The mayor of Saavedra, the leftist Matías Nebot, publicly acknowledged that he used cocaine during his time in office.
The confession occurred during a talk on problematic consumption held in the town of Pigüé, where the mayor himself shared his personal situation with the community.
“I have been 308 days without using,” Nebot stated in his speech, in a message he aimed to present as a testimony of overcoming, but which simultaneously revealed that his addiction developed while he held public office.
Matías Nebot and Axel Kicillof
The mayor has held the position for 960 days, which means that for a significant part of his tenure, he was affected by drug use.
During the meeting, which featured the participation of addiction prevention expert Adrián di Renzo, Nebot elaborated on his personal story: “For me, it’s quite difficult to know where to start, but I will begin from where it comes from my heart. I have been 308 days without using.”
His statements sparked a strong controversy as they involved a sitting official who admitted to having gone through a problematic consumption situation while having government responsibilities.
In his explanation, Nebot maintained that “the cause is never the substance, the cause is something else, the substance is the consequence,” attempting to contextualize his situation.
Matías Nebot
Who is Matías Nebot
Nebot, 37 years old, was born on March 15, 1989, in the town of Goyena, within the Saavedra district. His political journey began in 2017 when he was elected councilor by the alliance 1 País.
Coming from a radical tradition family, he began his activism in the GEN, a political space associated with the socialist Margarita Stolbizer. That same year, he led the councilor list of 1País, which included Kirchnerist sectors of Sergio Massa, Stolbizer, and Victoria Donda, successfully gaining a seat in the Deliberative Council.
In 2018, he participated in the creation of the neighborhood party Todos por Saavedra. With this space, he consolidated his political growth: in the 2021 elections, he managed to renew his seat, and the neighborhood movement positioned itself as the second force in the district.
Finally, in 2023, he was elected mayor of Saavedra by that political space, defeating Diego Demaría, the candidate from Juntos por el Cambio.