MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

After muscle display, Kirchners and farmers seem ready to talk

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner during her speech

A huge political rally set up by the Argentine government with the support of friendly organizations in the heart of Buenos Aires was the Tuesday stage for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to accuse striking farmers of cutting food supplies to cities and rekindling ghosts of the recent past.

Mrs. Kirchner addressed a huge crowd of over 100.000 supporters who packed the historic Plaza de Mayo to cheer, beat drums and shake flags, her fourth open speech to farmers who are on their twentieth day of strike, --and strategic road blocking--, to protest sliding export taxes on grains, oil seeds and beef that in the case of soy beans can be as high as 44%. The president's speech on the one hand called on farmers to clear road blocks so food could reach consumers and inputs to industry, but at the same time accused them of bringing back terrible memories of recent Argentine years when similar lock outs led to the collapse of elected governments which were replaced by some of the most blood thirsty regimes in history. "I want to thank this multitude presence of the Argentine people that have come not to defend a political color or sector. I'm grateful to thousands and thousands of Argentine who have come out to defend their country", she said from a stage in front of Government House packed with cabinet ministers, governors, high officials and her husband Nestor Kirchner. Precisely the rally was organized by Mr. Kirchner who had thousands of supporters from the government electoral turf in metropolitan Buenos Aires bused to Plaza de Mayo plus the usual food and drink for this type of occasions which are part of the Argentine political tradition. Mrs. Kirchner played on the fact that she has only been in office a hundred days and that she's a woman and no "Argentine government has ever been so insulted or abused with such foul language". "Apparently the two sins I've committed is being democratically elected by a majority of Argentines, and being a woman", she said. However with twenty days of no commercial activity on their backs and the imminence of summer crops harvest, the strength of the farmers strike had begun to dwindle in several parts of Argentina even before her speech. The four organizations behind the protest seem intent to a truce, (--which is expected to be formally announced later on Wednesday--) after having showed during almost three weeks that the Kirchners' political and economic model is extremely fragile. And even when they have not been able to set back the clock to March 11, when the levies were announced, the government has promised several measures and possibly most significant is open to continue talking about farm policy although insisting on its redistribution policies based on grain and seed oil windfall export taxes. "We realize our people need a rest after three weeks of protests and we must also give dialogue a chance", said Fernando Gioino, head of the Inter-cooperative agriculture confederation, one of the organizations behind the protest. The three week conflict also showed an arrogant Mrs Kirchner tone down her speech and change the weight of her accusations to calling and pleading on farmers to clear road blocks. Her husband was also forced to organize Tuesday's rally to prove that the Kirchners dominate the "streets", which at the peak of the conflict had been taken over by spontaneous city protestors pot-banging to express support for farmers and complain domestic grievances. The first attempt to abort street protests last week had to be cancelled when pro Kirchner pickets in the best style of brown shirts bullied, beat and chased peaceful demonstrators. Furthermore the all powerful teamsters union and a staunch ally of the Kirchners was also unable to break the back of the protest because truck drivers sided with their clients and friends, the farmers. But given the violent recent and past history of Argentina it must be underlined that the three weeks conflict which virtually paralyzed the country with 400 roadblocks, experienced no bloodshed and the few times public forces intervened they did so unarmed.