MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine leader tempts farm chiefs to join politics

Former president Duhalde

Former Argentina president Eduardo Duhalde has called on the leaders of Argentina's farm rebellion to engage actively in politics, urging them to participate in government and congressional posts. Farm protests should not fade away, he said.

Duhalde said over the weekend that Argentine farm leaders "must organize themselves and participate in politics". However Eduardo Buzzi one of the leaders of the successful protest against higher export taxes told reporters that he did not intend to take part in politics this year. Duhalde met with almost 30 farming representatives in the city of Rosario, Santa Fe province, (considered the soy capital of Argentina). "We have to encourage the participation of producers in future governments and in the legislative Upper and Lower Houses". Since March 11, farmers have been involved in a major dispute with the government over an increase in grain export duties which was later reverted. Following months of conflict, including many protests, road blockades, massive rallies, and export grain sales boycotts, a bill sent by the government was rejected by Congress two months ago. Duhalde said: "the farmers' conflict was a warning but, the thing is, it shouldn't be like a volcano which hits you at first, and then slowly fades away. To keep itself from dying, the volcano has to organize itself and I am going to give my support to this process". He added that "farmers were angry because they had not been understood and they felt perplexed by the attitude of the governors who wouldn't stand up to the (federal) government and the duty hike, which was worsening the provinces' situation". A few weeks ago, the provincial government of Santa Fe sent to the province's legislature an initiative to increase land taxation based on farm income. But farm leader Buzzi urged Santa Fe lawmakers not to approve the measure. "The proposal "was made without consulting any economic sector, reaffirming a harsh government's measure that farmers nationwide have already spoken out against". But another farm leader Sergio Barchetta from the Argentine Agrarian Federation said that "we believe it's important to reach a consensus with the movement headed by Duhalde. Between farm producers and other productive sectors we can share this project to participate in politics". Former caretaker president Duhalde, selected, sponsored and helped the Kirchner couple (an obscure governor from one of Argentina's least populated provinces) in 2003 to become president. However a year later they dumped Duhalde who since then had been waiting for the opportunity to plan his comeback. The fatigue of the current unorthodox Argentine economic model (based on heavily taxing windfall earnings from commodities and primary budget surpluses) has triggered inflation, business mistrust and debilitated the Kirchners exposing them to the many political mistakes committed during their five years of highly centralized and arrogant rule.