Pressure Mounts for Land Law: A Sector of the UCR Opposes and Seeks to Convince Senators

In a race against time, the National Committee of the UCR is trying to convince the senators of its party to vote against the reform of the Land Law. The session in which the project will be voted on is next Thursday, and La Libertad Avanza does not have guaranteed votes.

On Thursday at 12, the Chamber presided over by Victoria Villarruel will meet with the law on the Inviolability of Private Property, promoted by Minister Federico Sturzenegger, as the main agenda item. This will be another attempt by the bloc led by Patricia Bullrich to get the text to receive half approval and be sent to the Chamber of Deputies for final sanction.

While parliamentary sources from the ruling party quietly acknowledge that next Thursday's session will be "difficult" and that votes are not guaranteed, the National Committee of the centennial party is trying to ensure that its 10 senators reject the changes to the law enacted in 2011. Specifically, that regulation, which today the Peronism defends fiercely, set a limit of 15% on the sale of land at the national, provincial, and municipal levels in the hands of foreign individuals or companies.

Despite the concessions that LLA made in response to the requests of allied senators, there are no certainties. A rejection or abstention could trigger two outcomes that Bullrich will seek to avoid at all costs. The first: a tie at the time of voting, requiring Villarruel to decide the future of the initiative. On more than one occasion, the vice president has already expressed her opposition to the changes to the law and even accused the government of wanting to "raffle" the country with the law. She could become the Julio Cobos of this Government.

The second: that the law (or at least the Land chapter) receives more votes against than in favor and sinks. Therefore, negotiations and decisions are expected up to the very day of the session.

In this context, Leonel Chiarella, president of the UCR committee, has begun to meet one-on-one with the senators of the party's bloc. In the bench presided over by the Corrientes Eduardo Vischi, 10 senators coexist, and there is no unified position. Therefore, the intentions of the mayor of Venado Tuerto are to convince them to outright reject the changes.

The committee's position is clear. They made it known through a statement titled "Sovereignty is defended by protecting our land." Among the arguments put forth by the committee to reject the changes promoted by the government of Javier Milei, they mention that, first and foremost, "there must be a limit" on the sale of land when it comes to foreign buyers.

In fact, the National Committee lists several countries that, in recent years, have enacted regulations contrary to libertarian intentions. For instance, the United States, New Zealand, Austria, Australia, Canada, and France. "All countries that Milei wants to resemble," they stated from radicalism. Brazil could also be added.

Moreover, according to the radical party committee, "only 5%" of land sales are currently in the hands of foreigners at the national level, when the limit is 15%. Therefore, the party told Ámbito that "there is no need" to change the existing limit. They added: "Let's see when it approaches 15%". But not only that, they demand that the current law be enforced because there are areas where that limit is not being respected.

Finally, among the arguments with which the UCR committee tries to convince the 10 senators is to present that the changes to the law do not translate into any benefit for local producers.

"We do not agree with modifying the law in these terms," said associates of Chiarella, asserting that the radical is trying --on behalf of the national committee-- to convey these arguments to each senator, so they do not support the initiative.

The most difficult senators to convince will be those who respond to governors who have a good relationship with the Casa Rosada. For example, those from Mendoza and Chaco.

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