Former Buenos Aires City mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta has launched a new “movement” under the acronym ‘MAD’ – a suitable enough moniker for anything contributing to Argentine politics.
Unlike the day-to-day drama of the political mainstream, however, the centre-right leader seems to be positioning his new think-tank as a more sober alternative to the current political class.
‘MAD’ therefore stands for “Movimiento al Desarrollo” (or “Movement for Development,” in English) and, in the former mayor’s words, is for those who are “convinced of other ideas,” such as the development of “infrastructure, innovation and technology.”
The name is also a nod to Rodríguez Larreta’s father, a leader in the Movimiento de Integración y Desarrollo, the developmentalist political party founded by Arturo Frondizi in 1963.
The 58-year-old made the announcement in a economical video posted on social media. Pitching to the centre ground, the former mayor spoke in the plural of those who “think differently” and “believe in our country.”
Many in Argentina, Rodríguez Larreta argued, are “convinced of other ideas, the ideas of development, the new developmentalism.”
“Development means infrastructure, innovation, technology, producing with a greater added value to export to the whole world; development means welfare for all Argentines,” he concluded.
Rodríguez Larreta has stayed out of the spotlight after losing the race for the PRO party’s candidacy in last year’s presidential election. His rival for the nomination, Patricia Bullrich, failed to win the vote and has since jumped ship to join President Javier Milei’s government.
PRO, now led by former president Mauricio Macri (2015-2019), has for the most part backed the Milei administration in Congress. But there are a number of party members, including Rodríguez Larreta, who are uncomfortable with such close ties with the La Libertad Avanza administration.
Nearly a month ago, when it was learnt that the former presidential hopeful would launch this space, with sources describing the party as “neither libertarian nor Kirchnerite.”
MAD has already recruited a number of PRO party members, including Senator Guadalupe Tagliaferri and former Culture minister Pablo Avelluto. National deputy Álvaro González and Buenos Aires City lawmaker Emmanuel Ferrario are also onboard.
Rodríguez Larreta has brought on board a number of ex-City government officials to assist him with the running of the new movement.
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