MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina urges Obama to intercede in holdouts case: Griesa is 'interfering with US foreign policy'

“The US has to be responsible for its justice. We hope to settle this case in an international court” said Cristina Fernandez

Argentine President Cristina Fernández on Thursday urged US President Barack Obama to intercede in the dispute between Argentina and holdouts over Argentine debt, while blasting New York judge Thomas Griesa for “not making any sense”.

 Cristina Fernandez quoted an article published in the British newspaper The Guardian that states the US President can veto a court’s decision if it compromises the North American country’s relationship with another nation.

“President Bush in fact did so against this same hedge fund, Elliot, in the case the 'vultures' had against the sovereign republic of Congo,” the President said during a televised message in which she also announced some incentive packages to reactivate economy.

“And Bush is a Republican, a party well benefited by Elliot owner and billionaire Paul Singer,” she added.

CFK then blasted New York judge Thomas Griesa, responsible for the case against holdout creditors, saying she cannot believe a “district judge wants to run down a whole country.”

“It is unheard of, and also his decisions appear more and more random. He does not make any sense. There is an ‘urbi et orbi’ feeling in all this [meaning he is threatening national authority with his sentences],” the President said.

The Argentine president also hoped for the US to accept the case proposed on Thursday by Argentina before The Hague international court, as Argentine jurisdiction is being threatened with Giesa's decisions.

“The US has to be responsible for its justice. We hope to settle this case in an international court, as our own jurisdiction has been threatened,” she said.

“Citibank, for instance is by law an Argentine bank. They cannot block payment to exchange bondholders. By the way, there is no judicial figure for the action “to block”, either you confiscate or you liberate payment,” the Argentine president explained.