BUENOS AIRES & BEIJING Airing IMF criticism, Máximo Kirchner deepens ties with China 02-06-2023 10:02 National deputy and La Cámpora leader slams International Monetary Fund’s recipes for “indebted countries” during visit to China. by Ariel Maciel
DIPLOMACY & FOREIGN POLICY Opposition criticism as President Fernández meets with Maduro 30-05-2023 21:15 Argentina’s president calls for sanctions against Venezuela to be set aside, arguing that the search for a “political solution” cannot be subject to “external pressures or conditions.”
25 de mayo rally Fernández de Kirchner urges Argentina to ditch IMF debt repayment deal 26-05-2023 08:56 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner urges Argentina to ditch its debt repayment agreement with the IMF ahead of presidential elections later this year.
As I see it On planet K, the rule of law is undemocratic 13-05-2023 08:41 The attempt to impeach the four members of the Supreme Court is going nowhere, and the government’s predictably furious reaction is unlikely to enhance its image either here or in the rest of the world. by James Neilson
CAMPAIGN COMMENTS Three’s a crowd 06-05-2023 06:47 Tomorrow is Jujuy’s turn to go to the polls together with La Rioja and Misiones – can lightning strike twice? by Michael Soltys
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Peronism’s identity crisis 06-05-2023 06:29 What is under discussion is much more than a candidacy. It is the search for a new leader who, on their own and without intermediaries, is competitive enough to assume power and unify Peronism. by Gustavo González
As I see it Waiting to step into Alberto’s shoes 29-04-2023 05:14 No matter who wins the electoral contest that is getting underway, he or she will face the dilemmas that Alberto refused to confront. by James Neilson
ELECTIONS 2023 PASO primaries: Alberto's favoured candidates, who’s in the race 25-04-2023 17:47 Alberto Fernández will not seek re-election, but he still wants a presence and influence over the Frente de Todos line-up for the primaries. Who are the candidates the president is promoting for the nation, provincial and city races? And who from the ruling coalition has publicly declared their intentions in the race for the Casa Rosada?
As I see it Cartwheeling towards chaos 22-04-2023 06:45 A programme of government based on nothing more than contempt, whether deserved or not, for almost everything that already exists would be most unlikely to make life better for the country’s inhabitants. by James Neilson
INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO Juan Schiaretti: ‘Fiscal balance should not entail extreme austerity’ 22-04-2023 06:29 Three-term Córdoba Province governor on transcending ‘la grieta,’ why Peronism must split from Kirchnerism and why export duties on the agricultural sector should be removed. by Jorge Fontevecchia
ELECTIONS 2023 Alberto Fernández declines re-election bid amid inflation spike 21-04-2023 12:00 Argentina's president says he won’t run for re-election, opening the race within the ruling Peronist coalition to pick a candidate ahead of October elections.
POLITICS: ELECTIONS 2023 A social flare-up, a triple draw and the rise of Milei 15-04-2023 10:01 Javier Milei very well could be the single most voted-for candidate in the national PASOs scheduled for August 13. by Agustino Fontevecchia
ELECTIONS 2023 Aníbal Fernández predicts ‘repression and blood’ if right wins election 13-04-2023 13:58 Argentina’s national security minister says there will be “deaths and streets strewn with blood” if opposition Juntos por el Cambio or libertarian right-wingers win election.
POLITICS Who is Lucía Cámpora, the new leader of La Cámpora? 03-04-2023 14:43 Thirty-two-year-old activist and City lawmaker Lucía Cámpora, the grand-niece of former president Héctor Cámpora, has taken over the leadership of the Kirchnerite youth organisation. by Rodis Recalt
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Without time, desire nor margin, Peronism resigns itself to a PASO 29-03-2023 14:11 Unless there is a surprise move, Peronism is resigned to face – for the first time since their creation – a Simultaneous and Compulsory Open Primary (PASO). by Ramón Indart
As I see it A crack-up waiting to happen 18-03-2023 03:53 A few days ago, the official annual inflation rate topped 100%. No doubt it will continue to rise; since slowing it down would require a large amount of political will, a commodity which these days is in short supply in official circles. by James Neilson
INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO Pope Francis: ‘Reaching my age in good health is a grace but I don’t know how long it will last’ 17-03-2023 07:41 A special interview with Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the leader of the Catholic Church, to mark the tenth anniversary of his papacy. A historic interview for a historic personality. by Jorge Fontevecchia
As I see it Alberto hints he is on a secret mission 11-03-2023 06:12 Alberto has made no significant attempt to extricate himself from the trap he had cheerfully walked into. But it would seem that, with elections approaching, he has finally undestands that Cristina will never forgive him. by James Neilson
AND THAT REMINDS ME… Pebbles in the shoes of the fisherman 11-03-2023 03:16 Even if Jorge Bergoglio was actively encouraging slum priests at grass roots level from the start, he was doing good by stealth while his media splashes largely served to perpetuate the conservative image of the hierarchy. by Michael Soltys
EDITORIAL The number of the beast 18-02-2023 06:00 The apocalyptic number of six has already struck twice on the judicial and economic fronts – will it make a third and final appearance?
