Kicillof's mayors seek to oust Máximo Kirchner from the Buenos Aires PJ

The defeat of Peronism in Buenos Aires province, following the overwhelming victory of La Libertad Avanza, forcefully reopened the internal conflict between Kirchnerism and the sector aligned with Governor Axel Kicillof. The dispute is due to the control of the Buenos Aires Justicialist Party, presided over since 2021 by Máximo Kirchner.

The term of the son of the corrupt former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner ends in December, and the mayors of the Movimiento Derecho al Futuro (MDF), aligned with Kicillof, are seeking to remove him in order to place a leader from their own group in that position. Vice Governor Verónica Magario, who achieved a victory in the Third Electoral Section in the early elections, is among the figures with the greatest consensus.

Although Sunday's defeat moderated tempers, the mayors' demand remains firm. "Máximo can't continue. Throughout 2025 he didn't call a single party meeting, in an election year," stated one of the MDF municipal leaders. Among those pushing for change, Jorge Ferraresi is also mentioned, while some even proposed Kicillof himself to assume the party presidency, an option the Buenos Aires governor rejected.

Another alternative is Andrés "Cuervo" Larroque, provincial Minister of Development and former La Cámpora leader, who is now distanced from Máximo. "I'm a Peronist activist, I'm always going to work from whatever position," the official said, without ruling out an internal candidacy.

Meanwhile, from Kirchnerism, they reaffirmed their support for the current president of the Buenos Aires PJ and hinted that Cristina Fernández de Kirchner remains involved in the discussion. "She's imprisoned and Máximo is her voice in the Buenos Aires PJ. We're going to ask for him to stay," said a leader close to the former president.

As a consensus figure, some mayors mention Federico Otermín, mayor of Lomas de Zamora and a leader close to both Kicillof and Kirchnerism, due to his conciliatory profile and his role as a mediator during the most tense moments of the electoral process.

Tension increased after anonymous posters with harsh messages appeared at the party headquarters in La Plata and Balvanera: "Give the PJ back to the Peronists" and "Máximo, the PJ isn't your toy." Added to this is the expiration of the deadline to call internal elections, which could lead to a term extension and intensify criticism.

Mayor Fernando Gray, who has been at odds with Máximo for years, warned that the party is "on the verge of judicial intervention" due to statutory violations. Thus, the Buenos Aires PJ is heading toward ending the year with one of its most intense disputes since 2019, reflecting the struggle for leadership and the reconstruction of Peronism after its hardest blow in the country's most important province.