On December 10, Fernandez will become the country’s ninth President since the 1983 return of democracy to Argentina, with the mission, as he himself stated, to get the country on its feet.

After a first round victory, the President-elect spoke to a large crowd of supporters who broke into applause when he thanked former President Nestor Kirchner, precisely on October 27, the ninth anniversary of the leader’s death.

Together with Cristina, he worked hard for the unity of the Peronist movement to achieve victory. She, who last May announced her candidacy for Vice President, has expressed confidence in her partner, describing him as a very conciliatory person who favors dialogue.

Reports indicate that more than 80% of voters participated in the election.

Argentina reached Election Day as a nation with its economy tied to the designs of the International Monetary Fund, facing an economic and social crisis which the people call “the Macri disaster.

It is difficult, mainly for poor and middle-income Argentines, to conceive that a country recognized for its production of grains and meat, could today have a poverty rate of 35.4%, 8.1 percentage points more than a year ago, while 25.4% of households cannot afford basic food, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).

Mauricio Macri, who promised a totally different reality, chose to request a loan of more than $50 billion from the IMF and, of course, accepted the measures that the Fund demands from its debtors, and the people have borne the consequences of this disaster.

The financial institution itself, in its latest projections for this year, asserted that Argentina is expected to become the country with the third highest inflation in the world, with a cost of living increase of 57.3%.

In recent weeks, demonstrations expressing indignation and dissatisfaction have served as a prelude to the vote.

But the intransigence of the current President is such that he insisted he was “convinced that the political course undertaken four years ago is correct,” adding, “We were never so close to changing history forever.”

For his part, Alberto Fernández, identified as the favorite early on, stated, “We are going to advance step by step so that this changes. They have left us a country in a very bad economic situation.”

Official data indicates that 15.3 million Argentines are living below the poverty line, while prices for staple foods increased 58.3%, from 2018 to 2019.

Unemployment affected 19.3% of young people and 10.6% of the general population in the second quarter of 2019, to which must be added informal workers who represent 34% of the work force, a figure which in the case of young people rises to 60%, according to INEC

As the campaign closed, the Fernandez ticket proposed “turning the shameful page that has been written since December 10, 2015, the first day of Macri’s term in office.”

Alberto Fernández, said that “between retirees and banks, we choose retirees; between public education and banks, we choose public education.” This was the model that the people chose on October 27, when choosing the Alberto-Cristina ticket.

(Granma)

During the fraternal meeting, they discussed recent events in the region, and agreed on the need to preserve Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.

Prior to this meeting, Yesterday March 18, the distinguished guest was received by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Community Party of Cuba Central Committee.

Participating as well in both meetings was Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

During the friendly encounter, the leaders discussed the excellent state of bilateral relations between the two countries, and reaffirmed their willingness to continue strengthening the relationship. They additionally addressed regional and international issues, in particular the importance of the process of integration underway in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The distinguished guest was accompanied by Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman, and Juliana Isabel Marino, Argentine ambassador in Cuba. Also participating on the Cuban side were Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, and Orestes Pérez Pérez, the country’s ambassador to Argentina.

(Granma)

She said in press statements that visit the island is always a great pleasure for ‘being in this land that has been an example of heroism, courage and convictions’.

Referring to the mass of the Supreme Pontiff, she said that Pope will be there ‘not only for Cubans and those who will be here, but for the world’.

We will always support Cuba against the economic, commercial and financial blockade, she said, there is no democratic country in Latin America and the world that does not repudiate that policy of the United States.

‘The walls and the blockades are falling and when they do not fall due to our actions, end up falling under the weight of the history,” she said after arriving at Jose Marti airport in Havana.

You earned the place you have, she said. Anybody has given anything to Cuba, you, Cubans, have earned your achievements.

Argentina’s president arrived in Cuba on an official visit and is expected to meet with her peer from the Caribbean island, Raul Castro.

This is the fourth time that Fernandez visits Havana. Her most recent stay was in January 2014 to attend the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).

Both countries have excellent links, as this nation stands in solidarity with Argentina in its claim for sovereignty of Malvinas Islands and the battle being waged against vulture funds, within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly and other regional and international forums.

Both countries also have important economic and cooperation ties in education, health, sports and scientific-technical sectors.

Nationalizing YPF worth nothing if the people do not take to the streets, if there are no more than 150,000 citizens telling Cristina that they will approve “each event or measure by the government as a fact that could never disappear in Argentina,” Buenos Aires legislator Jose Ottavis said.

The organized society is the great fear of hegemonic powers that want to return, they are not bothered by a government’s decision, but by the people’s support for each event or measure, Ottavis stated at a news conference on Thursday.

The rally, to be held on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of Nestor Kirchner’s election as president, will reflect “society’s absolute and mass adherence to the government,” noted Jorge Aragon, president of the Martin Fierro National Trend.

In remarks to Telam news agency, the head of the bloc of deputies from the Front for Victory, Agustin Rossi, pointed out that this will be the first mass demonstration in the president’s second term.

Rossi also said that the rally will be held amid two sessions of Congress, between the approval by the Senate of the expropriation of YPF and before legislators analyze it. “So we think it will be a strong support for the decision” presented by Cristina Fernandez to regain the country’s energy sovereignty.

Artemio Lopez, director of the firm Equis, and Mariel Fornoni, of Management & Fit, agreed in this regard during a meeting with foreigin correspondent in this capital on Thursday.

According to both experts, Fernandez could reach today a five-percent increase or more compared to the August 14 primary elections, when she won over 10.7 million votes (50.2 percent).

Her closest rival, Broad Progressive Coalition (FAP) candidate Hermes Binner, would reach about 15 percent, a margin ever seen in the Argentinian electoral history.

Candidates Ricardo Alfonsin, of the Union Alliance for Social Development (12.20 percent), and Eduardo Duhalde, of the Popular Front Alliance (12.12 percent), followed Fernandez in the August primary elections.

Also on the running list are candidates Hermes Binner, of the Progressive Broad Front (10.18 percent), Alberto Rodriguez Saa, of Federal Commitment Alliance (8.17 percent), Elisa Carrio, of the Civic Coalition (3.22 percent), and Jorge Altamira, of the Left and Workers’ Front (2.46 percent).

To win the primary elections, any candidate requires over 45 percent of votes, or more than 40 percent if the advantage over the next rival is over 10 percent.

If either of these circumstances does not occur, the two most voted candidates will go to a runoff, scheduled for November 20.

(Prensa Latina)