Tucumán gubernatorial election political disputes

The political landscape in Tucumán has become increasingly contentious as leaders prepare for the May 9, 2027, gubernatorial elections. The tension began when Governor Osvaldo Jaldo challenged National Senator Juan Manzur to a direct electoral competition, asserting that the provincial Peronist movement remains aligned behind his leadership.

Conflict escalated following Manzur’s suggestion that President Javier Milei has two competing candidates in the province: Jaldo and Lisandro Catalán. This prompted a series of verbal disputes between Peronist leaders and representatives of La Libertad Avanza. Jaldo dismissed Manzur’s supporters as “caniches” (poodles), while government official Javier Morof accused Manzur of acting as if he were “above the interests of the people of Tucumán.”

In response to the internal Peronist friction, La Libertad Avanza candidate Lisandro Catalán characterized both Manzur and Jaldo as “two sides of the same coin,” arguing they both represent decades of Peronist rule. Catalán has urged Manzur to avoid confusing voters, positioning his own campaign as a focus on addressing the province’s deterioration.

Recent confrontations have seen Manzur accusing both Jaldo and Catalán of supporting national government policies that he claims have caused industrial closures and cuts to health and education. The exchange has intensified the local political climate, marked by continued animal-themed insults and accusations regarding the province’s economic decline.