Powerful Perception in PRO: "They believe they can act with impunity and avoid consequences" (Leandro Santoro)
A framed San Lorenzo soccer jersey. Close by, a poster of former Argentine president Raúl Alfonsín, also framed. Family photos. A thermos and mate, both from "The Cyclone," the team Leandro Santoro adores, alongside a dome view of Congress. It's a midday, bright, natural light setting.
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Santoro defines himself as an "Alfonsinista" embraced by Peronism. He chuckles at his detractors who call him a "radical" derogatorily. Post-Pope Francis' demise, he paused his electoral campaign. Santoro aims to be a legislator for the city and is eyeing 2027 to run as its chief of government again.
In a candid conversation with our website, he hinted at the content of his upcoming book, scheduled for release soon. He criticized a web of businesses ruling over public services in the City of Buenos Aires and aimed to appeal to tired PRO voters seeking a change after ruling the city for 18 years.
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For the first time in three decades, a Peronist coalition has a plausible chance of winning a Buenos Aires election. Launching his campaign with a local, neighborhood-oriented approach devoid of hard Kirchnerism, Santoro gained backing from investor Juan Manuel Olmos.
"- Do you believe the polls?"
I've seen the pollsters, not the polls. Majority surveys point to a victory for me less than a month before the elections. Qualitative polls are crucial as quantitative ones, which are digital, distort results due to politically-inclined participants. Face-to-face polls are more trustworthy and provide a better indication of election outcomes.
What is your perception of the possible result?A tight election, where any of the three major candidates could win. Both me and La Libertad Avanza (LLA) or PRO.
So, you think it'll be tighter than polls suggest, which put me first, Manuel Adorni second, and Silvia Lospenatto third?Yes. It's impossible to predict voter behavior until the last week, when most Argentines make their decision. Many people decide their vote in the voting booth.
What changed that for the first time in thirty years, a Peronist expression has a clear chance of winning the election in CABA?There's an evident disintegration of the PRO project that's palpable. Not only has Horacio Rodríguez Larreta left, but other electoral allies like the Civic Coalition, the Radical Party, and the Socialist Party also did. That speaks volumes about a loss of direction and management. Results from polls tell a similar story; traditional PRO voters who no longer feel represented by the project.
What do you do in the face of this scenario?We try to contain all progressivism, humanism, Peronism, and the center-left sector of the city. All in a single proposal. We also take the effort to understand the city, study it, and analyze the main demands seriously. Recognizing that the city has stagnated over the past few years, we aim to create a more solidarity-based and tolerant alternative to the current administration.
Do you believe the polls?I believe the pollsters, not the polls. The majority indicates a probable victory for me less than a month before the elections. Qualitative polls matter more than quantitative ones, as digital polls get distorted by politically-inclined participants, making the samples biased. Face-to-face polls are more in line with the actual election outcome.
What is your perception of the possible result?It's a tight election, where any of the three major candidates could win. Both me and La Libertad Avanza (LLA) or PRO.
So, you think it'll be tighter than the polls suggest, which put you first, Manuel Adorni second, and Silvia Lospenatto third?Yes. It's impossible to predict electoral behavior until the last week, when most Argentines make their decision. For those of us who are informed, what I'm about to say might seem strange, but many people decide their vote in the voting booth. They are people who don't consume politics. Most of society has different concerns.
What changed that for the first time in thirty years, a Peronist expression has a clear chance of winning the election in CABA?There is an evident disintegration of the PRO project that's evident. Not only has Horacio Rodríguez Larreta left, but other electoral allies like the Civic Coalition, the Radical Party, or the Socialist Party also have. That speaks of a loss of direction and the course of the management. A lot can be seen in the polls; traditional voters of PRO who no longer feel represented by the project.
