Overview

• José Luis Espert submitted a letter dated October 8 to Chamber president Martín Menem seeking a leave from today through December 8 for “personal reasons.”
• Leaders from PRO and La Libertad Avanza pressed for the leave and decided he will not attend the next session, while Menem waited for guidance from the Casa Rosada before acting.
• Opposition figures urged his resignation and even exclusion from the body, citing reports of illicit political financing linked to narcotrafficking.
• If he resigned outright, his replacement would be Hugo Bontempo from another liberal list, a change allies say could cost the ruling bloc votes.
• Espert had already abandoned his re-election bid and resigned from the Budget and Finance Commission after reports he received about USD 200,000 from a company tied to Fred Machado, who acknowledged financing his 2019 campaign.