Never has the country had such favorable external conditions; since 2003, the world has smiled to Argentina and given us a chance to shine again. However, our political leaders have once and again decided to shrug away from that and preferred an isolationist approach (much like their more famous political ancestor, Juan Domingo Perón) and the debt has not paid off. In these past five years, Argentina has "gotten back up", much like a sick person does after being in bed for a month. We have never really gotten out of the hospital, though. And both Nestor and Cristina Kirchner would rather have a country isolated from the outside world, safe among ourselves and indifferent to the rest. To their credit, they learnt that Menem's overtly zealous external policies might have caused some harm - our indebtedness and vulnerability to financial markets made us a sitting duck during any crisis. As it usually happens, the pendulum has swung all the way to the opposite end; and there is no sign anyone is looking to find convenient middle ground for our aspirations to become a serious nation Again.
President Cristina Fernández, right before the elections, generated some positive expectations as someone whose priorities would be to reinsert Argentina in the world while being a more moderate peronist ruler. She has proved everyone wrong is just 100 days, and has quickly but surely dilapidated a large amount of political capital that not only she but also her husband spent 5 years to build. To nobody's surprise, the farming conflict - still unresolved - has stirred criticisms right and left but, more importantly, and a side effect nobody expected, has awakened voiced of dissent from within the ruling party. Suddenly, some province governors speak out against the excessive accumulation of power from the central government. Suddenly, "has been" politicians feel safer to speak out and regain ground in the political arena. What if they got organized and form an opposing coalition for next elections?
This seems like a far off dream. Argentina has no solid national oppostion, and the only one to gain is the President and her husband, who want to alternate in power until retirement (or until son or daughter enter the political world). The Kirchners have a habit of ruling with an iron fist in the Province of Santa Cruz. Argentina is not the Province of Santa Cruz, as Mme. President has learnt the hard way, and the will not stand by to watch her boss everyone around, pointing fingers and uncovering imaginary plots to destabilize her.
She is playing with fire when she refers to recent public manifestations as reminders of the 1976 military coup. She is very vindictive and constantly reminds us that she in on the side of the montoneros who stood up to the military and the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo who saw their sons fight and lose a dirty guerilla war. It would be of much help for Mme. President to look around and see how Mexico, Chile and Brazil have dealt with similar issues. Constant reminders the way to go. Forgetting is not an option either. Again, a middle ground is always preferred under such nerve-racking issues: assume our history, make sure we don't make the same mistake again and move on.
It is the only way to regain lost ground. No more proud speeches. No more threats. No more obstacles to growth and no more illegitimate taxes. Less fiction would help us build a better reality.
photo: courtesy of the web!
1 comment:
What a great moment of reading blogs.
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