MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine top lawmaker admits having his savings in dollars “and I won’t sell them”

“I save in dollars because I feel like it”, said Senator Anibal Fernandez

A top Argentine lawmaker came on stage (and lost his temper) when he had to explain why his savings are in dollars after the government of President Cristina Fernandez, including him personally, launched not only strong restriction policies on dollar purchases, but told the population to forget about dollars and start thinking in pesos.

“I save in dollars because I feel like it”, said Argentine Senator, former Cabinet chief and the most vocal supporter of the current government restriction to purchase US dollars.

Hypocrisy has turned once again into the trending topic of the Argentine political agenda after Senator Fernández contradictory comments came along in a moment in which many high-ranked officials including Cabinet Chief Juan Manuel Abal Medina emphasized their support to the government’s latest measures to avoid the access to dollars, and blasted the “Argentine obsessive-compulsive mania of thinking in dollars”.

During early Thursday radio interviews Senator Fernández responded categorically to the journalists who asked him why he had chosen to save in dollars as it is stated in his last affidavit issued to the AFIP tax revenue agency.

“Why do you care? That’s none of your business. Back then dollars purchases were open and I bought them legally.”

Asked once again why he did pick dollars over Pesos, and if he would sell his dollars to collect Pesos as he’s been recommending, the Senator exploded:

“First of all, I bought dollars because I felt like it. Didn’t you listen what I just said? It’s my money and my right to do whatever I want with my money”.

“And second of all, please do not ask me to do things that only a stupid person would do. I’m not stupid. I’m just a regular guy who made some money. I will neither sell my dollars at the official exchange rate nor at the black market price. Leave them [dollars] where they are as they are well kept.”

The very same Senator, warned two days ago that Argentina “should forget about the dollar and better start thinking in Pesos”, after explaining that “only 11% of the population have their savings in dollars. Plus, the dollar is only printed in the US: we don’t have the green-maker.”

Likewise, Senator Fernández had warned that dollars “should be preserved for things that really matter in times in which the country is growing, like imports of key products needed for the manufacturing of some other locally manufactured products.”

To conclude the contradictory and incoherent speech, the former Cabinet Chief bashed those “who are constantly promoting to save in dollars”, and concluded, “Saving in dollars is not a good way to keep personal savings.”

According to Senator Fernandez affidavit to AFIP, he holds 31.4% of his financial assets in US dollars (96.000). Likewise Interior minister Florencio Randazzo, has 22.20% in dollars, (8.000); Vice president Amado Boudou declared 582.400 dollars which represents 93% of assets; Alicia Kirchner, sister in law of President Cristina Fernandez, 64.000 dollars, or 65.98% of assets; Foreign minister Hector Timerman declared holdings of 1.28 million dollars equivalent to 89.34% and Julio De Vido, the Federal Planning minister, 220.240 dollars which represent 63.70% of his financial assets.