Leandro Santoro withdrew from the legislative elections in CABA

The closing of lists in Buenos Aires City for the legislative elections on May 18 left a controversy that shook the local political scene. 

Yamil Santoro, leader of Unión Porteña Libertaria (UPL), decided to remove his brother Leandro Santoro from the top of the list and assume the role of first candidate himself.

This decision came after the uproar caused by his party's initial strategy, which adopted a similar aesthetic to Unión por la Patria (UP) and nominated a candidate with the same name as the Peronist leader in the City.

The maneuver caused strong criticism within Buenos Aires Peronism. The closing of lists, which was finalized on March 29, exposed UPL's strategy, which not only imitated UP's visual identity but also presented Leandro Santoro, Yamil's brother, as the first candidate.

This event caused a wave of accusations of deliberate confusion, especially when it was revealed that the candidate had lived in Germany for the last eight years and had no background in Argentine politics.

The Peronist leader Leandro Santoro was one of the first to denounce the move, calling it "unacceptable." "You may not agree with our ideas, you may not like that we're competing in the City, but what can't be accepted is the appearance of a candidate with the same name without political tradition. Moreover, Yamil steps down to put his brother, who has lived in Germany for eight years. He has no background", he stated in public declarations.

He also mocked the tactic used by UPL:  "Either it's a joke that the guy is doing to try to establish himself, which would be a bad taste joke", he emphasized.

Amid the escalation of questions, Yamil Santoro decided to provide explanations through a video posted on his X account.  "Yes, when we launched the list, we took some elements from the visual identity of other parties", he acknowledged.

"It's also true that we sought a first candidate with a name similar to the Kirchnerist candidate. It wasn't accidental. We did it so they would feel what millions of Argentines have felt over the years when we were run over, scammed, robbed, outraged by the atrocities they kept doing", he justified.

In the same video, Santoro targeted those who criticized UPL's strategy:  "Now they appear outraged, crying. It's you who embrace people who are convicted", he launched. Then, in a shift in his speech, he announced that he would personally lead the list:  "We will go with a proudly liberal list that I will be leading."

Additionally, Santoro emphasized in his speech the contrast between his figure and the Peronist candidate:  "This May 18, you will be able to vote for freedom, for the Republic, and for order. It has never been so easy to choose between a Santoro who embraces criminals and another, like me, who worked to put them in jail", he expressed in a confrontational tone.

Santoro also justified his party's initial tactic as a response to Peronism's historical strategies.  "We did it on purpose, so they would feel what millions of Argentines have felt over the years when we were run over, scammed, robbed, and outraged by the atrocities you did. Now they appear crying and saying: 'Oh, what thieves you are, scammers!' Guys, it's you who scam the electorate by changing your visual identity election after election, so no one knows who you are", he emphasized.