MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina “surprised” US intelligence gathering was done by diplomatic channels

Former cabinet chief Massa described the late Kirchner as a “psychopath” and said Cristina Kirchner “followed orders”

In what is considered to be the first official statement by the Argentine government in the Wikileaks scandal, Argentine ambassador to the UN Jorge Argüello said on Tuesday that the released documents “are a delicate matter that will put the US at least in an embarrassing position.”

Argüello said he was “surprised” not because he didn't think that intelligence operations were taking place, but because they were gathered through a diplomatic channel.

“This very is surprising” he said after being asked about the alleged accusations that the US had conducted intelligence-gathering operations at the UN headquarters.

“We should read the content of the cables that still have not been released in order to see if any controversial activities took place,” he explained. Ambassador Argüello said that most of the information hadn't made public yet.

“I'm not being pressured about the cables in which our country is being mentioned,” he clarified, although he acknowledged that it was a “grave, serious situation.”

”So far (the US government) has not denied the veracity of any of the documents,” he concluded.

Meantime the Spanish newspaper El País published new diplomatic cables released by the WikiLeaks organization which state harsh criticisms of former Cabinet Chiefs to the ‘Kirchner First Couple’.

According to the cables the mayor from the city of Tigre assured that the one who runs the Argentine government was (former president) Néstor Kirchner and that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner “followed orders.”

The cable states that during November 2009, Tigre Mayor Sergio Massa and his wife, Malena Galmarini participated of a dinner in which he revealed details about working with late former President and said he was a “psychopath,” a “monster,” whose “bully approach” to politics shows his sense of inferiority. He also considered that the President (Cristina Fernandez) “would be better off without him.”

According to US ambassador in Argentina, Vilma Martínez, Massa's wife “told him repeatedly to lower his voice,” El País states.

The Spaniard publication also stated that the ex Cabinet Chief considered that the Kirchner couple “did not have the chance to win the 2011 presidential election”.

El Pais reports that according to cables, another former Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernández “also blasted the Kirchners, although he was discrete”.

“He assured that Néstor Kirchner had a better competence reputation than his wife, but he could not win the 2011 presidential election,” stated the cable according to El País.

Asked to comment on the cables the former Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernández, denied that he had had conversations with the current US Ambassador to Argentina, Vilma Martínez, but did not reject the documents released by WikiLeaks organization and published by the Spanish newspaper, El País.

“What they published are public declarations; those are not things I went to the embassy to say” Fernández assured.

According to the cable, Fernández “blasted the Kirchner, although he was discrete. He assured that Néstor Kirchner had a better competence reputation than his wife, but he could not win the 2011 presidential election”. (BAH).-