over the party leadership and amid cold gestures during the event for the 47th anniversary of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo in La Plata. This unexpected turn adds to the list of candidates presented to lead the PJ, which also included Valentina Morán, Martín Aveiro, and Anabel Fernández Sagasti.
Félix's resignation has generated reactions from his circle, particularly from his brother, Emir Félix, a candidate to head the PJ of Mendoza, who has criticized governor Alfredo Cornejo for what he believes is a campaign to weaken Peronism in the province. Emir Félix highlighted the importance of social sensitivity in the development politics they represent and emphasized the need for unity in Peronism.
On the other hand, it has been announced that Félix's position on the list will be filled by another leader, Rodrigo Martín "Rodra" Rodríguez, linked to the Evita Movement and a former football teammate of Andrés “Cuervo” Larroque. This change adds to other modifications in Cristina Kirchner's list for the PJ internal elections, such as the inclusion of Leonardo Grosso and Johanna Duarte in place of María Rosa Martínez and Anabel Fernández Sagasti respectively.
The PJ elections are scheduled for Sunday, November 17, with important dates for the presentation of lists and candidates prior to the event. This electoral process, the first since 1988, unfolds in a context of internal tensions and realignments of political forces within Peronism in Argentina.
