Word: fernandez
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...Argentina is $10,000, Telpuk alerted her superiors and Antonini Wilson was whisked away for questioning. Within days, however, the businessman had departed for Florida, amid rumours in the press that the money had been an illegal contribution from Chavez for the electoral campaign of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Both leaders denied the charge, with the Argentinean president suggesting it was part of a U.S. plot to embarrass Chavez. "People have accused me of being a secret CIA operative somehow involved in this alleged conspiracy," says Telpuk...
...reaction from Fernandez and many in Argentina has been swift and aimed directly at the U.S., which is seen in Argentina as having masterminded the money-smuggling operation to smear the new president. In a public statement, she labelled the accusations "a trash campaign" by Washington against her. The sentiment has been taken up by the media, which has called Antonini a U.S. agent who planted the $800,000 as part of an operation against Fernandez...
...some opposition voices cast doubt on the conspiracy theory. Maria Estenssoro of the Civic Coalition said that "ranting at the empire is just a smokescreen. The problem isn't a trash operation from the U.S., the problem is the trash campaigns at home." Civic Coalition party leader Elisa Carrio, Fernandez's rival in October's presidential elections, said that "the United States is not responsible for the crimes of corruption committed by the governments of Venzuela and Argentina...
...Argentine Foreign Ministry on Tuesday and told that "we have been surprisingly and unjustly offended." However, in diplomatic circles, the scandal is seen as emanating from an independent judicial system that has inadvertently put a brake on the warming relations that Washington hoped to enjoy with Fernandez, who is perceived to be more moderate in her support for Chavez than her husband and predecessor Nestor Kirchner...
...political dust kicked up by the allegations were in contrast to the smooth ceremony at her swearing in. The traditional presidential sash and baton of power were handed to her by her husband, the outgoing chief executive. There were no questions about popular support: Fernandez was more than 20 percentage points ahead of her closest rival. Kirchner's own accession four years before had been much less smooth. Having lost in the first round of voting against former President Carlos Menem, he became president only when Menem bowed out of the second round, acceding to office with only...