Peronist mayor of General Villegas suggested 'selling a child' to pay for land plots

The Peronist mayor ofGeneralVillegas, Gilberto Alegre, was at the center of a new controversy during an official land allocation event.

In the context of the opening of bids for the first 97 municipal plots and the announcement of future tenders, the mayor urged residents to make financial efforts to access land.

However, his words sparked criticism when he suggested the possibility of"selling a child" to finance the purchase.

Alegre, who left the Peronist movement and chose to join the Somos group, presented the measure as part of a local plan to address the city's housing deficit. 

"There are plots and we have to solve this issue, how are we going to solve it? Today we're going to assign the first 97," he stated to those present. In that context, he made the remark that caused backlash: "Sell the car, the motorcycle, the bicycle, a child (meaning a son or daughter), or whatever,".

After noticing the discomfort, the mayor tried to downplay the comment and added:  "But you already have the plot, because you can have more children; the plot is harder to get. I say it affectionately,".

Nevertheless, the episode quickly spread to social media, where residents expressed their outrage. On the municipality's official Facebook page, comments appeared such as:  "Do we have to sell a child to buy a plot?",  "Gilberto is totally crazy" or "We haven't had sewers for thirty years, what are you grabbing at?".

The digital reaction also included economic criticisms. One resident warned:  "We can't even afford to pay for a plot or a loan if we took one out. I have to pay rent, how am I supposed to do it?". Other users criticized that while formalized lot allocation plans are being promoted"regularized", entire neighborhoods lack deeds and formal access to basic services.

The episode reignited the debate over the priorities of local governance. Meanwhile, the municipality highlights progress in urbanization policies, sectors of the population denounce a structural deficit in infrastructure, with decades of delays in sewer systems and land regularization.

Alegre, with a long career in Buenos Aires politics and changes in party alignment, once again finds himself at the center of controversy.