José Luis Espert, national deputy of La Libertad Avanza (LLA) and former president of the Budget Commission, known for his confrontational style and phrases like “jail or bullet” against criminals, requested leave until the end of the year to avoid scrutiny for the narco-scandal that links him to businessman “Fred” Machado. The case forced him to lower his candidacy in Buenos Aires and exposed him to judicial raids. Sources close to Espert confirm to NEWS that he fears unbearable “bullying” in Congress: memes, whistles and isolation that would make his presence unsustainable. “He doesn’t want to show his face, it would be a fool’s errand,” they admit.
The San Isidro Justice Department, headed by Judge Lino Mirabelli, charged him with money laundering. Machado, who will be extradited to the United States for drug trafficking, money laundering and fraud, financed Espert’s campaign in 2019 with $200,000, declared as an “advance for consulting” of a million-dollar contract. The prosecution is investigating whether it was dirty money or a bribe, added to the deputy’s 35 flights on Machado’s private jets. This forced Espert to renounce his candidacy on October 7, leaving Karina Reichardt at the head of the list, although the Government tried unsuccessfully to impose Diego Santilli.
The case has generated tensions within LLA, where Espert was a key figure until weeks ago. His relationship with Machado, which includes joint events in Viedma and the use of a Grand Cherokee truck belonging to the businessman’s entourage, has been documented by Justice, which is also investigating Claudio Ciccarelli, close to Congressman Lorena Villaverde and Machado’s cousin.
The license, requested on October 8 until December 8, allows him to collect 2.5 million pesos per month without going to Congress. “It is a strategy to prevent him from being recorded and the opposition from destroying him,” say those close to him. In the session that approved the raids (215 votes), Vilma Ripoll (MST) attacked him: “Espert lied to us, he thinks he is more alive. We want to get rid of him.” The raids seek evidence of the link with Machado, after his resignation from the Budget Commission.
For its part, Justice authorized the search of Espert’s house in Nordelta and his office in Annex A of Congress, following a request from the San Isidro prosecutor’s office. The Frente de Todos presented a project to expel him from the Chamber, while the hashtag #EspertNarco added 12 thousand posts on the social network X in 48 hours. The license gives him a break, but the raids and scandal threaten his bank.
