The libertarian internal dispute erupts over an Islamophobic statement: Sharif Menem's anger and tensions with Santiago Caputo

A new controversy is shaking the heart of the ruling party. This time, it wasn't over the economic direction or political reforms, but rather an Islamophobic message posted by an official from La Libertad Avanza . Lucas “Sagaz” Luna, director of Intercargo and close to Santiago Caputo , lit the fuse with a post on the social network X: “We don't hate Islam enough,” accompanied by a violent video showing Christians being persecuted by extremists in Nigeria.

The phrase, which imitated Javier Milei 's own provocative style, unleashed a wave of condemnation and exposed a new rift in the libertarian movement. The first to react was Federico Sharif Menem , leader of the LLA national youth movement and Karina Milei 's political godson. "Delete this, asshole," he wrote directly, visibly offended by Milei's Arab ancestry and the inflammatory nature of the message.

Luna, known for his provocative social media activity and confrontational style, has already generated controversy in the past. In 2023, he was removed from a pre-candidacy for the Parlasur (Parlasur) party by Milei himself for insulting Franco Rinaldi with discriminatory comments. On his social media profile, he presents himself as "Super Special Agent for Important Matters," although the government avoids mentioning him publicly.

Despite having led party rallies in the suburbs and presenting himself as part of Caputo's entourage, his presence became a burden to sectors of the ruling party demanding greater discipline and control. This time, the post not only strained the relationship between Caputo and Karina Milei, but also once again exposed the rivalry between the "twitterers" and the "territorial" ones.

The clash between Luna and Menem rekindled the simmering dispute between the political factions. Weeks ago, the two met urgently to try to pacify an internal dispute that had already escalated with the removal of leaders, online attacks, and clashes over territorial control of the province of Buenos Aires.

The digital dispute is being led by accounts affiliated with Caputo, such as that of Daniel Parisini (alias "Gordo Dan"), while Karina's sector has its own territorial and militant structure. The recent departure of the PAMI director in Junín, linked to Karina's Sebastián Pareja , was another sign that tensions have escalated beyond rhetoric.

National Representative Lilia Lemoine joined the controversy, sharing the same video published by Luna, albeit with a more measured message. In her analysis, she avoided replicating the Islamophobic tone and took aim at authoritarian regimes: "Perhaps it's because Christianity strengthens the individual and repels dictatorial control."

When a user responded with insults toward Islam, Lemoine was clear: "Islam needs reform, but hating it is what terrorism seeks. Don't fall for that." Her response marked a significant departure from the inflammatory tone of the original post, although it also reflected the government's interest in capitalizing on religious and cultural conflicts to secure loyalty among its base.

Luna's post comes while Milei is on an international tour, with key visits to Israel, adding a tragic irony to the situation. The lack of institutional response to an explicit hate speech not only exposes the lack of oversight in official communication, but also the uneasy coexistence between internal lines that seem to have their own agendas.

Meanwhile, tensions are growing between the digital and political sectors in the country. What began as a disruptive experiment now threatens to spill over into irreversible fractures that jeopardize the cohesion of the ruling party ahead of the September and October elections.