Sparks fly in Argentina's first televised vice-presidential debate

The five vice presidential candidates for the upcoming elections met for a TV-organized debate Wednesday night to discuss their main campaign proposals.

The debate - the first of its type in Argentina - was strongly marked by accusations regarding human rights, mainly between Victoria Villarruel from the far-right Forward Liberty and Agustín Rossi, from the ruling, center-left Union for the Homeland.

Last night's debate - organized and broadcast by cable news network TN - also featured Luis Petri for the right-wing Together for Change, Nicolás del Caño for the Leftist Workers' Front, and Florencio Randazzo for the centrist Working for Our Country.

The strongest moment was arguably when Rossi accused Villarruel of “infiltrating democracy...because you don't believe in democracy” - referencing her ties to military officials who were part of the 1976-83 dictatorship and her defense of those later tried for crimes against humanity.

Del Caño also asked Villarruel about her meetings with the late, fascist dictator Jorge Videla, who died in prison in 2013.

“You need to explain why you were in [Miguel] Etchecolatz’s contacts book,” Del Caño added. She didn’t respond to his inquiries.

Etchecolatz, who died last year, was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 for his role in multiple atrocities. The star witness in the case, Jorge Julio López, later went missing.

Far right at advantage in potential runoff

Last night's event was a likely preview of presidential debates scheduled for October 1st and 8th; general elections are scheduled for October 22nd.

Recent polling suggests the Forward Liberty ticket - led by the fiery Javier Milei, who professes admiration for Donald Trump and was recently interviewed by Tucker Carlson - is headed for a runoff on November 19th with the Union for the Homeland ticket led by current Economy Minister Sergio Massa.

While Massa has earned plaudits for his handling of a crippling foreign debt crisis inherited from former right-wing President Mauricio Macri - exacerbated by a record drought that has slashed Argentine exports this year by 24% - an inflation rate that has more than doubled to 124% has left Massa's coalition at a disadvantage.

Massa would, moreover, have to surmount the likelihood that Together for Change voters - led by Macri's hard-line but lackluster former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich - would largely migrate to Milei's column.

At: https://buenosairesherald.com/politics/vp-candidate-debate-rossi-accuses-villarruel-of-infiltrating-democracy

Argentine vice-presidential contenders Victoria Villaruel (far-right), Luis Petri (right-wing), Agustín Rossi (center-left), Florencio Randazzo (centrist), and Nicolás del Caño (left-wing).

Villaruel was confronted over her record as an apologist for the fascist, 1976-83 dictatorship, while Rossi was on the defensive over an inflation rate that has more than doubled to 124% during the outgoing administration - of which he's currently cabinet chief.

Both are expected to advance to a potential runoff on November 19th - in which Villaruel's far-right ticket, led by the pro-Trump Javier Milei, is at an advantage.