Martina Jaureguy 
Senator Francisco Paoltroni was removed from ruling coalition La Libertad Avanza (LLA) on Wednesday night. His expulsion followed vocal criticism of President Javier Milei’s nomination of judge Ariel Lijo for the Supreme Court, and of the presidential decree granting the SIDE intelligence bureau a budget equivalent to around US$100 million for confidential purposes.
There had been rumblings about his potential expulsion since last week, but the decision was cemented on Wednesday via a letter sent to Senate President Victoria Villarruel by four LLA senators.
His ouster came a day after Deputy Lourdes Arrieta decided to leave LLA to form a new congressional bloc, formed of just her. She jumped before they could push her, announcing the decision minutes before a LLA meeting to discuss removing her. She was under fire after posting screenshots that allegedly show LLA deputies discussing bills to release former security forces officials under investigation for atrocities committed during Argentina’s last military dictatorship.
Local media reported that Paoltroni will form a one-member bloc (monobloque, in Spanish) in the Senate with the name “Liberty, work and progress” (Libertad, trabajo y progreso). Despite the circulation of a formal request with his signature, at the time of writing Paoltroni himself has not confirmed the move, telling the Herald that he is not currently making public statements.
According to a source close to the vice president, she wasn’t informed of the decision until she received the letter. On Thursday noon, she rejected the letter on the grounds that it did not fulfill the established formalities, and asked the senators to send it again.
In the letter, the senators asked her to expel Paoltroni. However, his removal was technically confirmed by the act of sending the missive. A little over an hour later, they submitted the same letter, amended by hand, with a note clarifying it should say they are “communicating” the removal instead of requesting it.
Although Villarruel resorted to a technicality, it could suggest she disagrees with the decision, amid growing tension between her and Milei.
Paoltroni gave an interview denying rumors of his expulsion on TV channel LN+ just minutes before news of his removal broke.
Provisional Senate President Bartolomé Abdala, one of the senators who signed the letter to Villarruel, said Thursday that they had removed Paoltroni because of growing political differences and his criticisms of Milei. “It’s true that we have a considerable weakness in Congress, but it’s also important that, as a political party, criticism of our leaders happens behind closed doors,” Abdala told Radio Mitre.
Behind the scenes
This is a risky move for the ruling coalition. With Paoltroni no longer in their ranks, the bloc now has just six of the house’s 72 senators. That’s as many as their main allies, right-wing party PRO. By comparison, Peronism has 33 senators and the center-right UCR, 13. In the Lower House, Arrieta’s departure left LLA with 37 deputies — also the same as PRO.
While Arrieta has said she will continue to vote for Milei’s proposals in Congress, in Paoltroni’s case it’s not clear how far his support will go. He has been vocal in his opposition to Lijo’s nomination and the presidential decree granting reserved funds to the intelligence services. The latter has already been voted down by the Lower House, although it remains in force unless senators also reject it.
You may also be interested in: Why Lijo is a controversial pick for Argentina’s Supreme Court
Paoltroni has linked both issues with Santiago Caputo’s influence on Milei. Caputo is the president’s main advisor and one of the people Milei trusts the most, along with his sister and Presidential Secretary Karina Milei. Caputo is widely viewed as holding the reins of the SIDE, and his influence extends far beyond his advisory role.
The senator has questioned Lijo’s “moral and ethical suitability” to be a Supreme Court judge on several occasions, and has also criticized Caputo for allegedly advising Milei to nominate him. Judge Manuel García Mansilla, another of Milei’s Supreme Court nominees, said on Wednesday at Congress that Caputo offered him the position, and that he’s never met Milei.
Regarding the SIDE’s reserved funds, Paoltroni has also directly blamed Caputo. “If I go to the bakery and a pensioner asks me if there’s going to be a pension raise, I have to say ‘No, there’s no money, but there’s AR$100 billion for Santiago Caputo so that he can use them as he pleases without giving any explanations,” he recently said in a radio interview.
Before the news broke in national outlets, prominent libertarian troll, Daniel Parisini — known online as Gordo Dan (Fat Dan) — told Paoltroni on X: “Grab your things RIGHT NOW, you’re leaving La Libertad Avanza. The Iron Triangle says hi and go f*ck yourself.”
Unlike other well-known libertarian trolls, Parisini does not work for the government, but has been seen at Casa Rosada several times. He is said to be the leader of Milei’s group of X supporters. By the Iron Triangle, he appears to be referring to Milei, Karina and Caputo. Caputo is said to command pro-Milei trolls.
Days ago, Paoltroni described Parisini as a “mercenary” during an interview, and called him and the other trolls “Caputo’s little soldiers.” Parisini then accused him on X of operating for money and political favors and called on him to act in accordance with Milei’s wishes.
