Hours before the elections, Javier Milei released a video that combines the photo album of his most endearing moments with José Luis Espert from 2019 to today. Far from considering him a piantavote, or fearing a reaction at the polls for that bear hug, the President vindicates the figure of his political partner in his most difficult moment, when everyone turns their backs on him. That is friendship, although strategist “Santi” Caputo is clutching his head at the inappropriateness of the gesture, which became a trending topic.
Espert, as is known, was the head of the Libertarian ticket in the province of Buenos Aires, but he had to resign due to allegations of his relationship with the alleged drug trafficker “Fred” Machado, who financed his 2019 presidential campaign with 200 thousand dollars and promised 800 thousand more, in addition to lending him his private plane. Milei’s video begins, precisely, with the image of the bald economist crying in a television interview as a result of the scandal. And it continues with endless photos in which they are seen hugging, smiling or playing and making funny faces, they are so witty.
Let us remember that Milei resisted until the last moment before handing over Espert and removing him from the list. His entire small table asked him for it, and they say that the United States government also asked him, but he continued supporting the “Professor,” as he calls him. Until he couldn’t take it anymore and gave in.
Espert is the one who introduced Milei to politics back in 2021, when he added him to his Avanza Libertad space, in exchange, as he said privately, for a monthly payment for the current President, who does not militate for free. Although they later reconciled, that year they ended badly. Espert was a candidate in the legislative elections for the Province, and Milei for the Capital. But the libertarian said that his discoverer tried to remove him from his candidacy in CABA because it had grown too much and affected a strategic partner of the bald economist, the then mayor Horacio RodrÃguez Larreta. He told Alejando Fantino, without giving names, in an interview that Espert had offered him a suitcase with 200 thousand dollars to give up being a candidate, and that he had rejected it. Milei then broke Avanza Libertad, created Libertad Avanza (it’s not a tongue twister) and ran the same way in that election. Later he would reconcile with “The Profe.”
One more fact: the two share a lawyer, Francisco Oneto. He is the same one who defends “Fred” Machado.
