Debate on Land Law in the Senate: Victoria Villarruel Decides Whether to Allow Anabel Fernández Sagasti to Vote Virtually

The Vice President and head of the Senate, Victoria Villarruel, must resolve in the coming hours the request from Senator Anabel Fernández Sagasti to participate virtually in the session scheduled for this Thursday, where the government aims to advance the Land Law project. The Mendoza legislator formally submitted the request last week, backed by a medical prescription that prevents her from making long-distance trips due to her advanced pregnancy.

The request was submitted directly to Villarruel, who received the request and responded that she would analyze it with her legal team. According to reports, the Vice President appeared "receptive" to the situation raised by the senator, although she has not yet made a definitive decision on whether to allow her remote participation and, in particular, her vote during the session.

Fernández Sagasti is currently 32 weeks pregnant and, according to the documentation submitted to the authorities of the upper house, has a "strict medical prescription" that prohibits her from making long-distance travel. In her submission, she explicitly stated that the only impossibility she is facing at this moment is related to her transfer from Mendoza to Buenos Aires.

The Request from Anabel Fernández Sagasti

The senator attached the corresponding medical certification to her request, which indicates "relative rest and contraindication of transfers." She argued that the request does not intend to anticipate her maternity leave nor does it imply a resignation or exemption from her responsibilities as a legislator, but rather seeks to guarantee the exercise of her parliamentary function while the medical restriction persists.

The request was also formulated as exceptional, individual, and temporary. The authorization, if granted, would only be valid until the formal start of maternity leave or until the medical contraindication for long-distance travel ceases.

In her presentation, Fernández Sagasti also suggested that the Chamber use the identity verification protocols that have already been implemented on previous occasions to ensure the remote participation of legislators. In this way, she seeks to ensure that her inability to travel does not translate into a limitation on her right to participate and vote in the chamber.

The Peronist senator also left a judicial reservation. In the note addressed to Villarruel, she anticipated that she could turn to the Federal Justice "in case of a denial that undermines the representation of the province of Mendoza in Congress," a warning that adds pressure to the decision that the head of the Senate must make.

The request takes on particular relevance due to the timing of its presentation. The session on Thursday will have as one of its main topics the Land Law project, an initiative that the government seeks to approve after introducing modifications to gain the support of allied sectors. The voting is expected to be tight, and each seat could be decisive for the final outcome.

In that context, the potential virtual participation of Fernández Sagasti could have a direct impact on the balance of power in the chamber. The senator is part of the Peronist bloc and maintains a critical position regarding the initiative promoted by the Government, so her presence and vote could be relevant during the debate.