Ricardo Quintela used the events marking the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Bishop Enrique Angelelli and the Rioja Blesseds to call for Peronist unity. After attending the main ceremony in Punta de los Llanos, the governor of La Rioja linked the religious and social legacy of those honoured to the need for a national alternative based on dialogue, without hatred or resentment.
The appeal was not limited to bringing leaders together under a common party identity. Quintela said unity must have substance and take the form of a programme capable of responding to a society he described as battered and mistreated. In his design, Peronism would serve as the backbone of a broader front, with political power directed at solving concrete problems before organising candidacies.
The statement included direct criticism of the federal government. The governor asked those leading the country to reflect on the consequences of their decisions and listed retirees, people with disabilities, workers, teachers, health-system staff and low-income groups as priorities for the state. His argument contrasted those needs with the interests of the most powerful economic sectors.
Quintela defended an active state in the distribution of wealth and the construction of what he considers a fairer society. He said governing requires confronting concentrated interests when necessary to protect vulnerable groups. The tribute to Angelelli thus ceased to be only a commemoration and became the ethical reference chosen by the governor to present his proposal for political reconstruction.
When asked about candidacies, he avoided naming anyone or placing himself in the internal competition. He said his concern was social reality and welcomed the presence in La Rioja of leaders from different sectors who recognise the bishop's legacy. That refusal shifted the discussion from offices to method: first achieve unity around shared objectives and then decide who will represent the coalition.
The process remains at a stage of rapprochement. Quintela said he sees a willingness among Peronist groups to build a common proposal and described the meeting as a source of physical, spiritual and intellectual strength. The next step will be to turn that willingness into a verifiable programme and a genuinely broader front; until then, his call leaves both the alliance's structure and its candidacies open.
