Joaquín Rodríguez Freire The Frente Renovador de la Concordia (FRC) won Sunday’s legislative elections in Misiones against a fragmented opposition and defeated its closest rival, La Libertad Avanza (LLA), which was running in the province for the first time. The political space founded by former Governor Carlos Rovira thus reaffirms its dominance in local politics, with more than 20 years in power.
Former police officer Ramón Amarilla, who is currently in prison accused of sedition, surprised many by securing third place.
As with other elections held so far in 2025, voter turnout in Misiones was low, hovering around 58%. With 98.9% of polling stations counted, FRC secured 28.6% of the votes, while LLA garnered 21.9%. Amarilla received 19.1%, and Héctor Bárbaro of the Agrarian and Social Front obtained 8.9%.
Amarilla was one of the leaders of the 2024 uprisings. He was arrested last September and is currently detained in Cerro Azul prison on charges of sedition. His case is expected to spark debate, as some argue he won’t be able to assume his seat.
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Thus, the FRC claimed a clear victory, although without the overwhelming numbers of recent years. Voters in Misiones went to the polls to elect 20 provincial legislators — half of the local legislature — and city council members in 10 municipalities, including the capital, Posadas. In these local contests, the “Ley de Lemas” (a double simultaneous vote system) applies, making the vote count extremely slow.
Around midnight, as early results came in, Carlos Rovira praised his party’s performance.
“We live in times marked by tension, and even hate campaigns and misunderstanding. That’s why we call on the entire political spectrum of the province to come together and work for what really matters, because what matters to the people of Misiones is our province.”
Sunday’s election was the first after the 2024 uprisings involving police, public employees, and teachers that shook Hugo Passalacqua’s administration. The rise of Javier Milei also presents unpredictable challenges for a ruling party that, despite its reach and political machinery, shows signs of wear after more than two decades in power.
A broader tent
Faced with the violet surge (LLA), FRC turned to a familiar strategy: widening its tent. “Let them exist, but let them play inside,” summarized a political operative familiar with Rovira’s approach. With that in mind, FRC recruited libertarians from various backgrounds, aligned nationally with Milei, and brought them into their broad coalition, which already includes Peronists, Radicals, and provincialists, among others.
The internal “blend” faction of the Frente Renovador Neo (the party’s rebranded name for this election) included several violet-aligned leaders under the slogan of “supporting Milei’s model while defending Misiones-centrism.” This was ironic, since LLA also fielded its own candidates.
FRC also fielded young candidates like Sebastián Macías and Paula Franco, who led their list. Meanwhile, they capitalized on a divided opposition, fragmented across several party labels and notably lacking official representation from the Justicialist Party (PJ).
Besides FRC and LLA, at least three other lists vied for the Milei-aligned vote:
- The Libertarian Party, with deputy Martín Arjol, the “Radical with a wig,” as candidate;
- Por la Vida y los Valores (For Life and Values), led by Amarilla
- Unidos por el Futuro, a local rebranding of Juntos por el Cambio, which performed poorly.
The competition to capitalize on Milei’s name put his official envoys on alert. To secure voters, Presidency Secretary Karina Milei and Lower House President Martín Menem sought to tie their lead candidate as closely as possible to the president. They reinforced this message with two visits from Menem, one from Karina, and another from Security Minister Patricia Bullrich.
LLA’s second-place finish was driven by strong performances in urban centers like Posadas.
With Peronism absent, former national deputy and agricultural producer Héctor “Cacho” Bárbaro, previously aligned with Kirchnerism, seized third place. His strong performance in rural areas — where discontent over the yerba mate crisis affected both national and local governments — contributed to his result.
Unidos por el Futuro, the local version of Juntos por el Cambio (JxC), received a weak 4.9%, trailing behind the Libertarian Party, which earned 7.1%.
Misiones marked the seventh election of 2025. The calendar continues on June 29 with a double vote in Formosa and Santa Fe. So far, ruling parties have won six out of seven contests. The only exception was Buenos Aires City, where Jorge Macri’s PRO lost to LLA.