MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine President Fernández praises Brazil's STF

Evo Morales was sheltered by various Latin American leaders after his government's collapse

Argentine President Alberto Fernández praised Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) for its recent rulings involving opposition politicians, something which his own country had lacked.

Fernández made those remarks during launch of a book about former Bolivian leade Evo Morales' last days in power.

The Argentine head of state was the main guest at the Mexican embassy in Buenos Aires for the presentation of the book Evo: Operacón Rescate, written by Alfredo Serrano Mancilla, who documented Morales' journey between Mexico and Argentina after his forced resignation in November 2019. At that time, Morales was sheltered first by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and later by Fernández, after taking office Dec. 10.

“This book speaks of a time when the idea of ending a time of unity and prosperity spread throughout Latin America,” said Fernández, noting that in the region ”the worst tools were used, such as defamation and judicial persecution,” commonly referred to as lawfare.

Other prominent figures taking part in the event were Mexico's Ambassador to Argentina, Lilia Rossbach, former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, former Bolivian Vice President Álvaro García Linera and Nobel Peace Prize winner Alfredo Pérez Esquivel, as well as Argentine Ministers Santiago Cafiero (Foreign Affairs) and Jorge Taiana (Defense), who were all joinced by Serrano Mancilla, head of the Latin American Strategic Center for Geopolitics (CELAG).

President Fernández reviewed the conflicts that the various progressive governments in the region went through and recalled the case of former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, whom he visited in jail when he was detained for 19 months for a case of alleged corruption which was eventually reviewed by the STF.

“Time proved me right,” said Fernández. “Brazil was fortunate, which we have not had until now, to have a Supreme Court that has reviewed” Lula's case. He added that “what Lula suffered is not very different from what [Vice President] Cristina [Fernández de Kirchner] suffered and what Correa suffers.”

Fernández also pointed out that the “only country that changed in all that time was Bolivia” under Morales' management, who, he “changed the economic structure all the way” because “he nationalized hydrocarbons, and that is what he was not forgiven for.”

The Argentine leader also considered it “pathetic” that Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Luis Almagro remains in office after meddling with the results in the Bolivian elections won by Morales, which created the conditions for the revolt which led to the de facto government of Jeanine Áñez.

Fernández also thanked Mexico for assisting Morales until he took office and could welcome the Bolivian leader asa a refugee in Buenos Aires. Fernández recalled that, as president-elect, he had asked the incumbent Mauricio Macri to grant asylum to the Bolivian leader, but it was turned down. Macri is also under investigation for aiding plotters against Morales with arms and other supplies.

“Evo was not saved by Alberto Fernández or López Obrador, but we were instruments of a people that took care of him and helped him get out. They saved Evo,” the Argentine president emphasized. Fernández also explained that when he asked Macri to grant political asylum to Morales, Macri replied: “Don't get me into this mess.”

Fernández once again stressed that the efforts to shelter Morales were speeded up thanks to other Latin American presidents, such as López Obrador (Mexico) and Mario Abdo (Paraguay), which allowed, he said, “to preserve Evo's life from the worst evil.”

 (Read also https://en.mercopress.com/2021/11/04/venezuelan-aircraft-banned-in-the-us-carries-evo-morales-to-buenos-aires )