The greeting between Santiago Caputo and Eduardo “Lule” Menem during the Tedeum on May 25 at the Metropolitan Cathedral it became one of the most talked about political postcards of the day. The gesture, captured in the middle of the ceremony led by the president Javier Milei, showed both leaders exchanging a smile and a handshake in the midst of an institutional climate marked by political tensions.
The scene gained greater visibility when it was published on social networks from Caputo’s own account, who shared the image accompanied by a brief message, which was interpreted by different analysts as a sign of internal alignment within the ruling party and the reconstruction of links between sectors of the libertarian space of The Forces of Heaven and recognized figures of “Karinism” with a career in Peronism. In the photo you can see the so-called “Kremlin Wizard”, dressed in Peaky Blinders, greets Karina Milei’s secretary.
The episode was quickly crossed by the great controversy that erupted in the libertarian digital ecosystem last week: the so-called “Rufus case”, in reference to the anonymous account “Journalist Rufus.” The controversy spilled over to the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, and Lule Menem himself, both identified as part of a political-communicational network that would have amplified certain messages on networks, shooting against Caputo himself and his forces. In turn, the libertarian influencer known as Daniel Parisini, alias “Gordo Dan”, immersed himself in the public discussion by applying a lesson against the Menem on digital platforms.
The anonymous profile, known by the name Rufus, accumulated criticism for months against almost all sensitive sectors of the national government. He shot against Patricia Bullrich, against the Minister of Economy Luis Caputo and, of course, against Santiago Caputo. X’s account combined a style of political operation and catharsis that anticipated the fall of a session in Deputies and confirmed the appointment of Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques, confidential data that suggested access to the LLA small table.
An incredible technical error exposed the fake account that was allegedly managed by the president of the Chamber of Deputies. When sharing a link from Instagram, social network X generates a unique link that reveals the source account that shared the post. Clicking it showed that the url had been shared by a verified profile: @martinmenemok, the official account of Martín Menem.
Caputo, accustomed to chatting on The attached image showed the trail towards Menem’s profile. The @PeriodistaRufus account disappeared that same afternoon and Caputo accelerated: “Deleting the account only confirms that it belongs to you, Mongolians.”
Martín Menem sent a message via WhatsApp to the block of deputies of La Libertad Avanza and members of the Cabinet. The leader attributed the episode to an “involuntary error” on the part of the person who manages his Instagram and, later, to “a scoundrel from some bad guy.” But libertarian tweeters began to delve into some posts rescued as proof that X’s controversial account handled classified information.
President Milei tried to close the issue with a conciliatory version. “It’s something that they have planted on Martín Menem. It’s prefabricated,” he said in Neura, and in the same sentence he defined Caputo as “a brother.” The presidential gesture opened an unexpected front led by Daniel Parisini, ruling that the president was deceived. “I am convinced that the account belonged to Martín Menem. I have no doubts. They lied to the President,” he stressed.
“It is an absolute falsehood,” stated Deputy Menem and explained: “In any organization, government or soccer team, differences always arise. Any situation is resolved in the locker room, inside, closed. Under the open sky, nothing,” he said and even sent a message to Gordo Dan: “You should not underestimate the President.”
For the moment, the first threats of rapprochement were portrayed shared by the president’s advisor when greeting Lule Menem. The highlight will be when the same postcard is seen when Caputo himself shakes hands with Martín Menem, as long as that scene happens at some point.
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