The governors of Salta, Gustavo Sáenz, and Misiones, Hugo Passalacqua, are preparing the formation of a new bloc in the Chamber of Deputies. The bloc will replace Innovación Federal and will initially be composed of seven legislators from both provinces. Its presentation was scheduled for Wednesday 26 of August, before a session with projects relevant to the Casa Rosada.
The space would bring together the missionaries Oscar Herrera Ahuad, Alberto Arrúa, Yamila Ruiz, and Daniel Vancsik, along with the people from Salta Bernardo Biella, Pablo Outes, and Yolanda Vega. Herrera Ahuad, former governor of Misiones, would assume the presidency in place of Arrúa. The negotiations are not yet closed, and Claudio Álvarez, from San Luis, and Gerardo González, from Formosa, would be left out of the new arrangement.
The central change will be the direct alignment with Passalacqua and Sáenz. In the case of Misiones, the movement reduces Carlos Rovira's influence over national representatives and transfers the dispute within the Front for Renewal of Concordia to Congress. The promoters argue that the bloc will defend federal and regional priorities, instead of supporting issues defined exclusively from the Capital.
The new caucus indicated that it will negotiate with the national Executive branch law by law and that it will not offer automatic support. Its leaders state that the discussions should revolve around public policies and not just discretionary transfers. The possible elimination of PASO remains open, but it could be subject to a collective position of governors and not to isolated provincial decisions.
The first test will come with the reform of the Central Bank's Organic Charter and the project called Inocencia Fiscal II. The missionaries will also seek to incorporate a reduction of VAT for cassava flour, from 21% to 10,5%, as a measure for their regional economy. The immediate background was the rejection by provincial allies to support a part of the officialist agenda related to the Land Law.
The certificate of conformity must be presented to the authorities of Deputies, and the bloc still does not have a definitive name. One option is Movimiento Por Lo Que Viene, a name used by the provincial space of Passalacqua. Until that procedure is completed, it is an announced reorganization: its ability to influence votes will depend on the cohesion of the seven members and on each parliamentary negotiation.
