In 1983, Iglesias was the Peronist candidate for Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires. However, at a "victory rally" towards the end of the election campaign, his followers approached him with a cardboard coffin with the inscription "UCR" (representing their main opposition), which he set on fire. This episode was broadcast by national TV channels. For many observers, this act was perceived by public opinion as a recall of the country's recent violent past, and was decisive in the victory of the UCR in the general elections and in his own loss to UCR gubernatorial candidate Alejandro Armendáriz. After this incident, he significantly lost his political prestige while "quemar el cajón" became political jargon for insensitive faux pas.