Brazilian lawmaker André Janones met Sergio Massa in Buenos Aires on Monday and was scheduled to meet former president Cristina Kirchner later in the day. Janones, a member of the Rede party who took part in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s reelection campaign, said he wanted to share lessons from Lula’s example.

“We came to talk a little about President Lula’s example and try to bring some of those techniques,” Janones told reporters after meeting Massa for about an hour in the Recoleta neighborhood. His office said the visit aimed to encourage exchanges between political leaders, strengthen democratic values and deepen ties between Brazil and Argentina.

Janones was expected to remain in the Argentine capital at least until Tuesday. Opposition lawmaker Pablo Juliano, of the Radical Civic Union, was also seeking a meeting with him.

Massa, Argentina’s former economy minister, is among those considered possible candidates to challenge President Javier Milei in the 2027 election. He lost to Milei in the 2023 runoff, in which Milei won 55.7% of the vote. Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof is another potential contender.

Kirchner has also left open the possibility of running again. In an interview published Monday by The Washington Post, she said, “When I recover my political rights, why not?” She is under house arrest and is seeking to restore her political standing, according to the report.

Lula’s victory over senator Flávio Bolsonaro in October has become an example for progressive groups in several countries, including Argentina. Since then, left-wing groups there have created WhatsApp channels modeled on Lula’s “Army,” in an effort to replicate campaign strategies that may have helped him turn around the race in the second round.

The opposition’s lack of unity has so far benefited Milei, despite signs of weak public support. A Clarín analysis published last week, drawing on 11 opinion polls, found that 57% of Argentines disapproved of his government and 57.2% viewed him negatively.

Sources: Folha Poder.