Horacio Rodríguez Larreta is not wasting time. Since last year’s legislative candidate debate made clear his intentions to return to the City government, the former mayor has been touring the City non-stop. His notebook, now also digital, has become a bot: on his website, you can chat with «La Libreta de Larreta» to schedule meetings or manage complaints. The national deputy insists that he writes down everything he hears, and what is repeated, he underlines. With that foundation and a hundred projects, he aims for urban, mobility, and human integration to win over residents ahead of 2027.
On his social media, Larreta shows tours and everyday testimonials. This weekend, in an Instagram story, he previewed a proposal that caught attention: public restrooms. The City receives millions of people every day, but in squares and streets there are no public toilets. Anyone who needs one has to look for a gas station or pay for a coffee. Recently, the Buenos Aires government already launched a contest to install this service in 16 parks, but Larreta wants to go further.
However, his obsession seems to be housing, especially in the neglected South of the City and for the middle class, which has no opportunities. The former head of government has already pointed out the inequalities between the South and the North, and after 16 years leading the City as Chief of Staff and mayor, he decided to focus efforts on reversing that gap. He argues that there is higher school dropout rates and lower life expectancy, two data points that highlight the divide.
From his Instagram, the first proposals are accessible, some already previewed in the launch of his «Second Transformation» under the «Metrópolis» initiative. He aims to build 25,000 homes in the South and revitalize the abandoned microcenter, affected by the advance of virtuality after the pandemic. For the South, he plans to take advantage of large empty spaces such as the Liniers yard, the Mataderos Livestock Market, the Autódromo area, or the Caballito yard, with the intention of creating homes and revitalizing the area with shops, schools, hospitals, gyms, and parks.
The other, more recent proposal targets the Microcentro. Since the pandemic, remote work has expanded and many industries operate almost entirely remotely. In the tech sector, only 2% have returned to in-person work. That absence is noticeable: 63% of the surface area is occupied by offices, and shops have seen sales drops of between 40% and 50%. At night, the streets are deserted. Larreta proposes converting offices into affordable housing, with a 30% subsidy fund for construction and tax incentives for shops and services.
He complements these proposals by distancing himself from the current Buenos Aires government. The former mayor does not see himself in an alliance with Jorge Macri, whom he places in a much more right-leaning position. Larreta describes himself as empathetic and pro-urbanization of popular neighborhoods. What he does not rule out is a coalition with former partners of Juntos por el Cambio. This week there was a public coincidence with Maximiliano Ferraro, president of the Coalición Cívica. Larreta’s ally Emmanuel Ferrario observed that the TramBus «could and should have been a tram, which is quieter, more sustainable, and carries more people,» a view with which the lilito agreed because «the future is on rails.» Another initiative seeks to generate short rail routes within CABA to encourage train use, currently abandoned by Buenos Aires residents.
Legislator Guadalupe Tagliaferri, in one of the campaign videos, commented: «It is very important to explain how the projects are intended to be carried out, because many stay only in the what and promise anything. Hopefully someday we can make this a reality.» Those interested in contributing ideas can join the brainstorming under the slogan «100 for ’27.»
Para mí Larreta es un vendepatria. Shock habitacional mi @#$%, esto huele a llenar la ciudad de villas y planes para los negros que vienen a chorear. 25 mil viviendas? Mejor que se quede en su casa. Jorge Macri es blando, pero este es peor. Viva la libertad carajo!
Para mí Larreta y Macri son la misma basura de siempre, ahora se pintan de progres con 25 mil viviendas en el Sur. Mientras tanto, los laburantes no llegamos ni a fin de mes. Esto huele a verso, necesitamos expropiar a los oligarcas de una vez. ¡Volve, Kicillof, carajo!