Diego Hartfield defends cuts to sports club subsidies

During a meeting of the Sports Commission in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, Diego Hartfield, a national deputy for La Libertad Avanza, defended the government's policy of reducing state subsidies for neighborhood sports clubs. Hartfield emphasized the priority of balancing public accounts, stating, “Lamentablemente, vivir de subsidios, en algunos casos, puede tener sus costos” (Unfortunately, living on subsidies, in some cases, can have its costs).

Opposition legislators, including Jorge Araujo Hernández of Unión por la Patria, criticized Hartfield for his stance, pointing out that the deputy himself was a recipient of state support. It was revealed that Hartfield, a former tennis player, lived at the National Center for High-Performance Sports (CeNARD) for approximately two years starting at age 16 through a state scholarship.

In response to the accusations of hypocrisy, Hartfield argued that his past scholarship should not be equated with the electricity subsidies requested by clubs. He described the comparison as “malicious,” maintaining that his position aligns with the economic objectives of President Javier Milei’s administration.