In doubt as to how hard Kirchnerism will vote, the Senate will make the agreement with the IMF into law today

Before 14 o'clock, the bell will begin to ring that summons the senators to take their places on the premises and, minutes later, the president of the upper house, Cristina Kirchner, will begin the session in which the refinancing of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund for $44.5 billion negotiated will begin the session in which the refinancing of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund will be approved by the administration of Mauricio Macri.

Without much enthusiasm to carry out the debate - as the lawmakers of hard Kirchnerism in the Chamber of Deputies demonstrated - the former president will maintain her habit of retiring to her office on the first floor of the Senate to follow all the implications that occur on the premises.

The question that still circulates among senators from both the ruling party and the opposition is what position will ultimately be taken by the 15 legislators who recognize themselves as Kirchnerists or the Campora. Some clues could already be seen in the Budget Committee when the Senators of the Front of All Juliana Di Tullio and Ana María Ianni signed the opinion in dissent.

The second clue came yesterday. Renowned Belgian economist and political scientist Eric Toussaint, chairman of the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debts (CADTM), was in the Senate just one floor above the Vice-President's office. There he was received in Oscar Parrilli's office. Senator Maria Inés Pilatti Vergara and Senators Guillermo Snopek and Matías Rodríguez also attended the meeting with the specialist who recommends that Argentina not pay the debt.

Anabel Fernández Sagasti (Mendoza); Silvia Sapag (Neuquén); Mariano Recalde (CABA); María Eugenia Catalfamo (San Luis); María Eugenia Duré (Tierra del Fuego); Carlos Linares (Chubut); Silvina García Larraburu, Martín Doñate (Rio Negro)) and Teresa González (Formosa).

If these legislators voted against or abstained, the ruling party would contribute 20 votes out of a total of 35 that the Frente de Todos bloc has, which, in addition to the 33 of Together for Change, are already sufficient will to turn understanding into law.

“In general Cristina Kirchner opens the session, leaves and returns for closing, for voting time. It is rarely at the time of debate and we assume that this occasion will do the same,” they said from the ruling bloc.

Yesterday, the windows in the Vice President's office, which were damaged last Thursday, were already changed. This time, the City Police will set up fences to prevent further vandalism against Congress, a security device that the former president herself had rejected on other occasions and which she did not request now. Neither she nor anyone in her environment.

Minority

“The law comes out smoothly, the debate will have its things as is logical. We are going to say that they are irresponsible and they are that this debt is our fault. And we're all kind of right. What seems to me that was clear both in the Chamber of Deputies and here, in the Senate, is that the most radicalized sectors lost”, analyzed one radical senator.

To pigeonhole this hard wing of the opposition, the same leader elaborated: “Those who bet not to accompany in Deputies or that we did not give two-thirds today, such as La Campora and Patricia Bullrich. The former wanted the deputies not to accompany and, although they were able to collect only 77 votes, they achieved the half sanction. Patricia pushed two meetings of the National Table that were suspended. Today Macri is more concerned about his trip than he is about continuing to discuss and support Patricia when he knows that, in this one, he has already lost.”

KEEP READING: