UK and US media blast the Kirchners for attempting “to lock-hold the press”
British daily Financial Times ran an op-ed Tuesday morning blasting Argentina’s presidential couple for their attempt to “secure a lock-hold on Argentina’s press,” and accusing them of mirroring the “black arts” tactics of the Mexican Institutional Revolutionary party.
“The Kirchners are at it again,” the piece begins, explaining that after the recent controversies involving the pension funds and the central bank reserves, they now “appear to be trying to secure a lock-hold on Argentina’s press.”
The FT op-ed piece follows a similar article from the Monday edition of the Wall Street Journal saying that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner “aims to control the supply of newsprint” in Argentina.
The WSJ article, which opens by citing a quote from legislator Elisa “Lilita” Carrió, makes reference to “loyalist warnings” about the country's possible return to authoritarian rule. It mentions Carrió's declarations about how the government is trying to “silence critics.” In addition, and despite clarifying that it is still too early to declare liberty at risk, the WSJ delves into the alleged intentions behind ex Argentine president Néstor Kirchner and his wife and current president, and their actions.
The FT column mentions Mrs. Kirchner’s plans to declare production and distribution of newsprint a public interest, to which it calls “a baroque tale.”
“This looks like a deliberate bid to bring Clarín to heel - part of a pattern of authoritarian populist governance that is weakening already enfeebled institutions and cowing independent voices in business and society,” the piece reads, explaining that the Kirchner’s “war with Clarín” began after they fell out with the large media group “over both policy and the paper’s vaulting ambitions.”
Despite pointing out that these tactics are less blunt than those of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez used to silence his critics, the Kirchner’s methods are “more like the black arts the Institutional Revolutionary party used to deploy in Mexico over more than seven decades: get on message or go out of business.” Methods that the FT considers “were arguably more effective.”
The Wall Street Journal also refers to the “hearsay and rumours” behind the financial transactions of Papel Prensa and its sale in 1976.
Over the course of the past week, there have been numerous versions of how the sale actually happened. While declarations from Lidia Papaleo de Graiver (widow of former Papel Prensa owner David Graiver) spoke about “settling a debt” with the people of Argentina, David's brother Isidoro Graiver told a different story: the operation was legitimate and consented with no pressures of any kind.
The Gravier family members were later imprisoned and tortured by the Argentine military regime following disclosure that Mr. Gravier was managing kidnap-funds from one of the main guerrilla groups of the time Montoneros. Apparently Montoneros believed that the death of Gravier in an air crash in Mexico had been made up to keep 17 million US dollars they had handed the banker.
Finally, the WSJ mentions the human rights agenda upheld by Mrs. Kirchner and her government. While saying that the president likes to “make herself a champion of human rights,” the WSJ writes that although “members of the military” have been put in prison, the Kirchner administration has yet to imprison the “former terrorists” that were part of the Montoneros guerrilla movement during the afore mentioned time period.
Suggested Stories
-
Feb 10th 2012
US/Argentina discuss bilateral relation and regional democratic stability
-
Feb 10th 2012
Timerman on Friday formalizes at UN complaint against UK ‘militarization’ of Malvinas dispute
-
Feb 10th 2012
State Department ratifies Falklands’ dispute is a bilateral Argentina/UK issue
-
Feb 09th 2012
Chilean community in Falklands march in support of the air link with Santiago
24 comments Feed
Note: Comments do not reflect MercoPress’ opinions. They are the personal view of our users. We wish to keep this as open and unregulated as possible. However, rude or foul language, discriminative comments (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or the sort), spamming or any other offensive or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Please report any inadequate posts to the editor. Comments must be in English. Thank you.
Chile did the same. It granted amnesty to former guerrillas. (Former Chile president Michelle Bachelet was likely a former guerrilla.) But it refused to extend the same benefits to former torturers from the dictatorship, even when the Catholic Church insisted it should do so. In no South American country former guerrillas who fought against the dictatorship are put to the same standard as the dictatorships lackeys and torturers. Why single Argentina out? Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay do the same. In all these countries there are a number of active politicians who have a history of combatting the military regimes, even through violent means. Uruguay President José Mujica is a former guerrilla; Dilma Rousseff too. Now, are there politicians with a proven history of torturing political dissidents under the dictatorships? I don't think so.
That the WSJ would write something like that, shouldn't surprise anyone. That journal is a household for wacko neocon, sometimes even racist, political reporting.
And by change belongs to News Corporation AKA Rupert Murdoch such a coincidence. Doesn’t it?
I just wonder if they have not George W. Bush, Otto Reich and Maggie T writing articles there.
Just the usual crap as the Economist, FT and co. Who cares any way?
Neocons strike again nothing new
Dictatorship is best for Argentina because they don't like/can't handle the truth.
Military just did what they must did ... Get clean our country of that kind of garbage and former president Bachetllet was one of them.... Ashame on her...and Allende was the same garbage that leadered the terrorit during his term.
But the history will judge them all.....
I just can send my congratulation to our Chilean Armed Forces that saved our country from this pest....
That was one hateful and incoherent comment!
I'm glad this gov. dares to free our nation from clarin and la nacion. Monopoly of liers, corrupts and blackmailers.
Since i'm not a kirchnerist i've enough capacity to clap when something good has just be done.
Your writings shows how smart and mental-healthy you do are.
An example of the mean british citizen?
13. However much you enjoy it, gorge, real people don't have the same tastes. Carry on by yourself!
Some grammar and writing mistakes here seem to be correlated with healthy beings (independent of citizenship), and the opposite keeps the correlation in the same sense.
