MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Preparing the ground for Maximo Kirchner to occupy the front stage

Maximo increasingly playing a political role sponsored by mother Cristina

The idea of having another Kirchner running for office has emerged strongly following last Friday’s mass rally in support of President Cristina Fernandez and her policy of expropriating Argentina’s leading corporation, YPF.

Maximo Kirchner, the son of Cristina Fernandez managed to show the strength of his grouping La Campora by turning up with an estimated 20.000 militants out of the 55/60.000 that showed out to the rally in a fully packed Buenos Aires stadium.

Furthermore contrary to previous demonstrations when Maximo avoided the cameras and preferred the back stage, this time he was in the front lines of the stage mounted in support of his mother, next to cabinet ministers and lawmakers, closely following events and in attitudes with crossed arms which for many reminded his late father and president Nestor Kirchner.

“Máximo was brought up in a house where politics was an everyday thing, and he shares that commitment and conviction. He’s an intelligent member, very sensible and has shown great solidarity”, said Kirchnerite lawmaker Fernando Navarro.

“People have eyes fixed on him because he is committed to leading a growing youth movement and he is the son of Kirchner and Cristina. He is ready to run for the Lower House in representation of Santa Cruz in 2013. It can happen it’s up to him”, added Navarro who said that the irruption of so many youths into politics, be it through La Campora or other groupings “means democracy in Argentina is consolidating”.

“Political parties are in crisis, they are not complying with their task of linking, mediating between government and society and the communities. So this reconstruction of the political web is essential to impede the destruction of the state and its areas of influence, both strategic and non strategic”, said Navarro.

“The boys and organization such as Maximo’s understand this much better than we, the older generations, do”.

“Maximo has shown ‘militant muscle’ and is fully dedicated to enhance the legacy of his father and the achievements of these governments. He is an outstanding member of this new generation of youngsters committed to politics”, underlined the lawmaker.

“He’s adapting the political process to the ‘fine tuning’ his mother Cristina has been asking from all of us in different fields. United and organized, was the motto of the Velez stadium rally and it was a great success. Maximo did an excellent job”, continued Navarro who insisted the son of the president is ready to take a bench in Congress, “he’s certainly earned it; he’s mature and has an excellent instinct for politics, but who knows, it’s up to him”

Since the death of his father Maximo has been seen next to his mother Cristina at difficult moments and belongs to be inner circle of advisors where major decisions are taken. Members of his youth movement already have a few members in Congress and occupy decision making posts in re-nationalized Aerolineas Argentina and in the Argentine government news agency.

The Kirchners strategy has been to increasingly remove and replace the old guard of the Peronist movement and unions that has dominated Argentine politics for decades with young adherents more faithful to the “Ks” than to the icons of the past.