Argentina: Fernández Seeks to Revive Regional Unification Organizations like UNASUR

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Argentinian president-elect, Alberto Fernández, has sent a clear and unequivocal message of his desire to restore left-wing regional integration on his first trip abroad to Mexico.

At a meeting with his future counterpart, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, both stressed their resolve for a Latin American policy of “reducing social inequality”. To achieve this, organizations such as UNASUR and CEPAL must be revitalized.

These left-wing alliances have recently suffered greatly from the shift to the right of several member states. First and foremost, the “Puebla Group”, a group of progressive parties and politicians formed this year, could play an important role.

The second group meeting took place on Friday in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. Fernández pointed out that the “Puebla Group” was of great personal importance to him, as he had helped found it well before his candidacy for president.

Fernández also met with former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa in Mexico. He is also a member of the “Puebla Group” and belongs to a group of left-wing politicians from Latin America who, following the end of their term in office, may be politically persecuted by the successor right-wing governments in the course of the so-called “Lawfares”.

The future Argentinian President shares this view, and during his visit to Mexico he mentioned his future Vice-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in this context.

In addition, Fernández intends to follow the policy of “non-interference” and dialogue advocated by López Obrador since he took office. Mexico, along with Uruguay, sent an unmistakable signal this year in the political disputes over Venezuela.

Fernández voiced his determination, albeit cautious, with regard to a potential visit to the USA and its President Donald Trump. He hopes for good relations with the United States during his presidency, which should, above all, be based on mutual respect.

He has already exchanged phone calls with Trump and is confident that the US will help Argentina overcome the current exceptionally difficult economic situation. However, an early visit to the USA has not yet been planned.

At the end of his visit to Mexico, Fernández met Mauricio Claver-Carone, the White House security advisor for the Western Hemisphere. In addition to economic figures, the meeting is said to have focused on the recent crises in Ecuador and Chile.

In Mexico, Fernández also commented on the tremendous domestic challenges that he will be facing with the official start of his term on December 10th. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), for instance, from which Macri requested a record loan of US$57 billion and which is due to be repaid next year, is also to blame for the tense social situation in Argentina.

In the South American country, poverty and the supply crisis have worsened recently and inflation has continued to rise. Conversely, the peso exchange rate plummeted and foreign exchange reserves declined dramatically. The country is on the verge of insolvency.

In a television interview with ‘Todo Noticias’, the future president said Argentina would meet its payment commitments to the IMF. A halt in payments would be ruled out as this would be prohibited by the IMF. However, he said he will ensure that the Argentinians do not have to pay any more money.

Previously, he had said that he would ask the IMF “and everyone else to reflect on the situation in Argentina”. All should be prepared to understand “that we cannot continue to impose further social adjustments on Argentinian society,” Fernández said.

In Mexico, he also established the first personal connections for intensified economic cooperation. He met with one of the richest entrepreneurs in the world, Mexican Carlos Slim. In doing so, he wanted to set an example for an investment-friendly economic policy. In addition to Slim, other Mexican entrepreneurs are also said to have declared their willingness to invest.

Source: Amerika21