Juliana Ricaldoni The Buenos Aires province government has filed a formal complaint accusing 24 police officers of plotting to politically benefit former police chief Maximiliano Bondarenko, who will run for provincial lawmaker as a La Libertad Avanza (LLA) candidate in September’s local elections.
The officers involved had already been suspended from their duties while an administrative investigation into the matter was underway. Government security minister sources confirmed to the Herald that the judiciary filing is an automatic step that takes place once Internal Affairs has concluded its investigation and found that the accusation of wrongdoing has merit.
“Internal Affairs conducted two audits investigating the accusation. It found a trove of evidence, and because there is an indication of a crime, the investigation and the findings are automatically sent to the judiciary,” the source explained.
The police officers’ alleged plot
The investigation began with an anonymous message alerting internal affairs of meetings laying down Bondarenko’s electoral strategy that were taking place in police venues during working hours. The internal audits discovered partisan material and documents with plans to present legislative bills aimed at security issues.
A WhatsApp group chat made public by Herald sister outlet C5N offered more details of the alleged plot. In that group, called “Team Rocket,” the officers debated concrete actions, assigned tasks, and shared political slogans. One of the messages mentioned a meeting Bondarenko had with national Security Minister Patricia Bullrich to present his ideas on security while urging group members to move forward “with the requests presented in the chat.”
“They ran a parallel power structure from within the force with state resources,” said Buenos Aires Province Security Minister Javier Alonso. He also warned that the officers violated the ban on engaging in partisan political activity from official premises.
Bondarenko, who is currently a Florencio Varela councilman, rejected the accusations, calling them a “witch hunt.” He defended his relationship with the displaced officers, ascribing their ties to the “sense of belonging” generated by the police force. He even recalled a 2020 uprising over wages and claimed that “many police officers have been persecuted.”
National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich sided with the former commissioner and called for the reinstatement of those who had been removed.
“You can’t retaliate against police officers who are friends and family,” she said after meeting with Bondarenko and Buenos Aires LLA party president Sebastián Pareja. She avoided answering questions about the use of public resources or the content of the chats that compromise the officers.
Who is Bondarenko?
Bondarenko’s political career began with the center-right coalition Juntos por el Cambio. In 2018, he broke away from the bloc and formed his own group in the local council. In 2021, he ran for councilor on a ticket supporting national UCR deputy Facundo Manes.
During that campaign, Bondarenko defined Florencio Varela as “a mix between Rosario and Formosa,” alluding to the advance of drug trafficking and the permanence of the local ruling party, which he compared to the government of Formosa Governor Gildo Insfrán, who has been in office for 30 years.
LLA authorities highlight his rhetoric focused on security and his style of “politics of proximity.” Although he has no direct link to Javier Milei, the party does not rule out the possibility that the president will come to Buenos Aires to support his candidacy.
The third electoral district in which Bondarenko will run — which includes districts like La Matanza, Quilmes, Avellaneda, and Florencio Varela itself — represents a key stronghold for any political force. Any headway the libertarians can make in the area would be a significant sign for 2027.