PD: No problem if YOU don´t understand the argument, there is another correlation there!!!
Admittedly I disrupted a conversation and commented on a remark that was intended only as a joke, I did this for the benefit of those who like to portray Argentines as ignorant or as having some kind of character flaw because we don't always use proper grammar when writing in English.
Zethee was big enough to see my point, despite my obvious overflow of sarcasm and disdain, don't expect everyone else to do the same.
See posts 62 through 77
en.mercopress.com/2010/09/01/argentine-to-increase-budget-defence-50-recovering-losses-of-falklands-war
“All that's left of that marriage is the question of how to divide the spoils of power,” says Walger.“
”Walger's unflattering portrayal of Nestor Kirchner will thrill political opponents, who regard with horror his prospect of winning a second term in next year's elections. He is described in the book as “mean, petty, vengeful and envious”.
“One reason she goes on so many foreign trips, says Walger, is to scout for mansions for the couple's eventual retirement.”
“The Kirchners have certainly prospered. The 600% growth in their personal fortune, to almost 12 million USD, since 2003 has prompted allegations of corruption since their combined annual income as President and former president is only $157,000. Opposition leaders have accused the couple of using inside information to engage in currency speculation.
The Kirchners own a luxury hotel and other businesses in the Patagonian resort of El Calafate and, according to Walger, a former Peronist militant, they also have 19 houses and 14 flats.”
Oh what fun it is when the truth starts to come out.
We can now, hopefully, start to look for a more stable Argentine government who will be honest with its people and not make claims about territories outside its borders in order to divert the population's attention.
Outsiders will always regard it with contempt, investors will run away scared by the specter of totalitarianism.
If Ms. Kirchner's moves probe to be right in the end, whatever gain to Argentina arising from all this will come at a very high cost.
What I find most interesting is how there is always a way to blame outsiders as the cause of all problems.
Finding and honest president does not anything to do with our claim on the malvinas, if you dont like our claim, that's your problem, it's irrelevant for us.
Beside, we are not as moron as maybe you think that we are, the malvinas cause is not betwen our prioritys, it 's a fair and sad cause that we claim since many years ego, but our main issues are others, the government can take any strategy to divert our minds, but it does not mean that we are going to believe everything it says, dont you wonder why the did it loss last year the legislative elections?.
Regarding what that moron says in her book, (silvina walger), i wrotte a comment in the articule where she talks about her book, maybe you should read it, and know a little more about what that lady thinks.
JUSTIN: I answer you one of your comment a few weeks ego, but you didnt answer me.
Regarding the reason why any other argentine gov. haden't taken any action on papel prensa since 1983, it's because any of them didnt want to have such a powerfull corporation like clarin against their presidences, in fact, all of them since 1983 were the guarantees of the economic concentration of clarin and others.
If cristina takes actions now, it's because she does not ant clarin to keep on interfering in her decitions, it has allways done it with every president, including with her husband.
Crsitina can be a corrupt, arrogant, whatever, but she is not idiot, i agree absolutly on finding an equal prize for all the newspapers, because in this way there will be much more editions of all of them, even those that criticise strongly the gov.
I know that you think that the gov. wants to restrain critical press, and i respect your opinion, but i really that the critical press is restrained since many years ego.
Regarding the words of isidoro graiver, he declared 3 monthes ego to a newspaper that clarin and company had stolen papel prensa to hes family, now he changed hes arguments, only he knows why.
Word of advice, sonny. Try to learn to speak, write and type a proper language. Then you won't look like quite such a clown wherever you go.
Besides, I told you not to address me again. I tried to help you, as did others. I tried to treat you as an intellectual equal. Wasn't worth the effort.
Sorry mr harrier, i hope some say i deserve to debate with such a prestigious intellectual man like you, sorry if i type so fast and make mistakes, anyway you understand perfectly what i try to say.
Now i will say the truth, when some one like you who only sits on hes arrogance, and does not not even one solid argument to refute what some one says, the only one thing you can do, is insulting.
Keep on watching your navel my dear harrier, maybe in that way you can feel you are the best of the world, and if in some moment, you find any solid argument to refute what i say, i hope you adress to me, because i dont reject to discuss even with those who dont think like me, i am not the owner of the truth, and you neather, like it or not.
I'm not entirely sure why you brought up the Falklands on this thread. On the press I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I sincerely hope I'm wrong and you're right but I genuinely fear that Argentina is slipping down the path toward totalitarianism with the cult of personality surrounding the Kirchners.
Un abrazo
My reference to the malvinas cause, was in answer to one of harrier's comments.
Regarding the press, i can say that you are absolutly wrong, there is no more democratic measure than the bill that was sent to the congress, i really think that many people believes that only the state can censure the press, however most then dont say a word when a corporation owns most press, isen't it already a great restriction to the critical press, how is it in the u.k.?, does mr cameron's government allow the concentration of monopolys?, i already told you that the new broadcast law does not allow the concentration of monopolys, now clarin and others will have to sell their enterprizes, in the usa for example, if you own a newspaper, you can't own a cable chanel, and think it's fair, because every nation must promote free competence.
Anyway i dont think that the bill is going to be approved, because most leaders who belong to the oponent politic partys, declared that they are going to reject it, because it's much more convenient for them to support a hegemonic press wich has bad relation with the gov., because this kind of press, starting for clarin, supports all of them all the time as the alternative for next presidential elections, clarin knows very weel that all of them, will keep on being the guaratees of it's bussiness.
Beside you dont live here, you dont see and hear what we have to hear, this is why i affirm that your hipothesis of totalitarism is meaningless.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!