Argentine user criticizes Tesla ownership

An Argentine X post on May 15 turned a luxury vehicle into a proxy for a broader argument about inequality in Jujuy. The user Oscaroudri wrote that seeing a Tesla owned by a Jujeño was “disgusting,” according to the post referenced by the user, after images of a Tesla Cybertruck linked to national deputy Manuel Quintar had already circulated in Argentine media. Local outlets said the vehicle had appeared days earlier in the parking area of Argentina’s lower house, setting off criticism and replies online. Manuel Quintar, a deputy from Jujuy for President Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza coalition, publicly claimed the vehicle as his. In a post cited by Argentine outlets on May 13, Quintar wrote, “A mi nombre, con la mía,” alongside a photo of the Cybertruck, and said he would soon provide more information about his critics. (eltribuno.com) ### Whose Tesla was at the center of the backlash? Manuel Quintar was identified by multiple Argentine outlets as the owner of the Tesla Cybertruck seen at Congress. El Tribuno reported on May 13 that the Jujuy lawmaker arrived at the Chamber of Deputies in the vehicle, which the paper said was worth more than $100,000 in the local market depending on model and import conditions. (centraldenoticiasmadariaga.com) Todo Jujuy reported on May 14 that the truck was later moved by tow truck from Buenos Aires toward Jujuy. The outlet said Quintar denied receiving any reprimand and said he removed it because it occupied more space than assigned in the garage. ### Why did the post connect the car to poverty in Jujuy? (eltribuno.com) Jujuy’s poverty figures have given critics concrete numbers to point to. El Tribuno de Jujuy, citing official INDEC data published March 31, reported that poverty in Greater Jujuy stood at 40% in the second half of 2024, above the national rate of 38.1%, while indigence in the local urban area was 9.8%. (todojujuy.com) INDEC’s official site lists Argentina’s current statistical releases and is the source for the national poverty series cited by local media. The contrast raised by Oscaroudri and other users was between a high-end imported vehicle and a province where official data still show a large share of residents below the poverty line. ### How unusual is a Tesla Cybertruck in Argentina? (eltribunodejujuy.com) Tesla has no official dealership network in Argentina, according to El Tribuno and Todo Jujuy, so vehicles such as the Cybertruck enter through private import channels. That has made the model rare and expensive in the country, where local outlets placed the vehicle’s value above $100,000 and, in one report citing sources close to Quintar, around $126,000 plus shipping from Miami. (indec.gob.ar) A 2025 Infobae report said private direct imports had brought Cybertrucks into Argentina before, underscoring that such vehicles are possible to register and use even without an official Tesla commercial presence. Ámbito also reported that Argentina had updated procedures for legalizing imported vehicles without local homologation, including electric cars such as Tesla models, through a road-safety certificate process. (eltribuno.com) ### What did Quintar and other officials say? Quintar used social media to defend ownership of the vehicle and mock critics. Central de Noticias Madariaga reported that he also posted language aimed at “radikukas” in Jujuy, while El Tribuno said he defended the legality of the purchase and import. (infobae.com) Martín Menem, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, rejected reports that he had demanded the vehicle’s removal. Todo Jujuy quoted Menem as saying on X that reports of his anger toward Quintar were “absolutely false” and that the deputy could drive whatever car he wanted if he had paid for it with his own money. (centraldenoticiasmadariaga.com) ### Where does the online argument go from here? May 15 is the key date for the latest wave of reaction because that is when Oscaroudri’s post circulated and when Quintar continued addressing the controversy on X, according to media reports and the user-provided reference. The next public record is likely to remain on the participants’ X accounts, including Quintar and other Jujuy users replying to the post, unless the deputy provides the additional explanation he said he would publish. (todojujuy.com) (centraldenoticiasmadariaga.com)