MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Moyano cools down, says publicly he’s “tamer than Lassie on a leash”

The powerful organized labour leader is now “a disciplined man”

Argentina’s organized labour leader Hugo Moyano described his relation with the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as “excellent” and blamed the press for all the stories of alleged clashes over political differences with the government.

“I’m not fighting with anybody, it’s the press that has me clashing with everybody: I’m tamer than Lassie on a leash”, said Moyano on Friday during the inauguration of a training school for truckers. “My relations with the government are excellent”.

Moyano’s words have been interpreted as a friendly gesture towards President Cristina Kirchner who publicly called on more than an occasion for an end to “extortion and blackmails” with street and unions’ protests.

Earlier in the week another powerful union leader head of the Judicial branch employees Julio Piumato showed himself next to the President during the inauguration of the Bicentennial museum (May 25) which was on national television.

Moyano also announced he would give his full support for the Kirchner team that will be disputing the mayor’s seat for the City of Buenos Aires, Senator Filmus and Minister Tomada, in spite of the fact that he openly backed Economy minister Amado Boudou for the job.

”We are going to support them. I supported Boudou but that’s over…we are disciplined” said Moyano when asked about the recent decision from President Cristina Kirchner in favour of the Filmus-Tomada ticket.

He was then asked if he would request Cristina Fernandez to take Boudou as her Vice-president candidate in the event of her re-election bid for the coming October 23 general elections.

“I don’t decide that, whether I like it or not, it’s not up to me to decide” replied Moyano who insisted before leaving that his relation with Cristina Fernandez was “good”.

The inauguration of the school belonging to the teamsters union under absolute control of Moyano’s son Pablo, convened several ministers and union leaders among which the Federal Development minister Julio De Vido; Economy minister Amado Boudou; Transport minister Juan Pablo Schiavi, union leader Julio Piumanto and lawmaker and Moyano’s legal advisor Hector Recalde, the man the powerful leader of organized labour has been promoting as the best man for the ticket with Cristina Fernandez, which also motivated several serious exchanges with the Argentine president.