Máximo Kirchner's group implemented an internal protocol following repeated accusations
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The youth organization La Cámpora, a symbol of Kirchnerism and led by Máximo Kirchner, has faced a series of allegations of gender-based violence and sexual abuse in recent years that have involved several of its leaders and activists. According to internal sources, since the creation of an internal protocol, sanctions have reportedly been applied in at least 30 cases.
One of the most prominent episodes was that of Jorge Romero, known as "el Loco", a Buenos Aires legislator and close friend of Máximo Kirchner and Andrés "Cuervo" Larroque. At the end of 2018, Romero was accusedby activist Stephanie Calo, who publicly stated: "He pushed me into the bathroom, locked the door, and tried to force me to perform oral sex on him".
El violador Jorge Romero, conocido como “el Loco”.
The accusation led to his removal from the organization under the new regulations. Romero himself acknowledged reprehensible behavior: "I'm a man raised in a patriarchal society, I engaged in sexist practices that at the time seemed natural. Because of all this, I've decided to step aside from my political responsibilities to submit myself to the processes determined by the application of my organization's protocol".
The Romero case was not isolated. Other activists such as Julián Eyzaguirre and Nicolás Roó were also accused of harassment and abuse. At the municipal level, La Cámpora leaders from districts in Greater Buenos Aires faced similar allegations, including Gustavo Matías in Vicente López, Pablo Gallardo in Claypole, and Pablo Ramos in Escobar.
Spokespersons for the organization acknowledged that the implementation of the protocol was a response to an accumulation of cases that could no longer be ignored. "It's true that La Cámpora's authorities were forced to create the protocol because of the number of gender-based violence cases that began to emerge against members of La Orga. These kinds of situations have always happened, but before, women—generally very young—didn't dare to report them", admitted a La Cámpora member.
Even within Kirchnerism, there were ironies about the organization's internal dynamics. At the Patria Institute, a phrase by Congresswoman Victoria Tolosa Paz was recalled: "If in Peronism people have sex, Máximo's organization looks like an orgy".
Background shows that La Cámpora not only faces political criticism for its closeness to former president Cristina Kirchner, but also an internal crisis stemming from allegations of gender-based violence involving a growing number of its activists and leaders.
