After the Cristina Kirchner-Kicillof war, the internal struggles of Peronism are being replicated in other provinces: the PJ of La Pampa is breaking up.

The Peronist internal conflict between Cristina Kirchner and Axel Kicillof at the national and Buenos Aires levels is being replicated in other provinces. Now, the unity of the Justicialist Party in La Pampa is straining . On one side is Governor Sergio Ziliotto , who announced a few months ago that he will retire from politics in 2027. On the other side is the mayor of Santa Rosa, Luciano Di Nápoli . In the middle is a call for party internal elections, allegations of an arrangement between the provincial leader and La Cámpora, and a warning: Peronism could reach October with separate lists.

The electoral process in La Pampa is, in principle, minimal. There are no local legislative midterm elections there. And with the suspension of the PASO (Primary Elections), it was decided that they will go to the polls only once a year: on October 26, they will directly elect three national deputies.

At the end of 2024, Ziliotto also made a statement that would ignite the race for succession. "I'm leaving office in 2027, and I have the enormous challenge of leaving those who come after me an orderly province. My political life will be over," said the 62-year-old governor.

Now, in the heat of the bitter national internal conflict between Cristina Kirchner and Axel Kicillof, the competition is adding a fierce new chapter . And Ziliotto himself is the protagonist.

Although his term in the governorship ends in two years, another game is being played in 2025. The terms on the Provincial Council of the Peronist Party of La Pampa are coming to an end. A decision by the governor put a sector led by the mayor of Santa Rosa on alert: instead of extending his term within the Peronist party for two years, he called for internal elections.

Those close to Di Nápoli maintain that this maneuver ensures Ziliotto—with whom he campaigned together in 2023 and even celebrated the victory together—will secure his presidency of the Pampean PJ for another four years, until 2029, and they fear that the mayor of the capital will be excluded from the Provincial Council. Furthermore, they point to a supposed agreement between the provincial leader and La Cámpora.

Today we participated in the presentation of the management platform of our Frejupa gubernatorial candidate @ZiliottoSergio , who guaranteed the necessary public works and investments for the city of Santa Rosa, as did Carlos Verna. #Ziliotto #Luciano2019 pic.twitter.com/hTRrWexo0r

— Luciano di Nápoli (@copetedinapoli) March 15, 2019

Di Nápoli belonged to the organization led by Máximo Kirchner at the national level, and with them he became mayor in 2019 and reappointed in 2023. But he later left. And he has his sights set on the governorship, since Ziliotto—despite his early retirement—cannot run for a third term in 2027.

Now, the mayor of Santa Rosa has reacted by releasing the endorsement forms . He also let it be known that he's considering running for the presidency of the Pampean PJ party, "if the 'unity list' doesn't include at least the same number of seats he currently holds" on the Council.

In keeping with the current situation, the faction that reports to Di Nápoli issued an ultimatum : if there isn't a "white smoke" before the end of April , the PJ would break up, and the party would run on separate lists in the October legislative elections. "Unity is not subordination," the capital's mayor warned a few days ago.

The split with La Cámpora was finalized in 2023. "I had an experience or a militant beginning that had to do with La Cámpora, which is now past. It represents the past for me, which is fine, and I don't deny it, but I haven't drawn from that space for a long time," he expressed in an interview with CPEtv last December.

Always on your side of life.

Stay strong, dear Cristina! #TodosConCristina @CFKArgentina pic.twitter.com/hS6Y2iHYj9

— Luciano di Nápoli (@copetedinapoli) August 2, 2022

Months later, she also distanced herself from Cristina Kirchner, when the former vice president campaigned to preside over the national PJ (Party of the People's Party) and was ultimately elected when the candidate of Ricardo Quintela from La Rioja was rejected. These were also the first public clashes between CFK and Kicillof.

"I'm not against Cristina being president. What I would like is to see that breadth of power realized. I would have liked to see the governor of the Province of Buenos Aires , our governor sitting in the front row, the governors of the different provinces," said Di Nápoli.

After celebrating Ziliotto's victory in the 2023 elections, Di Nápoli and other mayors from La Pampa are meeting with a potential gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 elections.

The assembly is almost silent. Ziliotto and Di Nápoli shared the inauguration of the Santa Rosa Concentration Market this week.

"It's a collective achievement that should make us proud: the provincial government helped finance the project , the municipality carried it out, the cooperative provided the land, and now the private sector is carrying it forward," said the governor of La Pampa.

In the entire political equation that is currently the talk of Peronism in La Pampa, one actor is also missing. And a very important one: former governor Carlos Verna, who in February of this year issued a categorical message on his X account.

"The Plural Line will not propose pre-candidates for this year's legislative elections. If someone calls or visits you, claiming to be the pre-candidate for Verna or the Plural Line, they are lying. The Plural Line does not propose pre-candidates, nor do I have a spokesperson. Regards," he stated, and did not comment further on provincial politics on that network.

The Plural Line will not propose pre-candidates for this year's legislative elections. If someone calls or visits you, claiming to be a pre-candidate for Verna or the Plural Line, they are lying to you. The Plural Line does not propose pre-candidates, nor do I have a spokesperson.

Greetings.

— Carlos Verna (@VernaOficial) February 20, 2025

The silence of the all-powerful former governor is at the same time a declaration, but that doesn't mean he's inactive: according to reports in the province, he's in constant contact with the mayor's offices "not aligned" with the governor, among which stand out those of "Copete" di Napoli and the mayor of General Pico, Fernanda Alonso.

Verna also has a love-hate relationship with Zillioto. Although she anointed him as her successor, the relationship quickly became contentious and tense, to the point that many consider them outright enemies.

There is also another important figure who follows the internal conflict from a distance, but does not ignore it: former President Cristina Kirchner, who, although she is immersed in her own Buenos Aires dispute, has one of her protégés involved in the Pampas armed forces.

María Luz "Luchy" Alonso, leader of the Pampas Camporismo, has been close to Cristina for years. She was her right-hand woman in the Senate when she was vice president and commanded the Upper House. She has her own interests in this internal chess game and would be favored by the governor's move.

At least that's what the party's representative, Senator Daniel "Pali" Bensusán, said. He revealed the official plan to make a formal call and create a "unity" list with Zillioto at the helm and "Luchy" Alonso as vice president, according to El Diario de La Pampa.