Patricia Bullrich celebrated her victory in the opposition Juntos por el Cambio primary on Sunday night by sharing a “unity” photograph with her coalition rival Horacio Rodríguez Larreta.
Both candidates vowed to work together to ensure the opposition wins the October 22 general elections, with the losing hopeful promising to support Bullrich’s Casa Rosada ambitions.
"If we were in a normal country we would be celebrating an election, but no, Argentines live with anguish, fear, without being able to dream or live a normal life,” were Bullrich’s downbeat remarks as she outlined the challenges facing the country.
Highlight that she had been given a mandate to “lead a profound change for Argentina,” she vowed to “leave corruption behind forever and make way for austerity,” leaving “waste behind” and taking care of the “jobs of Argentines."
"Today we have taken an important step, the step of a change that in the midst of this anguish excites us and gives us hope," she declared.
Bullrich defeated Rodríguez Larreta in the majority of provinces, including Tierra del Fuego, Santa Cruz, Chubut, Río Negro, La Pampa, Neuquén, Mendoza, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, Corrientes, Misiones, Formosa, Chaco, Tucumán, Salta, San Luis, Catamarca and Santiago del Estero. Rodríguez Larreta, the once frontrunner to win the presidential nomination, won only in Jujuy, San Juan and La Rioja provinces.
After a bruising campaign, Bullrich sought to turn the page and praised Rodríguez Larreta and her rival’s running-mate Gerardo Morales, inviting them to join her for celebrations onstage. Embracing, the foursome vowed to persuade voters to back the opposition.
"I want to thank Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Gerardo Morales for their work, because together we have made Juntos por el Cambio grow and we are going to call all of us together now to win the general elections and be the government that changes the lives of Argentines," she stressed to cheers from supporters.
She also found time to praise former president Mauricio Macri and the opposition governors leading provincial governments across Argentina.
"I want to tell all those who have worked that they will be part of the teams that will bring about change in Argentina, open arms for everyone. This is the team that is going to turn decadence into progress,” she said, promising coalition unity.
Referring to libertarian lawmaker Javier Milei’s vote tally after he won the most votes of all candidates, Bullrich praised the deputy’s “enormous election” and for making a “contribution to the debate.”
For his part, Rodríguez Larreta remarked that starting Monday he would be working with his PRO rival to “carry forward the force of change in our lives.”
"I also want to thank all those who supported our position and reinforce the message, we will honour the values we proposed. To all those who believe that the construction of a broad majority based on dialogue is the way forward, we are going to honour the support they gave us," he added.
– TIMES/NA
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