Diego Santilli: ‘President Milei has to win, even if by one vote’

Shouldn’t [resigned candidate José Luis] Espert have stepped down sooner? Why did he take so long?

My position is this: now that he has resigned, he will have to answer to the courts without his parliamentary privileges and that is what should happen. The timing does not depend on me. I’m a candidate, not his trustee.

 

Did you ever hear from Espert, even on the side, that he had a business friend like [suspected drug-trafficker Federico Andrés] ‘Fred’ Machado?

No, in 2021 I was competing against Espert. We were both competing against Kirchnerism and we lost votes on the right to Avanza Libertad, which was then Espert, but we still won. In 2023 we fought a primary. The truth is I never listened to him.

 

The ruling went in favour of your candidacy but the ballots will not be reprinted. Is this a key issue?

Yours is a very good question. For me this is not personal – it’s about ideas and bills. I said that as soon as the government asked me to join the campaign. I told them: it doesn’t matter to me whether I’m second, first or third, what matters is fighting for ideas and proposals, for the ideas of change, centrally. Secondly, I would like to take advantage of this space to speak out to the Buenos Aires Province citizens, asking them to turn out to vote. I know what they have suffered, their anguish, perhaps their rage but this president has done more in 18 months than other presidents in decades. I’m referring to reforms and transformations. We know there’s still a lot to be done but everybody has to go out and vote.

 

From the inside, how did you experience and process the whole Espert scandal?

Nobody could want such things to happen. But the important thing is that the explanations which have to be given will be given in court without parliamentary privileges. For me, that’s the key.

 

Hasn’t this case weakened the government for this campaign?

These things can happen but you have to act so that society can look ahead. I see a president, as soon as the Supreme Court upheld the extradition, who gave instructions to extradite [Fred Machado], with a deputy resigning and placing himself at the disposal of the courts while Congress approved the measures requested by the judge to investigate him. Which I believe to be the correct path.

 

Could a bad result for the government destroy the economy by the end of the year?

That’s why it’s key for people to turn out and vote so that we run a good election and win. The President has to win, even if by one vote. That’s why we have to pull back those 14 percentage points in the Province.

 

Is that possible?

For me it is possible to deduct and we’re going to work towards that in this fortnight, which is not much time.

 

How do you see the President here?

I see him with focus on what he has pledged to do for the Argentines: firstly, to stabilise the economy, restore public order and make Argentina grow. And that is what is happening. They were obviously a very difficult 18 months, he himself said so. But I can see Argentina growing for 20 or 30 years coming out of this election. This is a country which has to grow with its agriculture, industry, energy, oil and gas. The big investments in this country have already begun.

 

Isn’t there a lot of apathy in the electorate?

Yes, that has been verified in every province except Corrientes, which was a gubernatorial election. This time society has been asked to go to the polls throughout the year. Everybody split [provincial from national voting], demanding an effort from people leading to greater apathy. That’s why I’m asking everybody to vote this month.

 

How do you get on with Karen Reichardt, second on the ballot?

I get on very well with her but I haven’t seen her for some time. I got to know her at a dinner many years ago along with her ex-husband who is a River [Plate] fan. Apart from that I see her on the move, with attitude and very keen.

 

Will you debate with [your Peronist rival] Jorge Taiana?

Yes, I’m always ready to debate.

 

Do you think that more focus will be placed on the Kirchnerite list with [the inclusion of social activist Juan] Grabois and a son of [Camioneros union leader boss Hugo] Moyano?

I’m not one of those who looks at the other team. When your team digs in and plays it all, you have every possibility of improvement and a great election. My focus is on our being united and being clear about what we don’t want so we can have the best election possible. We’re going to run a good election so that the President can win nationwide.

 

Is voting a third way functional to Kirchnerism?

There are two alternatives: change or go back, past or future. As the President says: liberty advances or Argentina regresses. We’ve got up to here, it’s been tough, difficult but we cannot go back.

 

How will PRO be positioned by the end of the year?

PRO is doing what society asked it to do. There were two options in the primary to sustain change, [Patricia] Bullrich and Milei. Society said Milei and PRO said it had to accompany him. And that’s what we’ve been doing in Congress and the elections. 

A debate will be coming in December about how to reconfigure and expand the relationship because what there is does not suffice to push through the needed reforms and consolidate the path.