What do you do in the face of this scenario?We try to contain all the progressivism, humanism, Peronism, and the center-left sector of the city. All in a single proposal. And that worked. Because while others were fragmenting, we tried to concentrate on a single offer. And then there's something that people value, and that is that we take the work of understanding the city, knowing it, studying it, and detecting the main demands seriously. We all perceive that for about three years, it has stopped being a thriving city and has stayed put.
Does the continuity of your different candidacies, the accumulation of experience, and the solidification of the same message play in your favor today?Yes, because we expanded. We expanded the proposal. It's a proposal that appeals to all social classes and to people who, at the national level, maybe vote for other things. That's why we talk about a local project, Buenos Aires-ism, a humanist and progressive construction but thought out for the City of Buenos Aires. We are competitive because we managed to appeal to people who, historically, were not Peronist voters. We contained the entire Peronist electorate, a sector of the Radical Party, and many independents.
How do you contain that electorate who was more refractory to Peronism and could see in you an option not intimately linked to Kirchnerism?Understanding that, in the face of the era of fanaticism, what's needed is to build a more solidarity-based and tolerant alternative. Milei divided social perception between those who believe that an alternative to this aggressive, violent, and fanatical form is necessary. That's exclusive and confronts Argentines. I try to take care of the forms so that, beyond the social sector from which our voters come, they feel that we are speaking to them.
In what other ways do you contain them?Studying the issues a lot. We know what we're talking about when we discuss the City of Buenos Aires. Next week, I will present a book with a diagnosis and a concrete proposal for the problems of the porteños. There is a problem with waste. Where do we identify the real conflict? In that the companies in charge of collection and maintenance of urban hygiene are no longer controlled by the Buenos Aires government. We also realized that society is unaware that most public goods are provided by third-party companies. If I ask you which company gives you energy, you know it's Edenor or Edesur. If I ask you which company cleans the block of your house, you don't know which one it is. That reading of reality came from having spoken with many people who started to point out that something had changed in the last two years.
What changed? Where would you put the focus?The quality of public services has declined. When we started to see a lack of control over the companies, I started to connect the dots. The same thing happens with the maintenance of schools and hospitals, the same thing happens with colleges and the subway, which is a private company with a concession. The beginning of all this was the issue of the tow trucks. The dissatisfaction in CABA with the car towing service led us to understand one of the most important problems, which is that there were some companies that considered themselves the owners of the city. They had contracts renewed irregularly, with laughable fees, and what they did was collect for themselves, instead of organizing traffic. We managed to overthrow that precarious concession, and the towing service is now state-owned. We put an end to a racket that generated the anger of thousands of porteños.
Are you denouncing that there were businesses behind the public services of the Buenos Aires state?Exactly. But the craziest part is that people don't know that it's outsourced. The dissatisfaction with the waste collection service is related to the dissatisfaction with the autonomous car service, which is related to the dissatisfaction with the food served in public schools in the City, and which is related to the dissatisfaction of subway users. Behind each of these public services, there is a private company that is not controlled.
Are you targeting a specific government, like that of Jorge Macri or Horacio Rodríguez Larreta? Or are you targeting the PRO as the governing party?The problem is the system. They set up a system that's rotten. Many of their friends set up private companies to provide services to the City. The case of Nicky Caputo is the most well-known. And they started transferring responsibilities with very important contracts. The City stopped controlling. And then it started confusing the public with the private. If we want to discuss quality public goods, what we need to discuss is an efficient and modern management system, where outsourcing is allowed.
So, you're not against outsourcing.All cities in the world outsource services. Waste in a city like Buenos Aires is outsourced, but they have control. The problem is when friends set up companies to clean, to do maintenance work, and to provide services. After a long time of feeling like the election is in the bag and that people will vote for you anyway because you're playing the anti-peronism card, what happened in CABA a few years ago starts to happen. The services get worse and more expensive. Society doesn't know what's going on. In this election campaign, I'll be satisfied if society understands how the public is managed. Because that's the only way to improve it. We can improve it today, tomorrow, or the day after. But if people don't know how the public is managed, we'll never change it.
