Three Tucumán national deputies have split from the Peronist Unión por la Patria coalition to form a separate bloc that will back parts of President Javier Milei’s omnibus bill in Congress. The new alliance will be called “Independence,” they announced on Wednesday.

Deputies Agustín Fernández, Gladys Medina, and Elía Mansilla made the decision public in a short letter sent to Lower House President Martín Menem. UxP now has 99 members, making it the first minority and the largest opposition bloc. La Libertad Avanza has 39 deputies, while PRO and the UCR have 37 and 34, respectively.

The decision is a boon to Milei’s government, whose members have been furiously negotiating support for the president’s flagship initiative. Even if all LLA, PRO, and UCR deputies vote to pass the bill, they will fall short of the necessary majority unless members of other blocs also support it.

Most lawmakers who gave a favorable verdict in the congressional commissions........

© Buenos Aires Herald