“The provinces could leave the Government without oil, gas and hydroelectric energy”, the harsh warning from a vice-governor to Javier Milei

In a game of cross pressures where warnings are tinged with threats, after the president’s statements Javier Mileithat in the Cabinet meeting he said about the governors – “I’m going to leave them penniless, I’m going to melt them all down” – now a deputy governor doubled down: “The provinces could leave the national government without oil, without gas and without hydroelectric energy.“.

“What President Milei said today is an absolute provocation and takes the country to extremes from which it could be very difficult to return,” the vice governor of Río Negro, Pedro Pesatti, remarked this Thursday.

“If the President of the Nation threatens to leave the provinces without the fiscal resources that correspond to them, the provinces, like the Patagonian ones, could leave the national government without oil, without gas and without hydroelectric energy,” added the vice-governor of the provincial party. . Together We Are Río Negro, which supported former candidate Sergio Massa in the runoff.

After the harsh message, Pesatti, who was previously mayor of Viedma – the provincial capital -, clarified: “But reaching That would be putting Argentina on the brink of national dissolution. or of a civil war and that is what the President should consider before expressing himself with such levels of violence when using threats as a method.”

“He has every right in the world to send an omnibus law and expect Congress to approve it without parliamentarians modifying a period or a comma. But he also has the duty, as president of a democratic republic, to accept the decision.” that Congress takes, even if it doesn’t like it,” he concluded.

The strong exchange occurs after the meeting between deputies and the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo. After the signing of the ruling party’s ruling, with many dissenting supporters, the minister issued a warning that was taken as a threat by the governors.

“Today I held a meeting with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Undersecretary of the Provinces to outline all the provincial items that will be cut immediately if any of the economic articles are rejected,” said Caputo. And he added: “It is not a threat, it is confirmation that we are going to fulfill the mandate that the majority of Argentines have given us to balance the fiscal accounts to end decades of inflation and economic scourge.”

The harsh message was supported by President Javier Milei, who at the cabinet meeting this Thursday stated: “I’m going to leave them without a penny, I’m going to melt them all“.

Minutes later, Alberto Weretilneck, governor of Río Negro, who a few days ago underwent surgery, also left a message on the networks: “Our Republic was formed by the federative union of the provinces. Federalism is a fundamental principle. of the political organization of Argentina”.

“Provincial governments guarantee essential services such as security, health and education. It is a fallacy to say that the provinces are responsible for the fiscal deficit of Argentina. We are not responsible,” Weretilneck added.

“Receiving this kind of central government grievances It’s very sad and annoying. From within we are not going to accept any type of pressure: we are going to defend Río Negro and the Patagonian provinces,” added the former senator and two-time governor who was elected again last year.

“In Patagonia we produce more than 90% of the country’s gas and oil. We generate more than 25% of the electrical energy that makes Argentina work. We have in our provinces the best tourist centers that generate foreign currency. We have agriculture, livestock and fishing,” listed the Patagonian governor.

And he concluded with a harsh message to the Government: “Stop threatening and call for dialogue. Stop pushing and look for large agreements to move forward as a society. Put aside confrontation and seek consensus. Get it out of your heads to see us on our knees“.