The scandal that surrounds the senator Edgardo Kueider has revived the political debate in the Argentine Senate and, at the same time, reflects a clear attempt by Kirchnerism to regain control lost after the political realignments of recent months. Oscar Parrillia prominent figure of Unión por la Patria (UxP) and close to the hard core of the former vice president Cristina Kirchnerdid not skimp on qualifiers to condemn the situation and justify the initiative for Kueider’s expulsion.
“The first thing that this It generates a lot of anger and indignation in me. because these events reflect conduct at odds with politics,” said Parrilli in reference to the discovery of a considerable sum of undeclared money in Kueider’s possession. Beyond the ethical level, the ruling party’s move aims to politically take advantage of an episode that weakens a senator who left the Kirchnerist bloc in February 2023 and who, after the victory of Javier Milei, aligned himself with its ranks.
Behind the expulsion
Kirchnerism bases its request on article 66 of the National Constitution, which enables Congress to exclude a legislator for “moral inability.” According to Parrilli, this not only responds to an ethical question, but also a political one: “The expulsion of Kueider would give us back what is ours because he was voted by the Entre Ríos Peronism to be part of the Union for the Homeland bloc“. This argument raises a controversy about the ownership of the legislative mandate: is it the party’s or the elected representative’s?
The challenge for the ruling bloc lies in obtain the 37 votes necessary to advance with the initiativea number that becomes elusive in the current alliance map. Since Kueider aligned himself with Milei’s space, he has supported key laws for libertarianism, evidencing their usefulness for the new government’s pro-government agenda.
The accusations
Doubts about the origin of the money found in Kueider’s possession are the core of the claim. “Obviously Edgardo Kueider is going to have to explain where the money he had comes from.”Parrilli said in an interview with El Disparador (Delta 90.3), who also questioned the circumstances: “Why was he taking it to Paraguay this way, hidden at 12 at night? If it was legitimate, why was he hiding it?”
This point is central to installing the idea of ”moral inability.” However, the progress of this accusation could be complicated in a political context where alliances are fragile and where ethical accusations tend to become tools of political negotiation rather than genuine attempts at institutional healing. Beyond the specific case, Kirchnerism seems to seek a double gain: on the one hand, symbolically recovering a seat that he considers his own; on the other, to send a political message about loyalties and the costs of leaving the official space.
by RN
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