POLITICAL ANALYSIS Peronism looks into the electoral abyss 16-02-2023 17:08 Two-time former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, is the architect of the Peronist coalition. She may be about to take it down with her.
POLITICAL ANALYSIS The ornithology of Frente de Todos and Juntos por el Cambio 11-02-2023 07:00 Argentina has been locked in a bi-coalitionism over the past several electoral periods, but the novel element this time around is the internal fragmentation of both spaces. by Agustino Fontevecchia
And that reminds me… Court between a rock and a hard place 21-01-2023 06:56 Both the 1947 and the 2002-2003 purges accomplished their missions but we may well be taking current events too seriously if we expect a similar outcome now.
Plan Massa Peronist gradualism 21-01-2023 05:46 Once again Sergio Massa has taken the spotlight. As the electoral year gets going, he seems to be placing his bets on managing to bring inflation down while keeping the economy in positive territory to become the main candidate for the pan-Peronist coalition, Frente de Todos. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Debt intervention Argentina to buy back US$1 billion in foreign debt 18-01-2023 09:15 Economy Minister Sergio Massa says Argentina’s government will buy back US$1 billion of foreign debt in bid to improve the country’s debt and risk profile; Measure, confirmed via resolution published in Official Gazette, focused on global bonds maturing in 2029 and 2030.
POLITICS & JUDICIARY Government summons Congress to debate Supreme Court impeachment 13-01-2023 18:06 President Alberto Fernández’s government calls extraordinary sessions of Congress, starting January 23; Among bills are one that would impeach members of the Supreme Court for "poor performance."
DOMESTIC REACTION Opposition uses Brazil crisis to point finger at Alberto Fernández 13-01-2023 01:12 Politicians on both sides of the aisle use last weekend's turmoil in Brasilia to raise the spectre of unrest in Argentina this electoral year.
EDITORIAL Christmas this Sunday or last (or both)? 24-12-2022 06:45 The word “catharsis” has been overused in the past month because of its tempting overlap with the World Cup host country’s name but the shoe fits – there was an element of catharsis for a country still emerging from the coronavirus pandemic and enduring over a decade without any sustained growth since that 2010 bicentenary.
LAGO ESCONDIDO SCANDAL There are no coincidences in the Hidden Lake 10-12-2022 06:41 There is nothing inherently criminal in having these magistrates and officials accept an invitation to a public retreat from an interest group that happens to be the country’s largest media conglomerate. The issue here is ethical. by Agustino Fontevecchia
FEATURE COLUMN Cristina candidate, Sergio candidate 03-12-2022 05:02 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner may well have embarked upon a path which will lead to her presidential run. Sergio Massa, looking further ahead, maintains that he will not run. But if his economic experiment succeeds, he may become the natural Frente de Todos candidate for 2023. by Jorge Fontevecchia
EDITORIAL Qatar – catharsis or the opposite? 18-11-2022 00:13 Argentina’s main risks currently lie in peso rather than dollar debt since obtaining rollovers from the IMF seems to be pushing at an open door. In contrast, peso bonds and the resulting quasi-fiscal deficit cannot be underestimated as prime causes of swelling the peso demand for the dollar.
