"I was convinced that I was going to be president": Horacio Rodríguez Larreta reappeared and opened up after his defeat in 2023

Former Buenos Aires City Government Chief Horacio Rodríguez Larreta confirmed in an interview with Radio Con Vos that he will be a candidate for legislator in the 2025 elections, marking his return to the political arena after having lost the presidential primary of Together for Change in 2023 against Patricia Bullrich .

During the conversation, Larreta took stock of his defeat and acknowledged that the result of the PASO was an unexpected blow: "I was convinced that I was going to be president, since I was 10 years old. It was a very strong blow and I didn't expect it. I was convinced that I was going to win the internal election against Patricia Bullrich."

The former PRO leader recalled that his figure seemed consolidated in the presidential race, but the electoral dynamics took another direction: "Two years earlier, if you asked who was going to be president of Argentina, everyone said it was going to be me."

Larreta admitted that the outcome of the internal election led him to a period of reflection and personal rediscovery. "I am proud of myself because I wondered what the day after would be like. It is a feeling of emptiness, bewilderment, where do I start from. I am happy because I achieved a healthy balance," he said.

He also made a self-criticism about his campaign strategy and how the perception of being the favorite affected his decision-making. “I couldn’t handle the issue of being the winner too early, which is very difficult to handle. You become conservative: let’s not make waves, let’s not make noise, let’s not go to a debate, why risk it. Besides, you are the puppet to be turned over,” he explained.

Throughout his political career, Larreta has been characterized by a dialoguing profile and a distance from confrontation. In this sense, he defended his position of not entering into personal disputes during the internal elections: "I took the path of not fighting, of not attacking. In the end, the drop erodes the stone."

With his candidacy for the 2025 elections already confirmed, the former Buenos Aires mayor will seek to regain prominence in politics and reposition himself on the national stage.