Buenos Aires City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta will officially launch his presidential candidacy later today with a post on social media.
Rodríguez Larreta, 57, is one of the frontrunners in the race to be the opposition Juntos por el Cambio coalition’s candidate. It is understood that the announcement will be made at around 8pm local time.
The City mayor, who has spent the last few weeks on a publicity tour visiting three provinces, is expected to follow up the news with a press conference later this week.
Confirmation of his presidential ambitions is expected to ramp up tensions in the opposition coalition, with a host of rivals considering their positions ahead of the PASO primaries later this year.
In recent weeks, Rodríguez Larreta has sought to position himself as a federal leader, making visits to the provinces of Jujuy, Córdoba and Entre Ríos to support and greet opposition leaders. Press photographs featuring the PRO politician have sought to show him in a more casual setting, mixing with Argentines on their vacations at the beach.
Rodríguez Larreta also visited former president Mauricio Macri for a meeting at Cumelén in Neuquén Province, following in the footsteps of his main rival in the race, PRO party chair Patricia Bullrich.
Macri has not confirmed whether he will launch another run for the Casa Rosada, though most analysts expect him not to enter the race.
Bullrich, however, has been clear about her intentions and she has clashed with Rodríguez Larreta on several issues, including security, as she seeks to position herself as a hard-line leader who is tough on crime.
Speaking in a TV interview earlier this week, the PRO chair said she would not lower her candidacy, even if Macri decided to run.
"When the country is in a situation like ours, [voters] come out for character, not for the lukewarm," said the former security minister.
"Either we sink deeper and deeper or we dare to say that we are going to change Argentina,” declared Bullrich.
“We have to fight until the last day, we have to work for it every day. I am convinced that I have the character to govern the country.”
– TIMES/NA
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