Never in its history has the UCR had such a weak bloc in the Chamber of Deputies. Between the meager elections and the leaders who decided to emigrate to other spaces, there will be barely six legislators representing the centenary party.
But that is not the only anomaly. Not even the outgoing president of radicalism, Martín Lousteau, will have the party shirt on. The thing is that he renewed his bench, but swore by the brand new federal space, United Provinces.
The same thing happens with the governors who represent the centenary space. The governor of Corrientes, Gustavo Valdés and Maximiliano Pullaro from Santa Fe are part of the United Provinces, so their legislators will not be in the radical bloc either.
Survivors.
The fragmentation of the UCR is not new. The last few years were characterized by an internal division that brought them to this infamous moment. The “radicals with a wig” appeared, responding to Javier Milei, some who formed monoblocs to have independence and others who decided to be the opposition (and were accused of being allies of Kirchnerism).
The loss of identity led them to form different alliances that today mean that their legislators are scattered throughout Congress. In October, some radicals were on the lists of La Libertad Avanza, such as in Entre Ríos, Mendoza and Chaco. And others appeared in United Provinces, such as in Santa Fe, Corrientes and Chubut.
In that context, only six radicals signed up for the block, the lowest number so far this century: until now the worst number was in 2007, when there were 24.
The survivors elected Pamela Verasay from Mendoza as the block leader. And they made the decision to set up an interblock with an old ally that was also fleeced, the PRO. A timid attempt at the resurgence of Together for Change, just to avoid falling into absolute ostracism in the Lower House.
