MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mrs. Kirchner blames opposition and the press for social unrest feeling

The Argentine press looking for someone to blame

In the midst of growing social unrest which has taken to the streets of Buenos Aires to protest, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said Monday that she believes in order, in organization, but not through repression.

“I believe in organization, in order, I am an organized person, but I do not believe in repression,” said the President, and she warned that there “are some things that are called to our attention just when we are beginning to talk about things like universal child allowance.”

Mrs. Kirchner led a rally at Government House, where Buenos Aires Province mayors were present, along with Buenos Aires City Mayor Mauricio Macri, Buenos Aires Governor Daniel Scioli, and Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo, along with Social Development Minister Alicia Kirchner.

“The day that we announced the project for political reform, a group of people formed roadblocks on the main highways, and I am in favour of being able to protest on the streets, but not if this compromises the rights of others. That is why we must separate the weeds from the crop,” she said.

The President added that this is why, “when we see that these things begin to worsen, they get out of control and people create a feeling that is not realistic within our society, and it is necessary for us to reorganize ourselves and look for solutions”

”Anyone who takes on political tasks has a right to dream about becoming President of Argentina, but they have to know that this is done through an election process that occurs every four years, and with the votes of the citizens,“ she said.

“But we need to practice humbleness, serenity, calm to be able to solve the problems of the most vulnerable Argentines. For this action is needed, not speeches or good intentions; that’s what politics is about”, continued Cristina Kirchner.

During recent weeks jobless organizations pickets have marched downtown Buenos Aires causing chaos in the city’s traffic and then they camped overnight in the world’s widest avenue, 9 de Julio. The underground workers are also in conflict because of a serious dispute among unions and have left passengers repeatedly stranded.

Teamsters, close allies of the Kirchner couple, have blocked several days running the distribution of Buenos Aires main dailies, La Nacion and Clarin, demanding local truckers join the union and that only unionized street vendors and kiosks can sell newspapers and magazines.

The Argentine government has simply ignored the conflict since the Kirchner couple wants to debilitate what they call the “big press” which represent “large corporations” and above all because they can’t control and accuse them of creating an “overall feeling of insecurity”.

Precisely on the issue Mrs. Kirchner asked from those who inform “not to create a feeling that does not exist,” saying that “the stories are not always the same, they are not repeated monotonously.”

”Sometimes, situations are blown out of proportion due to the feeling that interests have been compromised, and it would be good for these kinds of things, which cost this nation quite a bit (in terms of lives, not in economic terms), to desist,“ she said.

Finally, the President said that ”the universal child allowance will allow for everyone to be treated justly, and this will apply to the sectors with fewer resources, who need it urgently”.