MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine officials attitude “boosting” farmers Sunday's rally

On Sunday farmers expect 200.000 people protest at the Flag Monument

The Argentine government attitude towards camp has given farmers scheduled Sunday rally in the city of Rosario “its greatest boost” and “they will have to expand the city to get all the people in” said farmers'leaders.

Friday's meeting between farmers representatives and government officials to address camp's grievances particularly the controversial sliding export levies which triggered the 75 day conflict, ended abruptly when cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez called a press conference and announced the tax chapter "would be considered next Monday", after the week end rally. "The meeting was disappointing, they let us down on purpose, they were looking for it", said Hugo Biolcati vice president of the Argentine Rural Society one of the four organizations behind the farmers' protest. "What they are doing is boosting the May 25 rally in an incredible way" he added saying "they will have to expand the city so we can all fit in". Argentine farmers at the beginning of the month in the midst of the strike announced a massive rally for May 25, national day in Argentina, in the city of Rosario, --1.5 million people --, the country's second and seat of the grain and oil seed export markets. The rally will take place in a huge open space next to the Monument to the Flag and all participants have been invited to come along with flags or pins with Argentina's colors. Biolcati said it was evident there "won't be a Monday" because of the government's procrastination attitude and "because we might not turn up since there are no chances for a rational, civilized dialogue". Apparently and according to the farm leaders at the meeting, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner administration interprets the Sunday rally in Rosario as "an aggression". "The cabinet chief told us we will continue talking on Monday. But we need guarantees that the issue of the sliding export levies won't be again and unnecessarily delayed", said Luciano Migunes, president of the Rural Society. Eduardo Buzzi from the Agrarian Federation warned that Friday's failure to advance will have a direct impact on Sunday. "If we had advanced on the export tax issue the whole tone of the Sunday rally would have been completely festive and the coronation of a process of understanding. But now it's going to be entirely different", he warned. Buzzi said that the government "firstly argued that the strike was impeding dialogue, then that farmers where out in the routes protesting and now it is Sunday May 25th rally; who knows what's going on in their heads". Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez made some ironic comments of Friday's meeting. "They came in saying it was necessary they leave the dialogue table with some solution; so I ask myself if they were in such a hurry for some solution why did they spend 16 days without talking to us". A similar attitude was adopted by former President Nestor Kirchner now chairman of the ruling Justicialista party. Speaking at a political rally in northern Argentina he said the opinion polls showing President Cristina Fernandez popularity had plummeted "were fake; they are not going to scare us with those dirty pieces of paper". He then added that "we're going to again win the elections in 2009 and 2011, your can count on that". Meantime is was revealed that the camp will be launching massive media campaign in support of their claims and denying that "inflation and shortages" are farmers' responsibility. "With the current farm policies we all loose, Argentina, consumers and farmers. We are waiting for a solution", says one of the television spots.