Rebuffing clamour for candidacy, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner rules out election run
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Loading... - David Belmonte
- 18 May 2023
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In a written statement released on Tuesday, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner put an end to speculation about her immediate political future by confirming that she will not be participating as a candidate in the upcoming October elections. The vice-president of Argentina expressed her commitment to prioritizing the collective project over her personal position in a lengthy letter published on her personal website. Within the nearly 1,700-word text, the 70-year-old criticized her political rivals, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Argentina's Judiciary, alleging that any attempt to run for office would be obstructed by the courts in what she described as a "perverse game." Fernández de Kirchner went on to claim that the courts are influenced by the opposition Juntos por el Cambio coalition and "concentrated economic groups" seeking to eliminate their political adversaries, specifically herself.
Referencing her previous remarks made on December 6, 2022, after being found guilty of alleged corruption related to public works projects during her presidency, the former president stated, "I already stated that I will not be a puppet of power for any candidacy." It is important to note that the conviction, which included a six-year jail term and a lifetime ban on holding political office, has not yet been confirmed by a higher court.
"I have demonstrated, more than anyone else, that I prioritize the collective project over my personal position," declared Fernández de Kirchner, who served two terms as head of state from 2007 to 2015. Her decision comes in response to repeated calls from her political supporters to launch another presidential bid. Organizers aligned with Kirchnerism had called for a large rally in Buenos Aires on May 25 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her late husband Néstor Kirchner's presidency.
"I refuse to participate in this deceitful game that is being imposed on us under the guise of democracy," she affirmed. In her letter, the Senate chief condemned the alleged "verbal and symbolic violence" that has been perpetuated by the dominant media for years. She argued that this abuse has led to various violent incidents, including an assassination attempt against her life in September of the previous year.
Fernández de Kirchner wrote, "The climax of this action occurred on September 1, 2022, in front of my private residence when, accompanied by God and the Virgin and surrounded by comrades, an attempt on my life was made." She noted that the groups responsible for organizing and consistently criticizing and threatening her vanished after the failed assassination attempt, which she believes confirms the premeditated and orchestrated nature of their political violence. She accused the opposition of fomenting and financing these groups, with the mainstream media providing extensive coverage.
According to Fernández de Kirchner, the objective of these groups was specifically aimed at Peronism or Kirchnerism, suggesting that she is a victim of political and judicial persecution. Referring to her six-year prison sentence and lifetime disqualification from public office, she stated, "This has only one political and electoral translation: exclusion." She emphasized that this exclusion extends beyond her as an individual and encompasses Peronism as a whole.
At the beginning of her letter, Fernández de Kirchner addressed the issue of "democratic dissatisfaction," which she linked to Argentina's "loss of economic democracy" in 2016 under the previous Cambiemos government led by former president Mauricio Macri. She criticized the "severe new cycle of external indebtedness" initiated by Macri's administration, which resulted in the return of the IMF through a highly unusual and politically motivated loan of $57 billion secured in 2018.
Expressing her discontent with the multilateral lender, Fernández de Kirchner blamed the IMF for Argentina's soaring inflation. Over the past 12 months, Argentina has witnessed a staggering increase of over 108 percent in consumer prices, and Fernández de Kirchner attributed this to the familiar pattern she believes the IMF follows in the country. She asserted, "The story with the Fund in our country remains the same: it intervenes, takes control of the Argentine economy, imposes its economic program, and once again, inflation spirals out of control." In addition to criticizing Macri, she also directed her criticism towards President Alberto Fernández, whom she referred to as her supposed partner.
Argentina's judiciary was another primary target of Fernández de Kirchner's complaints. She accused the Supreme Court of acting as a tool for the Juntos por el Cambio coalition and concentrated economic groups in their efforts to ban both Kirchnerism and Peronism. Citing a recent controversial court ruling that suspended gubernatorial elections in San Juan and Tucumán, she argued that such actions demonstrated the Supreme Court justices' inclination to disqualify her or remove her from any candidacy she might pursue, even if she decided to run for the highest office in the nation.
"This decision was not made impulsively or without careful consideration. I know them; I know how they think, how they act, and how they will continue to act," declared the vice-president. She concluded her statement by affirming that these forces "will never be able to extinguish the memories and aspirations of millions of Argentines to live in a free nation, where people thrive in an orderly and happy society."
