MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US suggestions for Mr. Kirchner

Untied States has suggested to Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, who provided a warm welcome to Fidel Castro last May and more recently to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, that his administration reconsider the country's relative uncritical position towards Cuba.

Washington hopes Argentina "can adopt a position of leadership in the defence of human rights in Cuba", said Cuban born US Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega.

The Bush administration top diplomat for Latin American affairs met in Buenos Aires with Kirchner and other senior officials during a recent tour of several South American countries last week.

"We want to continue a discreet dialogue with the Argentine government and its representative in the Organization of American States concerning how we can work together to find a constructive way to prepare for the transition following the dictatorship in Cuba", Mr. Noriega was quoted in reports published in the Buenos Aires press. "It's a matter of conscience and we can't force decisions concerning this issue", added Mr. Noriega.

Argentina this year abstained during the United Nations Human Rights Commission vote on Cuba reversing the position it held during the nineties. Under former presidents Carlos Menem and caretaker Eduardo Duhalde, Argentina voted for resolutions critical of the lack of basic rights under Castro's regime.

Mr. Noriega said the current Kirchner administration must ask itself "what this vote meant about its own values and if the Castro regime deserves the Argentines benefit of the doubt". Fidel Castro received a particularly warm welcome when he was present at President Kirchner's inauguration last May 25. Besides the current Foreign Affairs Secretary has made it quiet plain and repeatedly that Buenos Aires does not seek "carnal" relations with Washington, as they were described by Mr. Menem's former Foreign Secretary, Guido Di Tella.

Washington is also concerned about the recent visit of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, a popular personality in Argentina, who while in Buenos Aires openly preached in favour of rejecting the foreign debt and the US sponsored Free Trade Association of the Americas, and proposed the creation of a common South American government oil and gas company.

Mr. Noriega also insisted in a recurrent observation about the Argentine economy. President Kirchner should "define and better explain" his plan to relaunch the Argentine economy and rebuild its battered finances and banking system.

Buenos Aires press quoted Mr. Noriega saying economic plans "must be more predictable", but at the same time confirmed Washington's support for Argentina in its crucial negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, IMF.

"Favourable conditions to reach an agreement exist, but a successful outcome depends on the Argentine officials", underlined Mr. Noriega.

Argentina is negotiating a three years agreement with the IMF and must have the deal closed before September 9 when the country is scheduled to re-pay a considerable credit, for which Argentine officials have anticipated they lack the sufficient funds. Furthermore Argentina still must reach an understanding with the holders of the December 2001 defaulted sovereign bonds and equivalent to approximately 80 billion US dollars.

Argentine Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna in a recent visit to address Italian businessmen and officials was also forced to publicly explain why a rich country with so many resources has to look "with certain admiration towards countries such as Cuba and Venezuela whose economies are in shambles".

Mr. Lavagna replied that is was basically because "the neo-liberal program of the nineties became a great frustration, and condemned over half of the Argentine population to poverty".