When Alberto Fernández added Sergio Massa to the Front of AllOne of the assets of today’s Economy Minister was his good relationship with business sectors. For the same reason that years ago in Kirchnerism they rejected it, now they claim it. In this critical context of the country, his contacts made him a key figure when seeking consensus in the relationship between the Government and the establishment.
It is a usual mechanism of the business world: sponsor politicians with projection. When they spot a prominent young man, they make their money and his contacts available to boost that politician’s career. Translated to the entrepreneurial world, it would be something like an “angel investor”, that is, a person who invests in the initial phase of the project in exchange for a future capital participation.
Perhaps the businessmen who most supported Massa from his origins were Daniel Vila and José Luis Manzano, owners of Grupo América and also of the electric company Edenor, that he will be able to increase the tariffs with the new minister.
Massa is a regular attendee at the social events that are usually organized Vila and Manazano, such as the Solidarity Harvest in Mendoza. One of the recent episodes that had them as protagonists was the new policy of channel América of not showing escraches on the air. The case had resonance because it was made public from an escrache that Massa had suffered in Santa Fe and was going to be broadcast on the program of the anti-K host Viviana Canosa.
Tigre has given Massa good friends and even advisers. One of them is the gated community developer George O’Reillywho in 2008 acted as ad honorem adviser to Tigrense when He was chief of staff. O’Reilly, linked to conservative sectors of the Catholic Church, he had worked for the removal of then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from the Archbishopric of Buenos Aires. This led to a very bad relationship between Massa and the current Pope Francis and is the main reason why he was never received at the Vatican. Massa usually detaches himself from that episode, but Bergoglio does not believe him.
Another friend of Tigre that Massa made in the last ten years was Mauricio Filiberti, the chlorine businessman who, together with Vila and Manzano bought the company Edenor to Marcelo Mindlin, another friend of the Tigrense. Filiberti he supported Massa in his 2013 campaign as national deputy. The beginning of the relationship was consolidated when Filiberti lent his house in Nordelta to entertain tennis player Roger Federer who was in Buenos Aires to play against Martín del Potro. It was in 2012. In a video that follows on YouTube you can see how Filiberti and Massa interact with Federer. The bond became so close that Massa and his wife attended the wedding between Filiberti and model Camila Pitana.
From those years as an opponent of Kirchnerism, Massa also maintains a good relationship with Francisco de Narvaez, supermarket chain owner Walmart and the Más brand, which is now the sponsor of the River Plate stadium. In 2015, De Narváez had joined Massa’s presidential adventure. He was going to be his candidate for governor for the province of Buenos Aires. In the end, it was lowered so that Massa and Macri could reach an agreement that they never reached. From those years of negotiation with the macrismo, Massa established a good dialogue with Nicolás Caputo, Macri’s “brother of life” and one of the most active links between the two politicians in those years. Between lunches and coffees they tried to reach an agreement to defeat the Kirchenerismo that in the end did not prosper, but they did agree on mutual aid during the Cambiemos government. That did not last long, until Macri nicknamed Massa “Ventajita”.
Patron. One of the businessmen who helped Massa the most in his political career was the banker Jorge Brito who, in addition to sponsoring him, made him part of his social circle. That club of friends was made up of Sebastián Eskenazi, Jorge “Corcho” Rodríguez and Adrian Werthein, among other friends of Brito. Political meetings used to be held in the house of the late owner of Banco Macro. In one of the last and most famous, Massa took as guests Máximo Kirchner and Eduardo “Wado” De Pedro. At that meeting was Hugo Dragonetti, owner of the construction company Panedile, with various infrastructure developments. This year they are working at the Retiro station to improve the arrival and departure area of the Miter train, which depends on the Ministry of Transport, in charge of the Minister alexis warrior, a massist. Dragonetti also had a good relationship with Brito. After the death of the shareholder of the Banco Macro, Jorgito, Brito’s eldest son maintains a good bond with Massa, although friendships are not inherited.
Brito Sr. would be proud of Massa for one of the first steps he took when took up economics. The minister negotiated a debt swap for bonds maturing in August, September and October. Argentina was obliged to pay 2.4 billion pesos in total for those maturities, but after the offer of Massa managed to renegotiate most of the debt. What did she offer? The old bonds were adjusted for inflation, but given the distrust of the markets, the minister offered a new bond that adjusted for inflation and also for devaluation, whichever pays the most. In other words, if the government devalued, the bondholders were protected from their losses. The country loses in any scenario, but the banks are happy.
More contacts. The world of football also brought great ties to the Minister of Economy. One of them is Daniel Gregorio Guerra, leader of Argentinos Juniors and former vice president of that club. Guerra is a businessman in the plastics industry. He makes containers of all kinds and colors and also invests in real estate businesses. Guerra’s wife, Andrea Mirón, is a close friend of Malena Galmarini, and both couples usually share vacations in Pinamar or abroad. In 2019 they traveled on a private jet to Rio de Janeiro with other friends. Guerra owns a field in San Andrés de Giles, where this year she received President Alberto Fernández and Massa for his birthday. It was in the middle of May.
Lastly, one of Massa’s recent good friends is Peter Jan de Nul, from the Belgian company of the same name that has the Paraná River dredged where the waterway route is located. Massa is attentive to the tender for this concession that, for now, is under the purview of the Ministry of Transport. The Argentine ambassador to China, Sabino Vaca Narvaja, also got involved there, asking for a Chinese company through Twitter, which caused a complaint from the Civic Coalition. The tender is currently on standby and meanwhile the dredging is done by Jan de Nul, through a local subsidiary.
Massa’s business friends are in congratulations. They bet on the Tigrense and, for now, they did well. Perhaps for this reason, unconditional, on the day of the assumption they accompanied him closely. They were not all, but the absent ones, even if it was, sent a message.
