# Frente Despertar

Frente Despertar ('Wake up front') is a political coalition in Argentina. It participated in the 2019 general election, formed by Unite for Freedom and Dignity, the Union of the Democratic Centre, the Libertarian Party and the Democratic Party.
Its presidential candidate was the economist José Luis Espert, who announced on December 23 of 2018 his intention to participate in the presidential elections.

## History

The alliance was about to be disbanded because Alberto Asseff's party, UNIR Constitutional Nationalist Party (the only party in the alliance that met the requirements to nominate a presidential candidate), stopped supporting the front. But a few days later, UNITE backed Espert's candidacy and ended up participating in the elections.
On July 14, 2021, the closing day for the presentation of alliances for the 2021 legislative elections, the Avanza Libertad coalition with parties from the center-right sector became official in the Province of Buenos Aires. The UCEDE, the Democratic Party and the Autonomist Party will participate in the coalition, as well as groups that are not yet, legally, political parties in the province, such as Republicans United and the Republican Libertarian Movement.
Following doubts related to the financing of the 2019 Argentine presidential election campaign of the Frente Despertar and the links with the drug trafficking detainee Federico "Fred" Machado, Milei was denounced along with José Luis Espert; Milei did not take part to the 2019 campaign. Luis Rosales, Jimena Aristizabal, and Nazareno Etchepare also entered the complaint before the Federal Criminal and Correctional Court No. 8, for the crimes of concealment and illicit association.

## Proposals

Frente Despertar's electoral platform has thirteen proposals; they were announced at the same time as Espert's candidacy, and posted on the coalition's website, where they are explained with more detail.
* Eliminate or reduce tariffs on imports to a low and uniform minimum
* Sign free trade agreements with any region or country that desires to access the local market.
* Remove tariffs on exports (called "retenciones")
* Focus on the most unprotected sectors.
* Transform welfare programs into disbursements in things like health and education plans and community kitchens.
* Lower the tax burden by eliminating and reducing taxes.
* Keep fiscal responsibility.
* Reduce political spending.
* End coparticipation and propose a political regionalization of the provinces to make more jurisdictions self-financing.
* End every industrial or regional promotion regime.
* End syndicalism and collective labour agreements.
* Reform the education system.
* Reform the Penal Code and the Procedure Code, imposing sentences of effective compliance and eliminate constitutional guarantees that favour criminals.

## Electoral results
### Presidential elections

| Year | Formula | Formula | Primaries | Primaries | First round | First round | Result | Result |
| Year | President | Vice president | votes | % | votes | % | Not elected | Position |
| 2019 | José Luis Espert | Luis Rosales | 550.593 | 2.16% | 394,206 | 1.47% | Not elected | 6º |

### National Congress elections
#### Chamber of Deputies

| Year | Votes | % | Seats won | Total seats |
| 2019 | 113,812 | 0.44% | 0 / 130 | 0 / 257 |

#### Senate

| Year | Votes | % | Seats won | Total seats |
| 2019 | 38,970 | 0.69% | 0 / 24 | 0 / 72 |