The Palermo Rural Exhibition once again became the stage for a reunion between the government and the governors. This Thursday, Chief of Staff Diego Santilli cut the ribbon for the 138th edition alongside seven provincial governors, in an atmosphere far removed from the tense 2024. ‘Argentina is on the move,’ Santilli rallied, as those present toasted with champagne at the Palermo grounds.
The official, now the main interlocutor between Javier Milei and the provinces, did not spare praise for the agricultural sector: ‘From day one, the President has been taking the weight off the shoulders of those who produce and work every day.’ The phrase, already a libertarian classic, was accompanied by concrete promises: ‘In the remainder of the year, we will lower export duties on wheat and barley by two points, and by 2026, the tax burden on GDP will fall to 26.7%, after reaching a peak of 32.6%.’
The cocktail was attended by governors Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe), Leandro Zdero (Chaco), Ignacio Torres (Chubut), Alberto Weretilneck (Río Negro), Carlos Sadir (Jujuy), Claudio Poggi (San Luis), and Elías Suárez (Santiago del Estero). Also present was Clara Muzzio, deputy head of the Buenos Aires city government. The list of attendees highlighted the most notable absences: Axel Kicillof (Buenos Aires) and Martín Llaryora (Córdoba), two key provinces for agricultural production.
The meeting, purely ceremonial, did not include any agenda debate. However, at the Casa Rosada, it is celebrated as a sign that the relationship with allied governors is ‘consolidating.’ According to sources from the Chief of Staff’s office, Santilli is emerging as the star negotiator to secure the support the ruling party needs in Congress. ‘Before, there was no willingness to reach agreements; now the libertarian political table is more open to consensus,’ the attending governors hinted.
A year ago, on the same stage, eight governors had coldly greeted then-Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos. Today, with Santilli at the helm, the atmosphere is different. ‘The problem wasn’t the officials, but the Casa Rosada’s approach,’ they recalled. Now, with Karina Milei curbing La Libertad Avanza’s own efforts against the governors, and Luis Caputo showing willingness to release funds, the landscape has changed.
Santilli closed his speech with praise for the private sector: ‘I know the effort our agricultural sector and agribusiness make. They are the ones who know what competition and productivity are. We are on the right track.’ The phrase, repeated like a mantra, seeks to calm a sector still awaiting the complete elimination of export duties. For now, the photo of the seven governors toasting with the Chief of Staff is already making the rounds in Argentine politics.
Para mí estos forros de Santilli y los gobernadores brindando mientras nos chorean son unos vendepatria. Menos impuestos al campo? Me parece un curro de los caranchos. La Argentina no se pone en marcha, se va al carajo. Yo creo que la única solución es la revolución, no brindis de cagadores.
Para mí esto es un golazo. Santilli y los gobernadores patriotas bancando al campo, no como Kicillof que es un zurdo de mierda que se borró. Menos impuestos y más laburo, eso es la Argentina que se pone en marcha. Vamos carajo, estos sí que defienden a los productores.