Buenos Aires governor Axel Kicillof traveled to Spain with a large group financed with public funds, but ended up playing a political role: he was excluded from the official photo of the progressive summit “In Defense of Democracy” in Barcelona. The event brought together the main leaders of the global left, but the provincial president was not even considered among the central figures of
the meeting.The summit, promoted by the socialist president of the Spanish Government Pedro Sánchez and the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lul.a da Silva, brought together important leaders such as Gustavo Petro, Claudia Sheinbaum and Cyril Ramaphosa, who participated in the traditional group image that symbolizes political support and ideological alignment. However, Kicillof, who traveled especially to join that agenda, was completely
relegated.
In these types of meetings, the official photo works as a key political gesture: it defines hierarchies, legitimates leadership and projects international positioning. The absence of the Buenos Aires governor exposes his scant weight within the global progressive scheme, even in a space where
he shares ideological affinity.Kicillof's trip takes place in a critical context for the province of Buenos Aires. The increasing insecurity, the structural crisis of the health system and the collapse of IOMA constitute a complex scenario for millions of people from Buenos Aires. Despite this, the president chose to prioritize an international tour to try unsuccessfully to lift up his
