MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Timerman calls two US Senators 'extremists', ideologically opposed to US public opinion

The Argentine official also tied Rubio to the hedge funds that are embroiled in a long legal battle with Argentina

Argentine foreign minister Hector Timerman called US senators Marco Rubio and Robert Menendez “extremists”, who don't represent the will of the Senate, the US government or the US people.

 The strong statement follows the Republican and Democrat senators comments on the current Argentine situation, when grilling President Obama's nominee for ambassador in Argentina.

Both Senators and members of the powerful Foreign affairs committee, disagreed on Thursday with nominee Noah Mamet’s statement that Argentina is a mature democracy and an ally, and suggested that the US needs a more experienced diplomat in Buenos Aires.

“There is a very high likelihood that if you are confirmed, while you are in that post, you are going to have another similar collapse in Argentina to what you saw economically just a decade ago,” Rubio, a Republican who is often touted as a possible presidential candidate, warned.

Rubio and Menéndez “are widely criticized for their extreme positions,” Timerman said, calling them ideologically opposed not only to many of Argentina’s priorities, but also to those of their own US citizens.

During the confirmation hearing on Thursday, Mamet acknowledged that he had never been to Argentina, a fact that Rubio said concerned him because Argentina would face an “economic crisis” soon.

“This is — with all due respect — you have an impressive resume of work and so forth ... but ... I think this is a very significant post,” Rubio said, before going on to add that Argentina was moving in an “anti-democratic direction.”

Rubio also said that “it looks like they’re headed for another default, because all the actions they’re taking today seem to be designed to avoid a short-term default, but long term, their structural problems are extraordinary.”

Mamet retorted that he considered Argentina an “ally with whom we have fundamental disagreements,” to which Rubio replied, “They must be the most peculiar ally in the world, because neither do they pay their debts nor cooperate militarily.”

Timerman also tied Rubio to the hedge funds that are embroiled in a long legal battle with Argentina for the repayment of defaulted bonds. And to further emphasize how the influential Republican senator is behind the times, Timerman noted that Rubio opposes marriage equality and “attacked Obama for having shaken hands with (Cuban President) Raúl Castro” during a memorial service for the late Nelson Mandela.

Rubio went as far as arguing that “not even North Korea has dared to mock us in this manner,” after saying that Argentina does “not accept US courts’ (verdicts), they do not want to pay, and will enter another default.” And Timerman was particularly offended by the comparison.

“Comparing Argentina to North Korea, as they did in the hearing, is a ridiculous statement that one could smile about if it weren’t for the fact that in Argentina they put it on the front page of a newspaper but that affirmation characterizes the person that issues that opinion,” Timerman said.

US State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, dismissed speculation that the senators’ comments would affect relations with Argentina. “I think we speak from here on US Government policy. And obviously, there are a range of comments on a range of issues that are made every day from not just members of Congress but officials around the country,” she said.