MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Most Argentines believe Cristina Fernandez was “aware” of corruption scheme

A majority of Argentines, 63% believe ex president Cristina Fernandez was “aware” of the corruption actions attributed to her ex Public Works minister

A majority of Argentines, 63% believe that former president Cristina Fernandez was “aware” of the corruption actions attributed to her ex Public Works minister Jose Lopez, who was caught handling bags with almost nine million dollars cash in a Buenos Aires suburban convent, while 21% are of the contrary opinion.

 The results are from a Management & Fit public opinion poll published on Sunday in the Buenos Aires media. Likewise 59% said that the much publicized and stunning scandal involving Lopez “is a corruption action linked to all the Kirchner administrations”, and 20.5% said it was only linked directly to the ex Public Works official, while 11% said it was “a makeup”.

Of those who believe it was all a makeup to frame Lopez, one in ten admitted to have voted for the Victory Front of the Kirchners, but the rest denied supporting such option.

The Management & Fit policy was made nationwide interviewing 1.200 people, aged from 16 to 70, on 15 and 16th June.

When asked if the Lopez scandal stains the whole political leadership in Argentina, 36% replied affirmatively, but 49% said it tarnished the previous Cristina Kirchner administrations, and 6,6% limited the impact to Lopez.

Likewise 54% said the episode reflects the Kirchnerite skimming system; for 24% it is the normal functioning of all the Argentine political system, and only 10% dismissed Kirchnerism was to blame, saying it was only a bad apple in the previous government.

Finally as to the impact of the incident among public opinion, 83% said they were aware of the corruption actions of Lopez arrested when he was trying to hide millions of dollars in a convent managed by only a few nuns. Only 14.7% admitted ignoring the events, a majority of which from the lower education strata and the Argentine northeast.