Patricia Bullrich rejects judicial appointment, signaling rift with Milei government

Senator Patricia Bullrich has signaled her intention to vote against the government's proposal to appoint Susana Pernas as a General Prosecutor for the Juvenile Oral Courts in Buenos Aires. Bullrich, the leader of the La Libertad Avanza bloc in the Senate, criticized Pernas for her previous role in the case of police officer Luis Chocobar, who was convicted after shooting a teenager during a robbery in 2017. Bullrich argued that Pernas's pursuit of a prison sentence for Chocobar undermines the protection of law enforcement officers.

This stance highlights growing internal tensions within the ruling coalition. Reports indicate increasing friction between Bullrich and President Javier Milei, as well as between the President and Economy Minister Luis Caputo. While Bullrich recently met with Milei for a 'deep conversation,' her repeated public disagreements on judicial appointments and economic direction suggest a widening rift.

Separately, the government is pushing for the Senate to approve the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), a move encouraged by the United States but facing opposition from the domestic pharmaceutical industry due to concerns over intellectual property and medicine access. In Chaco, Minister Carim Peche has also criticized opposition proposals to unify provincial and national elections in 2027, calling the initiative a political maneuver.