Argentina's Central Region bloc declares itself the country’s productive engine

Governors Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe), Martín Llaryora (Córdoba) and Rogelio Frigerio (Entre Ríos) met in San Francisco, Córdoba, to hold the XIX Junta de Gobernadores of the Región Centro. The ceremony inaugurated the new Casa de la Región Centro and transferred the pro‑tempore presidency to Governor Frigerio. In their speeches the three leaders highlighted that the bloc covers 14 % of national territory, generates roughly 25 % of Argentina’s GDP, accounts for about 38 % of exports and contributed 30 % more to the national Treasury between 2011‑2023 than it received. They reaffirmed a joint agenda of integration, infrastructure development and a collective stance against federal policies they deem harmful, such as agricultural retentions and inadequate road maintenance. The governors also stressed the importance of institutional continuity, noting that the Region Centro was created in 1998 by governors of different political affiliations and now serves as a model of federal cooperation.

The event was accompanied by the signing of coordination agreements, a call for greater participation in the management of the proposed hydro‑way, and criticism of the national government’s handling of public works and trade policies. The leaders portrayed the Region Centro as the “motor productivo” that can drive Argentina’s economic transformation.

These remarks were echoed in a statement by Deputy Clara García, who described the bloc as an example of federalism and warned that the current national administration’s policies on routes and resource allocation threaten the region’s development.