MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: All candidates but one condemn bloodshed in Israel

Will there be a second round or can Milei wrap it up on Oct. 22?

Loquacious Leftwing Front (Frente de Izquierda) Congresswoman Myriam Bregman was the only presidential candidate not to condemn Hamas' actions against Israeli civilians this weekend during their opening speeches of the second (and last) debate ahead of the Oct. 22 elections. Moreover, she somehow blamed Israel for what happened.

It was not equally clear who won the eristics duel, although the Libertarian Javier Milei seemed to have emerged on top thanks to corruption scandals -most notably the Martín Insaurralde case- splashing Economy Minister Sergio Massa of the ruling Unión por la Patria (UP) force, coupled with former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich's past linked to the Montoneros guerrillas or the violent Peronist Youths of the 1970s.

In the end, the question remained: Will Milei become president in the first round or will there be a runoff on Nov. 19? To avoid a second round of voting, a presidential candidate needs at least 45% of the valid votes, or at least 40% with a 10-percentage-point lead over the second-placed contender. And if so, who would be challenging Milei: Massa or Bullrich?

Meanwhile, Córdoba Governor Juan Schiaretti looked calm throughout the event and highlighted his achievements in his province, which he pledged to replicate at a national level. But he ranks fourth out of five and the odds of him reaching Casa Rosada are slimmer than slim.

“We are on the verge of hyperinflation. With the aggravating factor that social indicators are worse than in 2001,” warned Milei in his opening statement. The solution is not “with nice words or good manners” but “it is fixed with forceful measures that only La Libertad Avanza proposes,” he stressed.

When talking to Bullrich, the economist underlined that “You erased your past as a murderous montonera,” arguing that other politicians or union leaders wishing to join LLA could also have a change of heart.

Massa insisted that “the worst is over” and that as of Dec. 10 as president he would focus on the recovery of wages through “a production and development plan.” He also asked Argentines to “vote without anger and hatred.”

Bullrich affirmed that Argentina's progress could only be achieved by ending government corruption. “To put an end to stealing, you have to put an end to Kirchnerism,” she argued. ”The only ones who have good salaries are the ñoquis (state workers who only show up on paydays) of La Cámpora that you promised to erase,“ she added.

After Bullrich asked Massa ”When are you going to stop looting?“ the Economy Minister replied that her outbursts and loss of composure through various parts of the debate were leading her nowhere. ”Talking canyengue will not make you any better.“ It ”will not make you improve your bad electoral performance.“

”Canyengue” is Lunfardo (Argentine slang) for a rude, petulant, and arrogant person.

Massa also pledged to “include Hamas in the list of terrorist organizations in Argentina.” He needs to detach himself from Vice President and former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's Memorandum of Understanding with Iran to investigate the bombings in 1992 of Israel's Embassy in Buenos Aires and in 1994 of the Israeli Welfare Association of Argentina (AMIA) in addition to the controversial death of Special Prosecutor Alberto Nisman.