Overview
- Official U.S. and Florida records publicized in Argentina confirm Lorena Villaverde was detained on January 17, 2002 in Miami after an alleged purchase of one kilogram of cocaine for $17,000, contradicting her past denials.
- Reports say she is barred from entering the United States, raising questions about her role as chair of the Energy Committee and her ability to engage with U.S. stakeholders, a restriction she has publicly disputed.
- Casa Rosada sources told Clarín the government is evaluating asking Villaverde to resign her Senate candidacy, while La Libertad Avanza has not formally removed her from the ticket.
- Opposition lawmakers escalated institutional responses, with Facundo Manes filing to exclude her from the Chamber of Deputies and others seeking her removal from the Energy Committee leadership.
- La Libertad Avanza curtailed campaign activity as Javier Milei canceled planned visits to Río Negro and Neuquén, polling shows her support slipping, and her camp points to a 2017 U.S. prosecutor’s motion to dismiss the case as journalists reported receiving a WhatsApp message they considered intimidating.