Alberto Fernández: Difficult times ahead due to 'decimated' economy

Frente de Todos presidential hopeful Alberto Fernández warned yesterday that, should he win election in October, "the first years" of government would be "difficult," due to Argentina's "decimated" economy.

"If I win, I know that the first years of my management will be difficult because I will receive a decimated economy [from President Mauricio Macri]. The Government also cut the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by half," said Fernandez, who returned to Argentina on Monday after a brief tour of Spain, during which he gave lectures at universities and met with politicians, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Fernández, speaking to the Todo Noticias (TN) news-channel, criticised the Mauricio Macri administration's economic policy, claiming Argentines were going hungry amid the recession.

"We are proud to produce food for 400 million people but we cannot solve hunger in Argentina," he said.

Quizzed as to whether he would make legislative changes to tackle food poverty, Fernández said he would not seek constitutional changes to protect the nation's poorest, but said he would rather introduce new, effective policies.

"We must not change it [the Constitution], but we need another social contract because it is unacceptable that there is hunger," he declared.

Addressing fears in the market and among investors that Argentina would not pay down its debt, Fernández assured viewers that he would.

"I told the Liaison Office that we must be partners: Argentina needs dollars to pay and they need to export," he said.

The Frente de Todos leader also renewed his criticism of the Judiciary, repeating his view that the justice system did not have enough independence from the Executive.

"[The] Justice [system] does not function as God orders, but as ordered by the power of the day, but I will not do politics through the courts," he said.

"For me, Cristina is a persecuted politician," he said, referring to his vice-presidential running-mate, former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

"I will take care of work, debt and hunger," he added.

Finally, Fernández confirmed that he would take part in the two planned presidential debates ahead of the October 27 election, which are due to take place in Santa Fe Province and Buenos Aires City.