The curiosities of the debate in the City: Adorni's non-question, the candidate who arrived with his dog, and Caruso Lombardi's taunt about Gago

The debate between the City legislative candidates who will compete on May 18 was full of banter, accusations, and heated exchanges . The 17 candidates took turns presenting themselves in brief, one-minute speeches, and what prevailed was their distinctiveness and clever quips.

The ferocity of gritted teeth was also evident: there were "Nazi" epithets, shout-outs to Manuel Adorni on "Gnocchi Day," and Ricardo Caruso Lombardi brought Fernando Gago, recently fired from Boca Juniors , into the debate. Because for the coach, "politics is like football."

On Animal Day, Yamil Santoro arrived at the channel with one of his dogs, a bulldog, which he walked in the entrance hall on its regulation leash.

This is Victoria Hipólita, a nine-year-old English bulldog who was adopted by Santoro four years ago, in 2021, when she was five years old. "She's a beautiful and good dog, who suffered a lot of abuse," said the now-candidate Santoro when he adopted the dog.

The Unión Porteña Libertaria candidate was warming up: minutes later, he clashed sharply with another candidate, calling him a Nazi. But that was still a while away.

Candidate César Biondini, of the Federal Patriotic Force, warmed up the debate with criticism of the ruling party: "A present that hurts because of its sycophancy. We want a city without liberalism," he stated during his presentation. A few minutes later, another candidate criticized the ruling party, or more specifically, a ruling party member, with a straight-up taunt: Luca Bonfante, who joined the debate at the last minute, representing the Left and Workers' Front, replacing Vanina Biasi, who had to withdraw.

"Warm greetings to my colleague Biasi. I'm left-handed, I'm a socialist, everything this government hates. I don't pancake, I go to the front. Finally, I 'm glad Adorni came , because today is his day, the day of the gnocchi ," Bonfante shot back, histrionic.

When it was Ricardo Caruso Lombardi's turn to compete on May 18 under the banner of the Integration and Development Movement (MID), his presentation drew attention for the analogy he used to explain his proposal.

"I'm a coach, a sports journalist, a former player, and a citizen. Politicians have no idea what it means to be a citizen. They're not going to tell me how to manage the streets. There are many who had opportunities. In politics, you need results; just ask Gago. You see, it's not easy? Politics is like football," said the former coach of Argentinos Juniors, San Lorenzo, and Racing.

The mention of Gago wasn't accidental: the coach was just sacked from Boca Juniors hours after losing the Superclásico.

Once the period for thematic presentations and questions from the candidates began, Silvia Lospennato delivered the first keynote address. The PRO candidate began her presentation of her project. But before she could talk about the mortgage proposal and public health, she was interrupted by the moderators.

"Put the microphones at your height," they asked him. He had the microphones pointed above his head. He adjusted them and continued his presentation, speaking in favor of the PRO administration in charge of the current government, headed by Jorge Macri. He argued that the Buenos Aires cabinet was the one that ended "the pickets, the ranches, and the street vendors," and that he would do the same with the ragpickers.

That reference to the end of the picket line sparked a heated exchange with Manuel Adorni , one of those tasked with asking her questions. She returned the courtesy with irony.

Then, several minutes into the debate, came the heated moment for Yamil Santoro , candidate of the Libertarian Union of Porteña, who warned from the outset of his lethargy: "I'm really mad... Look at the proposals they're making for a legislative election. They're making fun of people."

The temperature rose when candidate Mila Zurbriggen of El Movimiento (The Movement) consulted him about the accusations of plagiarism regarding the name of the party established by Santoro, and also about the cunning maneuver that ultimately rejected that party's candidacy for Leandro Santoro, Yamil's brother and namesake of the Kirchnerist candidate.

"It was a marketing strategy," Sanotro tried to justify. "Mila, you're talking to me about copying, but you're a nationalist in the 21st century, and this is out of fashion ; but we've already seen that with your lack of proposals, with your mindset formatted in the past," he responded to Zurbriggen.

That wasn't all. Then came the devastating response to César Biondini of the Federal Patriotic Force, who accused Santoro of having inherited a candidacy from "Pampita's ex-husband," Roberto García Moritán.

"And speaking of inheritance, this is the son of... the son of a Nazi , who inherited the party and now runs a family kiosk. It's a shame they don't let you profit from the lists, like your father [Alejandro Biondini] did," Santoro lashed out. About half an hour later, the other Santoro, Leandro , also questioned him on the subject: "I know it's not your father, but he has identified a lot with Nazism, and there are even photos. You're running for the same party: are you a Nazi or not?"

Federico Winokur, the Left Party's candidate in the city, unveiled a project for the Buenos Aires Legislature: to raise the minimum wage to 2 million pesos.

He was confronted by spokesman Adorni , who got straight to the point without asking any questions . "I want to thank you for dedicating the anti-capitalist camp to me, which, curiously, charged admission... I found it mind-blowing. But I 'm not going to ask you any questions because you're a communist , and a communist isn't qualified to hold any public office in the Argentine Republic."

But Wikonur, a teacher by profession, was not far behind and exclaimed in rising volume: "It's good that you're keeping quiet, Adorni , I think it's great, because you can't say anything about this country. We anti-capitalists have been denouncing what's happening in this country. Retirees earn just over 360 thousand pesos, so if you can't deign to speak, that's fine with me. And what's making people laugh is capitalism: Donald Trump is the laughingstock of the world."

"You know me well. I'm not good at political speeches or actions; that's not my thing. My thing is doing, solving problems, helping you... That's why some people call me a robot, an alien, from another planet... What do I know?" the former mayor of Buenos Aires City expressed this Tuesday during the debate of the candidates for legislators for the City, referring to the memes that feature him.