POLITICS PASOs and presidential hopefuls – sources of tension for Frente de Todos 31-10-2022 12:57 President Alberto Fernández is willing to go to bat to defend the PASOs and will run as a candidate, despite pressure from his coalition allies. Dialogue has broken down with delays to definitions likely to be the end result. by Rosario Ayerdi
As I see it Getting ready for hard times 29-10-2022 06:00 The long-predicted but frequently postponed crack-up seems to have arrived. by James Neilson
POLITICS / ANALYSIS The hypocrisy of calling for consensus in an era of polarisation 29-10-2022 06:00 The distance between what politicians say in public and their actions is incredibly large, and it’s not clear whether this is a prerequisite or a consequence of the profession. by Agustino Fontevecchia
OCTOBER 17 Demands ring out as divided Peronism marks Loyalty Day 17-10-2022 20:40 Demands rang out from trade union groups and politicians on Monday as Peronist Loyalty Day was marked with rallies across the country.
DEMONSTRATIONS ACROSS ARGENTINA Tensions soar as riot police clash with pro-CFK demonstrators in Recoleta 28-08-2022 09:15 Demonstrations in support of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner take place across Argentina, with clashes between activists and police at their epicentre in the wealthy City neighbourhood of Recoleta; Vice-president accuses opposition of wanting to "exterminate Peronism" in speech to supporters.
POLITICS Peronism in a state of ‘alert and mobilisation,’ plans march for CFK 25-08-2022 22:08 With Alberto Fernández's support, Justicialist Party pencils in rally for September 16 in support of vice-president.
Economic Indicators Inflation hit 7.4% in July – highest monthly rate since April 2002 11-08-2022 19:11 Official data reveals prices in Argentina up 71% over the last 12 months; prices have surged by 46.2% so far this year according to INDEC.
EVITA 70TH ANNIVERSARY Peronism unites but also divides to honour Evita 01-08-2022 16:42 Main celebrations by organised labour with separate marches by CGT and CTA umbrellas, President marks day in Chapadmalal.
Evita Argentina pays tribute to icon Eva Peron on 70th anniversary of death 27-07-2022 16:33 Argentina celebrated Eva Peròn on the 70th anniversary of her premature death this week, despite continued economic crises.
And that reminds me… From Gooseman to Batgirl? 09-07-2022 07:30 Recommended to President Fernández as having “the necessary dose of heterodoxy and the indispensable dose of orthodoxy,” Guzmán was eventually found wanting on both counts with the latter front more fatal. by Michael Soltys
Political economy Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s ‘stupid state,’ piqueteros and inflation 24-06-2022 10:53 A lot of what Argentina’s vice-president says appears sound, but when put in context, it becomes nothing more than a series of half-truths. by Agustino Fontevecchia
POLITICS & POLICY Argentina pushes bill to tax ‘unexpected’ profits amid disputes 07-06-2022 08:05 President unveils legislation to slap a 15 percent tax on companies’ extraordinary profits, a move seen as appeasing the most radical left-wing members of his divided coalition.
EDITORIAL Back(s) to the future in the present (very) tense 28-05-2022 01:41 Instead of seeking any consensus to confront this impending national emergency, the political spectrum is increasingly fragmented at various levels.
INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO Felipe Solá: ‘Cristina is dogmatic in her words but pragmatic in her actions’ 27-05-2022 09:16 Former governor of Buenos Aires Province addresses his ouster as foreign minister, Peronist unity and his relationships with Alberto Fernández and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. by Jorge Fontevecchia
AND THAT REMINDS ME… The maybes of May 14-05-2022 00:01 Today’s anniversary is nowhere in the current agenda with plenty of issues to absorb our attention, yet stopping to recall the Menem years would not go amiss. by Michael Soltys
EDITORIAL Are two heads always better than one? 07-05-2022 00:23 Blame lies not only with a self-destructive government whose two wings are more interested in flapping against each other than in taking flight but also with a distinct lack of clear, constructive and convincing alternatives from any other political sector.
POLITICS ‘I’ve got the power!’ 07-05-2022 00:19 There’s a civil war raging between President Alberto Fernández and his second-in-command, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner – and said conflict is tearing the ruling coalition apart at the seams. by Agustino Fontevecchia
EDITORIAL Anything but a holy week 16-04-2022 00:01 Inflation at this level traps the government in the austerity it abhors since prices and government revenues both rising in real time leave wages and pensions trailing, thus turning the political debate into an uphill battle.
Politics Waiting for Alberto and Cristina to figure it out 15-04-2022 01:40 The civil war between the Albertistas and Kirchneristas has paralysed Argentina’s political agenda. by Agustino Fontevecchia