MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Following public uproar, the Timerman family will celebrate the marriage in Buenos Aires

Jordana said her marriage would not take place in Uruguay (Photo Perfil)

Finally the Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman family decided not to celebrate the marriage of their eldest daughter Jordana in Uruguay’s most exclusive resort but rather in Buenos Aires.

Exposure of the event and public opinion uproar to the anticipated display of US dollars the three days festivity with 300 guests dollars would represent, precisely when the government of President Cristina Fernandez is strictly limiting dollar purchases and savings, and encouraging Argentines not to travel abroad but spend their holidays in the country, was the detonator.

Apparently Jordana e-mailed Clarin in Buenos Aires one of several media to break the news, saying her marriage would not take place in the exclusive resort of Jose Ignacio as had been announced but in Buenos Aires.

“As soon as we know the place and the date, we’ll let you so you can make your trip arrangements and accompany us”, said Jordana (29), who added that the same e-mail was sent to the 300 guests invited to her Weekend Wedding with Martin Levinton (32) on March 2. 

The mother of the bride, Anabel Sielecki also contacted the Jose Ignacio facilities of “La Huella’, a famous chick restaurant and ball-room on the beach, where the “Ceremony & Party” was to he held, to cancel the contract.

The Timerman family was going ahead with the event in spite of the fact that Argentina’s head of the tax office, AFIP, Roberto Echegaray had launched an aggressive campaign for Argentines to spend their holidays in the country plus the fact that all purchases with credit and debit cards would have to pay an additional levy of 15%.

It is also non written policy of most Argentine governments, including that of Nestor Kirchner, that no cabinet ministers should spend vacations in Punta del Este, Uruguay’s top Atlantic resort of the ‘rich and famous’ to avoid political backlash and bad PPRR.

The invitations had been sent via e-mail to avoid a copy reaching the media, and not even the complete names figured, just “Jordi&Martin”, in The New Yorker calligraphy, plus on the reverse a list of suggestions where guests could stay for the three day celebration that ended on Sunday with a brunch. The hostels and boutique hotels suggested ranged from 120 to 480 dollars per night per person, depending on the number of occupants.

Jordana, the eldest of two daughters, has a BA from Tufts University in the US and a Philosophy and Public Policies Master from the London School of Economics. She currently works as an advisor to the Argentine Secretary of Transport (since Augusts 2011). Her younger sister is Amanda.

Mrs Timerman belongs to a very rich Argentine Jewish family. The first Sielecki to arrive in Argentina, following the Soviet revolution, came from Poland where the family owned a chain of pharmacies. In Argentina he started a pharmaceutical lab, Phoenix which among other things was the first to introduce penicillin and the polio vaccine in Argentina. The family also had interests in the Petroquímica Cuyo; the construction company AREC together with US investors; a majority stake in South Water that distributes drinking water in several Argentine provinces plus the representation of Parke Davis, Elea and Dexter in Argentina.

The father of Anabel, Manuel Sielecki was a distinguished personality from the Jewish community both as a businessman and as a sponsor of the arts, died in 1998. The family in 2010 sold the laboratory in 250 million dollars.

The Timerman-Sielecki visit regularly Jose Ignacio and are friends of the La Huella owners.

Before the news of the cancelling of the wedding in Jose Ignacio became public, the Uruguayan media asked ministers following Monday’s cabinet meeting, about the Timerman event and his daughter’s marriage.

Cabinet chief Alberto Brescia said the cabinet “does not have time to comment on heart gossip, but in the framework of trying to improve relations with Argentina, we will not make any statements”.

His Deputy, Diego Cánepa added “we don’t comment social events; it’s simply an anecdote”.