Buenos Aires Herald 
By Valen Iricibar and Martina Jaureguy
Javier Milei, national deputy and head of the ultra-right-wing La Libertad Avanza coalition, attempted on Monday to change two votes he made on legislation in Congress last week following criticism for going against pensioners and the Jewish community.
The libertarian economist had attempted to change his four-day-old votes against two bills. One eliminated the requirement for pensioners to prove they are still alive to draw their pensions. The other declared July 18 a day of national mourning for victims of the AMIA bombing, the 1994 terrorist attack against a Jewish community center that killed 85 people.
He wrote a letter to the President of the Chamber of Deputies Cecilia Moreau, who denied his request.
“An observation can be added to the record by the comptroller but the vote itself cannot be changed,” she wrote in her official reply, meaning that there will be a clarification at the end of the minutes without modifying the original tally.
The bills were voted in a “package,” bundled alongside another six bills. Annoyed by the process, Milei and his running mate Victoria Villarruel voted “no” on the entire package.
They were criticized days later for voting against pensioners and the Jewish community. That was when he sent the letter, asking to “change my vote and establish that my vote is affirmative for these two projects.”
Both bills garnered ample support and passed in the House on July 5.
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“I also assert my disagreement with the accelerated debate and approval of the ‘package’ arrangement of having different bills on the floor and I hope it’s taken into consideration,” he said.
The head of the ruling Unión por la Patria bloc, Germán Martínez, said on social media that “Deputy Milei’s request is incorrect, you cannot change your vote no matter how many letters you send the body’s leadership. That’s why it’s important to 1) go to sessions, 2) know what’s being voted on, 3) pay attention when it’s time to vote.”
“Accepting and replicating [Milei’s] decision would mean that laws would never remain definitively approved nor rejected,” said Deputy Alejandro “Topo” Rodríguez in a communiqué. “An institutional tragedy.”
A Congress source told the Herald that, according to the Chamber’s rules, “Milei can’t change his vote, because that would be overriding a session for just one deputy”.
Deputies can only change their votes during the session, before the tally is signed.
“Sometimes, while voting, deputies can make a mistake or there can be a system malfunction,” the source added. If this happens, the deputy can ask to change their vote or the Chamber can ask them to confirm it.
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