MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Latam Nobel Prize blames Peronism for Argentina’s “self destruction” addiction

Cristina Fernandez a “flagrant example” of the populist barbarization policies of Peronism said Vargas Llosa (Photo: EFE)

Literature Nobel Prize Mario Vargas Llosa blamed Peronism for the self-destruction which is leading Argentina to underdevelopment, poverty and populism, and compared the dominating political movement trajectory to that which took Adolf Hitler to power.

During a meeting with media representatives in the Canary Islands, the Peruvian writer argued that Latin America is going through one of its greatest moments in history relative to democracy, freedoms and prosperity.

He underlined there is no conflict between Latam and Spain, pointing out that there are exceptions such as ‘Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela’.

But the Nobel Prize focused his comments on the Argentine situation recalling that it was “a first world” country when “three quarters of Europe were under developed”; it was the first country to end with illiteracy and until mid century XX enjoyed an “enviable” prosperity.

But the dynamics was broken ‘tragically’ for Argentina and the Argentines with “no outside factor or situation” conspiring against its development, but simply because of the irruption of Peronism with policies that only lead to “poverty and the barbarization of the country”.

“The scourge is self imposed by the Argentines and is called Peronism. Well, it’s not the only case in history: the Germans had Hitler which was similar but at least they moved out”, said the controversial Peruvian writer.

“The tragedy of Argentina is that it has never been able to get out of that”.

Further on he regretted that nowadays Peronism covers almost the whole political spectrum of a country that until a few decades was an example of middle class, with a model education system and its great cultural level.

“Now we have Peronism which embodies the whole lot: extreme right, centre, centre left, extreme left, it’s democracy and terrorism, it’s demagoguery and senselessness, all together…that is Peronism” claimed Vargas Llosa.

He then described President Cristina Fernandez as a “flagrant example” of that “self-destructive vocation” in which Argentina has been trapped for years.

Regarding the dispute between Spain and Argentina following the seizure of YPF from Repsol, the Nobel Prize said it was not an isolated case: “an episode among too many others of policies entirety demagogic, entirely looking for short term effectiveness”.

But this is not only a problem of Spain with Argentina, “it’s a problem all Argentines in Argentina are suffering because of the senseless policies of Mrs Kirchner. This lady is fully involved in implementing a populist policy, totally demagogic and senseless which will harm above all the same Argentines”.