As the campaign progressed, Santoro's opponents cast him as radical, albertist, and Kirchnerist. In response, Santoro clarified his identity: "I am an alfonsinista allied with peronism." Santoro believes his appeal extends beyond traditional Peronist voters and is reaching out to PRO voters dissatisfied with their current party. He believes the electorate wants a shared social agenda beyond party politics, stating, "The most complex thing is that society has changed a lot. There are social sectors that used to identify with a political party, but no longer feel identified by that party."
Santoro fragrantly criticizes his opponents for playing up their anti-Peronism stance, using aggressive language and comparing candidates to Hitler, claiming it is disrespectful to voters. Santoro's supporters express their frustration at what they perceive as a smear campaign, stating, "Santoro is a unifying figure who transcends traditional party politics." His campaign centers on creating a "social majority" of diverse voters, focusing on core values such as environmental protection, social justice, and progress.
Towards the end of the campaign, Santoro addressed the looming threat posed by Manuela Bullrich, candidate for the PRO party. Bullrich has a reputation for hard tactics and uncompromising ideology. Santoro took a firm stance, criticizing Bullrich's approach and stating that he represents a different kind of politics, focused on building bridges and finding common ground.
As the final weeks of the campaign rolled in, Santoro's supporters remained hopeful. They believe that the Argentine people are eager for change and ready to vote for a candidate who represents a fresh vision for their future. As Santoro puts it, "Let's take care of the environment and defend life."
Related Topics
- Leandro Santoro
- Argentine Elections 2025
- Elections 2025
- CABA Elections 2025
- Manuela Bullrich
- Party Politics
- Environmental Protection
- Progressive Politics
- Social Justice
- Anti-Peronism Sentiment
- Voter Dissatisfaction
- Public Services Improvement
- Municipal Management
- Outsourcing
- Nicky Caputo
Enrichment Data:The political landscape in Buenos Aires has undergone significant shifts, potentially paving the way for a Peronist coalition to gain an advantage after three decades. Leandro Santoro, a candidate running against Manuela Bullrich for the position of city legislator in the May 18th elections, has distinguished himself by emphasizing a more inclusive social agenda focused on environmental protection, social justice, and progress.
Despite accusations of radicalism and Kirchnerism, Santoro maintains a unifying image that transcends traditional party politics. He has been critical of the anti-Peronism sentiment employed by his opponents, stating that it is disrespectful to voters and undermines the importance of shared social values. Santoro has also emphasized the importance of improving public services and adopting a more efficient municipal management system, especially in terms of outsourcing. The case of Nicky Caputo, a high-profile example of questionable outsourcing practices, highlights the significant challenges faced in ensuring quality service delivery in the city.
Santoro's campaign has focused on building a "social majority" of diverse voters, emphasizing core values such as environmental protection, social justice, and progress. In a climate of voter dissatisfaction and changing political landscapes, Santoro's message resonates with many voters who are seeking alternatives to established political parties. Whether or not this translates into electoral success remains to be seen. However, the continued growth of progressive social movements across Argentina suggests that the Peronist coalition may continue to gain momentum in the years to come.
Censored and Uncensored:* Censored: Removed content offensive, hateful, or inappropriate.* Uncensored: Includes original language, including curse words, and explicit opinions, to reflect Santoro's political tone.
- "What do you think about the upcoming election in CABA?"
- "Leandro Santoro, known for his progressive views, is a Santorista and an Alfonsinista, with roots in Peronism."
- "Leandro Santoro has criticism for the businesses controlling public services in CABA, aiming to address the issue if elected."
- "Santoro's stance receives support from entrepreneurs like Juan Manuel Olmos, as he seeks to bring change to the city's politics."
- "As the elections draw near, pollsters predict a tight race in CABA politics, with Santoro, Manuel Adorni, and Silvia Lospenatto as contenders."
