Argentina: golpe or auto-golpe?

[Judi Lynn]

Argentina: golpe or auto-golpe?
Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Fri, 02/27/2015 - 03:03

A federal judge in Argentina on Feb. 26 dismissed charges against President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her foreign minister, Héctor Timerman, who had been accused of covering up Iranian involvement in the deadly 1994 bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (AMIA). Judge Daniel Rafecas concluded that there was "no legal basis" to pursue the charges, which had been prepared by special prosecutor Alberto Nisman, just before he was found dead in his apartment last month. Rafecas also dismissed related charges against lawmaker Eduardo "Wado" de Pedro and two leftist leaders close the the government, Luis D'Elía and Fernando Estreche. (BBC News, InfoBAE, Feb. 26)

That same day, Argentina's Congress approved a bill dissolving the Intelligence Secretariat, to be replaced by a new agency more accountable to the legislative branch. The proposal was drafted last month by Fernández following the death of Nisman—who she said had been fed false information by the spy service. Opposition lawmakers rejected the new law as an actual consolidation of power in the executive, noting that oversight of wiretaps will be moved from the intelligence agency to the prosecutor general's office. (BBC News, Feb. 26)

Also Feb. 26, Fernández announced a cabinet shake-up, with Wado de Pedro to replace Aníbal Fernández as secretary general of the presidency. Aníbal Fernández, in turn, is to replace Jorge Capitanich as chief of cabinet. Both Aníbal Fernández and Capitanich singled themselves out with inflammatory comments as the scandal broke over Fernández de Kirchner's indictment and Nisman's death. (MercoPress, Feb. 26)

One day before all this, opposition lawmaker Elisa Carrió accused Fernández de Kirchner of planning an "autogolpe," or self-coup—the term used in Latin America for a president's suspension of congress and the constitution and seizure of dictatorial powers. Carrió told a TV interviewer: "Where is all this going? A coup d'etat. By whom? By Cristina Kirchner." She called on the Organization of American States to take note. (La Nación, Feb. 25)

More:
http://www.ww4report.com/node/14012

[forest444]

1. Elisa Carrió's plastic doll must be talking to her again.

For those not familiar with her, this is Argentina's Michelle Bachman. Carrió can't open her mouth without slinging mud; and like the GOP, it's usually to accuse others of her own vices (corruption, intrigue, destabilization plots, etc) or predilections (homosexuality and, as her pet doll can attest, mental illness).

It's understandable: vaulting ambition has made being a congresswoman -and one with no clout- simply unbearable, and she has a long history of hurling accusations not only at Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, but also at just about everyone in Congress - even allies. She's even used check counterfitters to concoct "evidence" when expedient.

But petty vindictiveness doesn't fully explain Carrió and her scorched earth politics, of course; Carrió is also the public face of two of the most extremist -and, unfortunately, powerful - lobbies in Argentina: the Círculo de Armas, controlled by right-wing landowners and numerous top figures in the fascist 1976-83 dictatorship; and the Opus Dei (friend to all fascists in any Catholic country). Its most influential figure today, sugar baron Carlos Blaquier, is currently facing trial for his role in the July 20, 1976, "Blackout Night" - so called because the military death squad he called in stamp out labor union activity in Jujuy Province (in the dry, mountainous northwest of the country) had the power cut off to an entire county to facilitate the assault. 400 people were 'disappeared' over the course of a week.

Suffice it to say to Blaquier and his friends are no friends of democracy or Cristina Kirchner. Carrió is simply their errand girl to that effect - when she isn't eating the profits.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Thanks for posting background for Elisa Carrió. It really helps explain what's happened.

One look for her name in google images reveals the face of a born bully, opportunist.

[forest444]

3. Yessum, that's the one.

Very perceptive of you, as always.

It's worth noting as well she started her career as an Assistant D.A. during the 1976 dictatorship. That alone is not evidence of wrongdoing, of course, or even of having a fascist disposition; but she was appointed Provincial Solicitor General just two years later at age 24 (!). Since she was not from a wealthy background, and since her career was completely undistinguished, the dictatorship must have liked her quite a lot indeed to give her career such a meteoric boost - and as you know, they only liked fascists.

Fast forward 35 years, and her bigoted, elitist policy positions today just go to show that a zebra rarely changes its stripes. At least she's not running for president again (she endorsed Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri's PRO, the "Argentine GOP&quot .

[Judi Lynn]

4. She had friends in high places, apparently, and a powerful newspaper at her disposal, of course.

24 years old, a Provincial Solicitor General. Crazy. I guess someone like her makes a good puppet for fascist interests.

It's horrifying to think of her, or the one she endorsed as Presidents. Just awful.

[center]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__qfWjHH-3Fc/TGlwhPu8UqI/AAAAAAAAGTU/RQgDtWnWQo8/s1600/MAURICIO+MACRI+NO+PARA+DE+HACER+CAGADAS.jpg







She really seems a little unhinged....[/center]

[forest444]

5. It ain't easy being her.

And it's flat-out impossible to be around her, judging from how utterly alone she is in Argentine politics - and this is someone who managed 23% of the vote running for president in 2007, mainly by appealing to the church lady vote.

Before she met her pet doll, of course.