Buenos Aires, Argentina — Argentina’s political theater has taken a crude turn ahead of the approaching October legislative elections. Last week, more arrests were made in connection with the June 17, 2025 manuring of La Libertad Avanza Congressman José Luis Espert’s home in an upscale neighborhood in Buenos Aires.
According to local media, Iván Díaz Bianchi, Aldana Sabrina Muzzio, Candelaria Montes and Eva Mieri — who currently serves on the municipal council for the city of Quilmes — were arrested on July 2 for their alleged involvement. Díaz Bianchi, Muzzio and Montes were later released on July 5.
Authorities had already arrested Alexia Abaigar, an employee of Buenos Aires province’s Ministry of Women and Diversity, on June 25. She was originally sent to the federal women’s prison in Ezeiza, but was granted house arrest on July 4 following pressure from the opposition who called her arrest “political persecution”.
On June 17, on the northern outskirts of Buenos Aires in the upscale San Isidro neighborhood, a truck filled with alleged Peronist opposition members emptied bales of manure in front of the libertarian politician’s home and also erected a sign that read, “Acá Esta la Mierda de Espert” (Here is the Shit of Espert).
Espert posted security footage of the real-life shit posters on his X account at the time.
“This just happened at my home — proof of what Kirchnerism represents, what Argentines have suffered all these years. We won’t be stopped by anything,” Espert said.
A longtime supporter of economic liberalism, Espert ran for president as an independent in 2019, receiving roughly 1.5% of the vote. He performed better in 2021, winning a seat for the Buenos Aires Province in the House of Representatives with his Avanza Libertad party. While he shared Javier Milei’s economic views, Espert stood out for his hardline stance on crime, promoting the slogan “cárcel o bala” (“prison or bullet”) as a solution for crime.The 63 year old libertarian economist is a likely candidate to renew his seat as a representative for Buenos Aires province, this time under the banner of President Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party.
The lawmaker was likely targeted for his often provocative statements against Peronism, and its offshoot, left-wing, populist, political ideology, Kirchnerism.
Days earlier, he directed derogatory and sexist slurs at Florencia Kirchner, the daughter of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, during a public speech at the International Congress of Political Communication, held at Argentina’s Catholic University (UCA). Shouts against his rhetoric erupted from the crowd.
The incidents have fanned flames of political tension already burning in Argentina. On July 2, a congressional session had to be adjourned after several lawmakers from the opposition Justicialist Party shouted at Espert, criticizing the rhetoric he uses against his political enemies, calling them “delinquents and murderers.”
Milei later defended Espert saying, “In October, we can end this social punishment over Argentines called Kirchnerism.”
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner — who was recently sentenced to house arrest for a corruption case stemming from her time as president — also weighed in on the Espert ordeal, recalling a 2018 Twitter post from Milei praising the French “yellow vest” protesters for dumping manure at a tax office.
Read more: Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner given house arrest in Argentina
“Hey, Milei, remember when you posted the picture of French protesters, identified as ‘yellow vests’, throwing truckloads of manure at French public offices, and you said, and I quote, ‘Lovely initiative’?” the former president wrote on X.
“Take a look at it, brother, and delete the post, because under current procedures you’d be arrested for advocating a crime. P.S.: Free the boy and the girls!” Fernández de Kirchner concluded.
Featured image credit:
Image: José Luis Espert saluting a Police officer in the Buenos Aires Province, the district where he is likely to be a candidate in October. Image Credit: José Luis Espert on Facebook.
Author: José Luis Espert on Facebook.
Source: José Luis Espert on Facebook.
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