MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina needs a way out of the dollar gamble, Mujica says

“It has been many decades since the Argentine people lost confidence in their currency,” Mujica explained

Former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica said Argentines have long lost confidence in their currency; hence the jump of the “blue” (a euphemism for “black market”) dollar.

 “It is as if the whole country were subjected to a gambling game,” the Broad Front leader said in an interview with Buenos Aires' Radio 10.

“It has been many decades since the Argentine people lost confidence in their currency,” Mujica went on as he called for the “union” of Latin American countries to defend their own currencies. “Society is self-destructing because of this abrupt madness of [currency ex]change,” he added.

“It seems that there is no end to the race against the dollar but it must have a way out,” Mujica insisted. “It causes astonishment! It is as if the whole country were subjected to a scam with the dollar,” he went on as he underlined the importance of Latin America trading with its own currencies, which is a matter of sovereignty. “We don't get to come together. I hope that the next generations will not be so foolish,” he said.

Mujica also said Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) should not run in the 2023 elections: “She realizes the opposition she generates,” the leftwing politician argued.

”I believe that (Cristina) is not going to be (a candidate) because she is very temperamental, but she is also very intelligent: if she realizes the support she has, she also realizes the opposition she generates,“ Mujica told El Observador.

Regarding a hat Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was photographed wearing on election day reading ”Cristina Fernández de Kirchner 2023,“ Mujica explained it was ”planted” and that it was not Lula's.