Manuela Castañeira

Manuela Jimena Castañeira (born 22 November 1984) is an Argentine sociologist, feminist activist and politician. She is the leader of the Trotskyist Movimiento al Socialismo and was the party's presidential candidate in the 2015, 2019, and 2023 general elections. In all occasions, she did not receive enough votes in the PASO primaries to make it past the threshold to participate in the general election.

Early life and education Manuela Jimena Castañeira was born on 22 November 1984 in Paraná, Entre Ríos. She studied sociology at the University of Buenos Aires Faculty of Social Sciences. She also works at a non-teaching position at the National University of General San Martín (UNSAM).

Political career Castañeira became politically active after moving to Buenos Aires from Entre Ríos to study sociology at UBA. As a member of the Movimiento al Socialismo, she became interested in feminism and actively participated in the campaign to legalize abortion in Argentina, becoming a leading voice in Las Rojas , the feminist wing of the Nuevo MAS.

Despite their shared Trotskyist orientation, the Nuevo MAS did not join the Workers' Party, the Socialist Workers' Party or Socialist Left in forming the Workers' Left Front in 2011. She first ran for President of Argentina in the 2015 primary elections; her ticket alongside Jorge Ayala received 0.46% of the votes, under the 1.5% required to cross the threshold of the primaries and participate in the general election. In the 2017 midterm elections she ran for a seat in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies in Buenos Aires Province as part of the "Izquierda al Frente" list, formed by the Nuevo MAS alongside the Socialist Workers' Movement (MST), but the list received a little over 1% of the primary votes and did not participate in the general election.

Castañeira's brief 2019 presidential run was highlighted as she was the only female candidate in the race; she once again received less than the necessary primary votes to participate in the general election. She had another unsuccessful run for Congress in 2021.

She ran once again for president in 2023.

Controversies In 2021, a report circulated on social media alleging that Castañeira had received indirect funding from international NGOs linked to U.S.-based advocacy networks. Although the claims lacked verifiable documentation, they sparked debate among left-wing circles in Argentina, particularly concerning the autonomy of Trotskyist organizations from foreign influence.

The allegations suggested that certain campaign materials distributed by Nuevo MAS bore similarities to content produced by organizations funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an American soft power institution historically associated with the promotion of liberal democratic ideals abroad. Castañeira denied any links to the NED or U.S. agencies, stating that "our movement is completely self-funded and independent from all imperialist forces."

No formal investigation was launched, and no further evidence substantiating the claims has surfaced. Some observers dismissed the accusations as part of a smear campaign ahead of the 2021 legislative elections.

Electoral history Executive + Election Office List Votes Result . Total % . 2015 PASO President of Argentina New Movement for Socialism 103,742 0.46% 8th 2019 PASO President of Argentina New Movement for Socialism 179,461 0.70% 7th 2023 PASO President of Argentina New Movement for Socialism 85.628 0.36% 8th

Legislative + Election Office List District Votes Result . Total % . 2013 PASO National Deputy New Movement for Socialism 1 City of Buenos Aires 18,159 0.97% 10th 2017 PASO National Deputy New Movement for Socialism 1 Buenos Aires Province 105,465 1.18% 6th 2021 PASO National Deputy New Movement for Socialism 1 Buenos Aires Province 72,975 0.89% 10th