Buenos Aires Herald 
Franco Rinaldi, a Buenos Aires city legislative candidate for Juntos por el Cambio (JxC), is under fire from other members of the opposing coalition for accusations of discrimination. The Unión Cívica Radical (UCR) party Buenos Aires branch demanded this Saturday Rinaldi resign his candidacy after remarks he made considered to be “discriminatory” surfaced in the past days.
In a letter signed by UCR Buenos Aires branch president Mariela Coletta addressing JxC’s electoral board, the party accused Rinaldi of “advancing homophobia and sexism,” as well as “discriminating against people living in slums.”
As a YouTuber, Rinaldi — a self-defined Trumpist — suggested using a “flamethrower” in Villa 31, a shanty town in Buenos Aires. He also said the American movement “Black Lives Matter” should be called “Black Lies,” and used derogatory terms against the LGTBIQ community.
In an interview, Rinaldi said his remarks were part of a “stand-up” routine. “I am concerned cancellation culture keeps gaining ground, I reject it always and everywhere. Cheers!,” he tweeted.
According to Coletta, his statements “disqualify him to run as a primary candidate for JxC.” Rinaldi heads the legislative ballot for Jorge Macri’s Buenos Aires city mayoral candidacy.
“We cannot share the same space with someone who advances homophobia, sexism, as well as discrimination against people living in poor neighborhoods”, said Coletta about Rinaldi.
In the letter, Coletta requested the electoral board remove Rinaldi as a candidate if he does not submit his resignation, on grounds that he does not represent “the values of those who make up JxC and are embodied in our electoral platform.”
Buenos Aires City mayor and JxC primaries presidential candidate, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, said Saturday that he disagrees with Rinaldi. “I totally disagree with these remarks, totally disagree. They do not represent us, they do not represent me,” he said in an interview with Radio Mitre.
UCR mayor candidate Martín Lousteau, JXC deputy Silvia Lospenatto, and Coalición Cívica president (another party JxC party) Maximiliano Ferraro also demanded Rinaldi be removed from the ballot.
Conversely, other people in JxC defended Rinaldi — among them, former legislative candidate Sandra Pitta and former Mauricio Macri’ communication official Hernán Iglesias Illa, who tweeted his support.
Last week, Rinaldi himself was discriminated against by Lucas Luna, who was running for the Mercosur Parliament for the libertarian party La Libertad Avanza.
“Nobody — and I say this in the best way possible — nobody wants to vote for a disabled person,” Luna had said about Rinaldi, who has osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder that results in bones that break easily and, in his case, short stature.
Luna was forced to resign from his candidacy after his remarks went viral.
