The governor of Catamarca, Raúl Jalil, has once again aligned himself with one of the main political reform projects promoted by the Government of Javier Milei by publicly expressing his support for the elimination of the Open, Simultaneous, and Mandatory Primaries (PASO), a stance that has fueled speculation about a possible electoral agreement with La Libertad Avanza.
During an interview granted to Futürock, the provincial leader stated that the primaries "do not serve society" and questioned the high cost they represent.
"I have been saying for a long time that the PASO do not serve society, they are a very expensive survey and do not strengthen political parties," he affirmed.
His statements were received with enthusiasm within the national government, where some leaders are already speculating about the possibility of Jalil heading a provincial list that would accompany Milei's presidential ticket through an electoral agreement.
In Catamarca, they admit to conversations with the ruling party
Although Jalil avoided publicly supporting the scheme of collector lists, he acknowledged that he considers it necessary to strengthen political parties.
"I believe that what needs to return is the strengthening of political parties. It would be nothing more than a law of slogans. The discussion of candidates must return to the parties," he stated.
However, political sources from Catamarca acknowledged that the possibility of converging electorally with the ruling party "is part of what is being discussed", although they clarified that there is still no concrete definition.
The negotiations would be postponed until after the traditional National and International Poncho Festival, at which point the provincial ruling party will begin to define the electoral calendar and candidacies for 2027.
A new gesture of alignment with Milei's Government
The support for the elimination of the PASO constitutes a new gesture of closeness between Jalil and the libertarian administration.
The national government has long been promoting a profound political reform aimed at reducing electoral spending, simplifying the system, and returning greater prominence to parties in the selection of candidates.
In this context, the position of the Catamarca leader coincides with one of the central axes of President Milei's institutional agenda.
Concern within Peronism
The possibility that Jalil ends up sealing an understanding with La Libertad Avanza generates concern among various sectors of Peronism.
In recent days, both the governor of La Rioja Ricardo Quintela and the former governor of Chaco Jorge Capitanich have held conversations with Jalil and the Tucuman Osvaldo Jaldo to try to find out if both will continue within the PJ or move towards an agreement with the national government.
According to reports, Quintela even suggested that if some governors decided to leave the space, the rest of Peronism would seek to reorganize the party without them.
Meanwhile, Jalil maintains a consistent discourse both publicly and privately regarding the need to eliminate the PASO, a stance that places him increasingly closer to the political strategy promoted by President Javier Milei and fuels speculation about a possible electoral understanding ahead of the upcoming elections.
