MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Neighbor's opinion of Kirchner

According to the latest Argentine opinion polls, Governor Nestor Kirchner from the Justicialista Party is the leading candidate for the coming April presidential election, ahead of former president Carlos Menem and former Governor Adolfo Rodríguez Sáa.

Mr. Kirchner recently reached an agreement with caretaker president Eduardo Duhalde, who has a strong backing in the province of Buenos Aires, a decisive constituency in any Argentine election, and has since seen his public standing constantly grow.

But what do Chileans in Magallanes think about Mr. Kirchner, who after all has been their neighbor for the last sixteen years since he was first elected mayor of Rio Gallegos in 1987 and in 1991 governor of Santa Cruz province, turning the province into what is known as "Kirchner's turf".

Besides, his attractive solicitor wife is also one of the province's two representatives in the federal Senate in Buenos Aires.

According to La Prensa Austral, Mr. Kirchner has had some "anti Chilean" attitudes, preferring competition to integration between Magallanes and Santa Cruz, and has held strong nationalistic stances regarding border claims. However the fact that "his mother is Chilean might demand from Mr. Kirchner a more nationalistic stance", states Prensa Austral.

But this should not diminish the fact that belonging to a "marginal province" (200,000 population), Mr. Kirchner might become elected president of 36 million Argentines.

Since 1991 Mr. Kirchner has been sitting in Government House reforming the provincial constitution to ensure his continuity, but with over 50% of the vote in each occasion. However Santa Cruz is also one of the best managed provinces of Argentina and considerably rich: oil, fisheries, tourism.

"His standing rests on the fact he rules an almost non populated province and very rich; in the inability of his political opponents that he has managed to neutralize; in his influence over the Judiciary and the press, and the fact that the majority of the population is dependant on provincial funds: in Santa Cruz you're a civil servant or on welfare, and therefore dissent can mean expulsion from the government payroll and ?ruin".

Social indicators in Santa Cruz are positive and the overall situation attracts immigrants.

Apparently and is spite of the vicinity, the last time Mr. Kirchner officially visited Magallanes was when the 1992 summit between then presidents Carlos Menem and Patricio Aylwin.