MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cristina Fernandez cancels trip to neighbouring Paraguay on medical advice

Low blood pressure and high organized labour pressure are exhausting the Argentine president

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner following medical advice was absent on Saturday from Paraguay’ official celebrations for the Bicentenary of the country’s independence. She was represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Héctor Timerman.

Presidential representative, Alfredo Scoccimarro communicated a message from the Presidential Medical Unit signed by doctors Marcelo Ballestero and Daniel Fernández, expressing that due to the present climate conditions in the Paraguayan capital Asunción, it would be unwise of the President to travel.

Fernández de Kirchner was supposed to take off from the military sector of Buenos Aires Metropolitan airport, boarding a T-01 plane, arriving at 12.30PM to Paraguay’s “Silvo Pettirossi” airport, according to official sources.

According to Argentine government sources the president suffered a bout of low pressure Thursday night and was a ‘bit depressed’ most of Friday, although late in the evening she begun ‘to stabilize’.

“The President was a bit down, blood pressure was low not abnormally low, but now she’s much better. She’s very tired and doctors ordered her to rest. The humid climate of Asunción with 30 degrees and low pressure wouldn’t have helped”, added the sources.

The cancelling of the trip on medical advice happened following President Cristina Fernandez threat to step down from re-election given the constant labour pressure which is endangering “social peace and governance”.

On Thursday Mrs Kirchner said she ‘wasn’t dying to be president again. I’ve given all I have to give. They won’t chase me” and immediately added “I’m making a tremendous personal and physical effort to keep going”.

Apparently late that evening she suffered the minor decompensation.

This is not the first time that the Argentine president is forced to cancel a trip because of medical reasons. The last time was April 12 when she was supposed to travel to Mexico and last Monday the president suspended all activities and remained an additional day in her family residence in El Calafate, Patagonia.

“Low blood pressure and high pressure from the organized labour movement are exhausting the president” said Argentine opposition sources.

In Asunción Timerman and other Argentine officials watched the end of the military parade which took place along Asunción central Avenue Marical López. At mid day Saturday Lugo held a special lunch at the Presidential residence, at which Bolivia's President Evo Morales and Uruguay's President José Mujica were present.

Presidents Morales and Mujica arrived Saturday morning to Asunción to accompany Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo in the celebrations, where government representatives from 41 countries around the world are participating.

Another major absence from Paraguay’s celebrations was Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, still recovering from a case of pneumonia, according to the official medical report from Planalto Palace, seat of the Executive.