MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Government organizing massive display in support of President Cristina Fernandez

CFK will lead the massive celebration

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez will be leading on Friday a massive demonstration of support in a Buenos Aires stadium in the midst of an international controversy over the seizure of 51% of YPF from Spain’s oil conglomerate Repsol.

Several organizations headed by Maximo Kirchner (CFK’s son) La Campora have confirmed attendance to the political rally which will mobilize the political machinery of the powerful ruling Peronist movement that has dominated Argentine politics for the last seven decades.

Militant followers of Cristina Fernandez plus governors, ministers, members of congress, mayors, councillors and political organizations will be present in support of the president who is keen in showing her political strength in the midst of the YPF nationalization discussions. YPF is Argentina’s largest corporation.

“It will be a great festivity: we reformed the charter of the Central bank and nationalized YPF in four months. There is much to celebrate and to show Cristina that we are firmly behind her leadership and transformation of the country”, said cabinet chief Juan Manuel Abal Medina.

After the approval by the Senate of the YPF bill, the Lower House is debating the initiative which should be ready for President Cristina Fernandez to stamp her signature sometime next week.

The nationalization has meant diplomatic and trade clashes with Spain and the European Union, plus calls for adequate compensation of the expropriation, which Argentina does not seem very enthusiastic about.

The image of the government had fallen dramatically lately following a major train accident in Buenos Aires which killed 51 and injured over 700, unveiling the dreadful condition of the privatized trains system forced to function with subsidized tickets and regulators not performing their tasks.

Furthermore an influence peddling case directly involving the Vice president Amado Boudou and his attempts to take over the country’s leading money printing company had also surfaced with yet another corruption incident next to the president.

“The rally is to celebrate the nine years since we Argentines initiated a new path when former president Nestor Kirchner (husband of CFK) came to put an end to decades of neo-liberalism, hunger and poverty”, added Abal Median.

The Friday celebration coincides with the first round of presidential election back in 2003 in which Nestor Kirchner obtained an honourable second place behind former president Carlos Menem who never turned out for the run off.

It will be also the first huge political meeting of the year since Cristina Fernandez took office for the second time last December having won the October election by 54% of the vote and a huge margin over her runner up.

The Friday rally follows on Thursday’s show of force by organized labour Chief Hugo Moyano, a close ally of the Kirchner couple but who has been taking distance, from before the latest presidential election.

Moyano a former teamsters’ boss and who now runs the powerful CGT unions’ organization talked about his chances of being re-elected as head of the CGT in the midst of an ongoing battle with the Cristina Fernandez Government as well as several factions who are questioning his leadership and want to oust him.

In front of 30.000 workers, Moyano said that the fact that he makes the government nervous “is a good signal to continue in charge of the CGT”, and warned, “I will die being the workers' candidate and not the candidate of whoever is in power”.

During his speech he also reiterated the claim for a hike of the income tax revenue minimum and an update of family allowances, among other issues.