MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina “is a country cut in two”, cautions Uruguayan president

Mujica: “difficult relations” is no news, “that’s life in our corner of the world”

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica was critical of Argentina’s economic policies and of the recent organization for the funeral of former president Nestor Kirchner. He also admitted it would be “difficult” to reach a definitive agreement with Argentina regarding the long standing UPM-Botnia pulp mill conflict.

Mujica said it was “unthinkable” and “incredible” in Uruguayan political terms that opposition leaders or figures desisted from going to the wake of a former president (Nestor Kirchner) in Government House (Casa Rosada) following on an alleged “official suggestion”, and warned that unfortunately Argentina “is a country cut in two”.

“Banning members of government from going to the wake of a former president is too much”, underlined Mujica referring to the organization of the funeral. Mujica as most other regional leaders flew to Buenos Aires to pay their respects to the widow President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Interviewed by a Montevideo weekly Mujica said that “we can’t change that scenario, a country split in two but we must keep improving ours; it was an incredible wake ceremony”.

Further on Mujica said he was well aware and understood and sided with former Uruguayan president, Jorge Batlle who in 2002 made that famous remark: “the Argentines are a bunch of thieves, from A to Z”.

“The serious thing was to have said it and that it was recorded; he should of have thought about it first” said Mujica who nevertheless admitted that relations with Argentina are going to “be difficult” because of the pulp-mills issue and the environmental controls.

“We must be aware that one thing is the fanatic attitude of the Gualeguaychú assembly protestors, and another that the environment issue and conversation is here and won’t be leaving, it’s part of the world’s new culture”, he underlined.

“Sure I know negotiations with the Argentines are going to be difficult; you can bet on that and I’ve known it for quite some time. That’s no news, that’s life in our corner of the world”.

Finally regarding some economic policy proposals from members of the ruling coalition that he leads, more specifically from the Communist party, and similar to those of Argentina such as implementing duties on agriculture exports, Mujica defended his economic team with a clear implicit criticism of the current model applied by his peer Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

“Every thing is nice and fine with that proposal, but there are things which they don’t include: do they want a foreign exchange policy like Argentina’s with an inflated US dollar and a ferocious protectionism of local manufacturing? Are we going to head that way? Will that work here in Uruguay? Maybe if we do so, the only thing we’ll achieve it to further fatten the State and bureaucracy, which in Uruguay is not efficient, it does not work properly”, emphasized the Uruguayan president.

Mujica said that Uruguay and Argentina are “very different” and recalled that when the 2001/2002 political and financial crisis people in the streets in Argentina were yelling “all (politicians) must go, out with them”, which he added “for us that is a bit non understandable”. For Uruguay the exit of the crisis “was quite invigorating”.