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UK and US media blast the Kirchners for attempting “to lock-hold the press”

Wednesday, September 1st 2010 - 02:44 UTC
Full article 24 comments
Mrs Kirchner “black-art” tactics to control supply of newsprint  Mrs Kirchner “black-art” tactics to control supply of newsprint

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.
 

Categories: Politics, Argentina.

Top Comments

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  • avargas2001

    aren't this two news papers the same papers that failed to report the 30.000 disapered Argentine's in the 70's ?? and why on earth will Argentine's have any sympathy for them ?? maybe wall street will want buy them and take them to USA, and put their money where their moth is, I just think this is lots of hot air coming from the UK and USA, aren't this two nations the same people who murdered 1000's of Muslims and just finish a war agaist Iraq killing president Saddam Hussain and planting 100's of terrorits where there was none before ? I say we stop listening to listening to their BS.

    Sep 01st, 2010 - 03:22 am 0
  • Forgetit87

    “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””

    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.

    Sep 01st, 2010 - 04:25 am 0
  • NicoDin

    The Wall Street Journal was helping the Vulture hedge funds in to put pressure on Argentina and the international financial community.

    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

    Sep 01st, 2010 - 07:56 am 0
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