Colombia-Venezuela Dispute Gets Hearing in Argentina

July 27, 2010

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner met this week with both sides of the simmering dispute between Colombia and Venezuela. Colombia has alleged that the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) is operating out of bases on the Venezuelan side of the border, and in response, President Hugo Chávez has cut off all diplomatic relations with the Uribe government.

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Gay Marriage Legal in Argentina

July 15, 2010

Today, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage when 33 senators voted in favor of the bill, with 27 opposed and three abstaining.

The new law grants gays and lesbians all the same legal rights, responsibilities and protections of marriage as heterosexual couples. With the strong support of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, it is expected to be published in the official bulletin and enter into force within days.

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President Fernández de Kirchner Visits China

July 12, 2010

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner began a five-day visit to China on Sunday in an effort to strengthen the China-Argentine strategic partnership. As part of her first presidential visit to China since, she is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, who according to foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang "attaches great importance to President Cristina's visit."

In a speech at the Beijing University of International Business and Economics President Fernández de Kirchner said, "It is important to realize we are immersed on a new international scenario…Countries should grow at a harmonious pace," she also stressed that Argentina will seek to be part of the next G20 summit to "combat fiscal parasites”.

In addition to meeting with the President, the remainder of her visit will consist of bilateral talks with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and the mayor of Shanghai, Hang Zheng, along with Chinese entrepreneurs and a visit to the Shanghai 2010 Expo. 

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Nestor Kirchner to Lead UNASUR

May 4, 2010

Former Argentine President Néstor Kirchner was chosen today to be the first secretary general of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) at a summit outside of Buenos Aires attended by heads of state and foreign ministers from the 12 countries that comprise the group. Speaking after today’s vote, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called Mr. Kirchner “a person with a lot of experience" and called his nomination “yet another step in the consolidation of the organization.”

The crucial vote in today’s process was that of new Uruguayan President José Mujica who, in the end, decided to abstain. At a similar summit last year, former Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez vetoed Mr. Kirchner’s candidacy to protest Argentina’s position on a dispute that has resulted in the blocking since 2006 of a bridge linking the two countries. Last March, Uruguay began adopting a more conciliatory tone and Mr. Mujica has friendly relations with Mr. Kirchner and his wife, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

Seven of the region’s presidents were present for the vote. Other items on the meeting agenda include discussions on the recognition of Porfirio Lobo as President of Honduras, financial assistance for Haiti, a communal denunciation of an immigration law recently passed in Arizona, and the Falklands Islands conflict.

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Argentine President Cancels China Trip

January 20, 2010

Skeptical of leaving the country for 10 days, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner postponed her Asian trip on Tuesday, calling it “too long especially when the country’s Vice President does not fulfill the role that has been assigned to him.” She went on to say that Vice President Julio Cobos cannot serve his role and be a “dissident.”

Cobos and Fernández de Kirchner have been at odds most recently over her desire to force Central Bank President Martin Redrado to step down. But the vice president urged her to "reconsider the situation" and go to China, promising that he would not sign any decrees in her absence without consent.

The January 25-28 trip would have been the first state visit to China since taking office in 2007. Her agenda was scheduled to have included meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao. Numerous cooperation agreements were to have been signed.

Bilateral relations grew tense last month after an Argentine judge had requested that Interpol issue an arrest warrant for former Chinese President Jiang Zemin over treatment of Falun Gong practitioners. With concerns mounting about Argentina’s debt, neither side would discuss whether China was prepared to provide any aid or grant loans.

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Argentine Central Bank President Asked to Step Down

January 6, 2010

The government of Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner asked Central Bank President Martín Redrado to leave his post on Wednesday after he refused her request to transfer $6.6 billion in Central Bank reserves to help pay government debts. Argentine government debts are expected to rise to $13 billion this year.

President Kirchner appointed former Central Bank President Mario Blejer, to the post. But Blejer has rejected the appointment and Redrado has refused to step down. According to the Central Bank’s charter, Redrado can only be dismissed for misconduct or failure to carry out his duties after the President has consulted with a congressional committee chaired by the Senate President (Vice President Julio Cobos). In the past, Cobos has disagreed with some of the government’s economic policies.

Redrado, who says only Congress has the authority to fire him, says he plans to stay until September, when his term ends. The Merval stock index had fallen 2 percent by midday.

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Argentina Approves Controversial Media Law

October 13, 2009

Over the weekend, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner signed a government-backed bill into law that restricts the number of media outlets companies can own in a single market. The law also requires 70 percent of radio and 60 percent of television content to be produced in Argentina.  It further directs cable television companies to carry channels operated by nongovernmental organizations, universities and indigenous groups and calls for select companies to sell some of their media assets within a year. 

The bill passed the Senate by a 44-24 margin on Saturday after nearly 20 hours of debate.   Argentina’s lower house had passed the bill on September 17 after opposition lawmakers walked out in protest. 

Critics say the law will give the government too much control over the press.  The Vienna-based International Press Institute said the law will damage press freedom in Argentina and is specifically concerned about the power the government now has to grant licenses to radio and television stations. On Sunday, the country’s largest media company, Grupo Clarin, said it plans to challenge the law in court.  Clarin’s media outlets are widely considered to be critical of the president, who in campaigning for the bill said Clarin held 73 percent of Argentina’s cable, telephone and cable licenses. 

Supporters, on the other hand, celebrated the reversal of a dictatorship-era (1976–1983) law that allowed for media monopolies.

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Nestor Kirchner Resigns Peronist Party Post

June 30, 2009

Former Argentinean President Nestor Kirchner (2003 to 2007) resigned from his position as leader of the Peronist party on Monday in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat in national congressional elections.  He was replaced by Buenos Aires Governor Daniel Scioli. Mr. Kirchner also lost his own race for a congressional seat in Buenos Aires. 

The Peronist government lost majorities in both the 72-member Senate and 257-member Chamber of Deputies (see full election results here). This came despite Mr. Kirchner warning voters that a Peronist loss would translate into “chaos” for Argentina, which has suffered from the global economic crisis. The party’s election losses, widely viewed as a plebiscite on the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, will hamper her ability to pass legislation through Congress and may create an opening for a new field of presidential candidates in 2011. She is now expected to re-shuffle her cabinet to put a fresh face on the administration.

The election took place four months earlier than was originally scheduled in what most analysts agree was the party’s attempt to consolidate power before the economic situation deteriorates further.

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