La Derecha Diario Elections in Corrientes: Radical Valdez prevailed and LLA reported irregularities
Gustavo Valdés left the governorship in the hands of his brother, Juan Pablo, marking family continuity in Corrientes
The province of Corrientes held a key election this Sunday in which nearly 950,000 citizens were eligible to vote for governor, vice governor, part of the Legislature, and more than 70 mayorships. The day unfolded normally on the streets of the capital, although beneath the surface a fierce electoral battle was being waged that ultimately marked the continuity of the local ruling party and the collapse of Peronism.
With 11.22% of polling stations counted, the ruling party's candidate Juan Pablo Valdés was reaching 52.61% of the votes, which allowed him to secure the governorship in the first round. In second place was the Kirchnerist candidate Martín "Tincho" Ascúa, with just 20.1%, thus confirming the decline of the PJ in a province where it has never managed to consolidate its presence.
El gobernador radical Gustavo Valdés ordenó repatir bolsas de mercaderia con la boleta de sus candidatos adentro, en medio de las elecciones legislativas de Corrientes.
Other parties followed behind, including the one led by Lisandro Almirón of La Libertad Avanza, and former governor Ricardo Colombi of Encuentro por Corrientes (ECo).
Peronism arrived divided and weakened. Ascúa's candidacy, mayor of Paso de los Libres, was the result of a partial agreement that failed to bring together all factions, many of which turned to other coalitions. This internal fracture largely explains the PJ's poor electoral performance, which once again was far from competing for real power in Corrientes.
La Libertad Avanza's camp did not overlook what happened. After the polls closed, they released a statement in which they noted: "Typical irregularities of old politics were observed, which attempt to prevent the inevitable end of a long hegemonic cycle."
The statement also highlighted: "LA LIBERTAD AVANZA is the only true alternative in CORRIENTES. Today, change has begun." Almirón, current national deputy, was the only one of the main candidates who voted in the provincial capital, and his camp emphasized the need to "respect the will of the people" in the face of the practices of the traditional political machine.
In Corrientes, provincial politics displays characteristics typical of a fiefdom. Outgoing governor Gustavo Valdés, who could not seek re-election, anointed his brother Juan Pablo as his coalition's candidate, thus ensuring the continuity of the same power structure. The latter's victory with more than 52% of the votes was not only an electoral triumph, but also confirmation that a dynastic succession scheme persists in the province of Corrientes, more akin to family clans than to a democratic republic.
The election was marked by allegations of clientelism. One of the most talked-about incidents was the distribution of bags of groceries with ruling party ballots inside, a maneuver that caused rejection among the opposition and recalled the practices of the most archaic politics.
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