Mayors in Buenos Aires province with ties to former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner may have jumped the gun on Tuesday when they announced that her former Economy minister Axel Kicillof and the mayor of La Matanza district Verónica Magario would run as candidate for governor and vice-governor, respectively, against the incumbent María Eugenia Vidal.
Neither Kicillof nor Magario has confirmed the news, despite strong words of support and praise for the duo from so-called Kirchnerite mayors on social media.
"Congratulations @Kicillofok and @magariovero, our formula for the Province of Buenos Aires. We are going to build hope and future for the people of Buenos Aires!", Mayor Martín Insaurralde of Lomas de Zamora wrote on Tuesday.
The confusing situation began on Saturday when, following her first official appearance alongside presidential hopeful Alberto Fernández, the Kirchnerite candidate for the vice-presidency Cristina Fernández de Kirchner posted a photo alongside Fernández, Kicillof and Magario.
Sources close to the supposed candidates told Perfil that the coupling had not yet been confirmed, suggesting instead that they hoped the rumours would force dissident Peronist Sergio Massa's hand. Kirchnerites are hopeful Massa will jump ship from the Alianza Federal coalition to their own Unidad Ciudadana, bringing his political capital, legislative influence and federal connections with him.
"We're not going to wait forever for that", one source close to Kicillof said.
The rumour broke following a lunch meeting on May 28 among mayors Insaurralde, Fernando Grey (Esteban Echeverría), Ariel Sujarchuk (Escobar), Mariano Cascallares (Almirante Brown), Leonardo Nardini (Malvinas Argentinas), among others. Magario was not in attendance, Perfil reported.
"She hasn't been told anything" about the proposed electoral ticket, sources close to Magario reported.
Kicillof has spent much of the last three years, during the Macri administration, finding his feet in the province making visits to residents, political allies and at political events. The economist, an academic with deep ties to Buenos Aires City, has made gains though polls suggest he would fall short of defeating Governor Vidal if he were to run.
Parties and coalitions contesting October's general and presidential elections must define their candidacies before June 22.
Massa reiterated on Tuesday that he would compete in the primaries race against fellow Alianza Federal candidates.
"I want to contribute to the unity of the Peronist movement", Massa told the C5N network before his comments Tuesday.
Reporting by Mariana Sarramea and Mariano Confalonieri
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