After the judicial blockade of Diego Santilli and the resignation of José Luis Espert, Karen Reichardt (Karina Celia Vázquez) was the head of the La Libertad Avanza (LLA) list for national deputies for Buenos Aires. On October 7, 2025, prosecutor Laura Roteta ruled that the ballot must respect the original order, with Reichardt first after the departure of Espert, involved in accusations of drug financing. Judge Alejo Ramos Padilla ratified the ruling on October 8, rejecting LLA’s attempt to place Santilli (third on the list) as leader, prioritizing gender parity and the Electoral Code. With the ballots already printed and the October 26 elections in sight, Reichardt, at 56 years old, heads the Buenos Aires list, which puts 35 seats at stake.
Reichardt rose to fame in the ’90s as a star. Born in Lomas de Zamora in 1969, she debuted in Raúl Portal’s NotiDormi and rose to prominence with Brigada Cola (1992) alongside Guillermo Francella. Her peak came with the cover of Playboy Argentina in 1992, an iconic production with María Fernanda Callejón. She also acted in films such as Tachero nocturna (1993) and Despertar de pasiones (1994), establishing herself as a sexy icon. In 2003, she hosted Fanásticas on Fox Sports, a women’s sports program, and since April 2025 she has led Amores Perros on Public TV, about pet adoption.
His libertarian militancy is recent. In 2023, disinterested in politics, she changed after Milei’s victory. In January 2024, he visited him at Casa Rosada and tweeted: “An extraordinary being. Thank you for the hope.” On networks, he supported reforms and shared anti-Kirchnerist content. Her ex-husband, Gustavo Balabanian, a businessman linked to the financial sector—owner of Paraná Seguros and the Tutelar group, with interests in franchises such as the Persicco ice cream parlor chain and properties in Bariloche—maintains a key connection with Juan Nápoli, the banker and former candidate for senator for La Libertad Avanza (LLA), who acts as Milei’s main liaison with the business establishment. Argentine and advisor on capital markets issues.
Milei personally chose her in August 2025 as second on the list, evaluating her arrival on networks and her “outsider” profile. The decision was made against the clock, less than 72 hours before the closing of lists, and was interpreted as a “coup de effect” within the ruling party. As confirmed by Casa Rosada sources, the president himself promoted his inclusion to refresh the ticket headed by Espert, betting on a media figure with affinity to his libertarian ideology and a cause that both share: the love for animals. Reichardt, host of the series Amores Perros on Public TV, usually refers to her pets as “family,” a sensitivity that Milei shares when talking about her “four-legged children.”
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