Néstor Kirchner
First Gentleman of Argentina
Incumbent
Assumed office  10 December 2007
Preceded by	Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (First Lady)
54th President of Argentina
In office May 25, 2003 – December 10, 2007
Vice President	Daniel Scioli
Preceded by	Eduardo Duhalde
Succeeded by	Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Governor of Santa Cruz
In office 1991 – 2003
Preceded by	Ricardo del Val
Succeeded by	Sergio Acevedo
Born	February 25, 1950 (1950-02-25) (age 58) Río Gallegos, Argentina
Nationality	Argentine
Political party	Front for Victory, (Justicialist Party)
Spouse	Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Roman Catholic

Néstor Carlos Kirchner Ostoić (born February 25, 1950), was the President of Argentina, from May 25, 2003 until December 10, 2007. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (born February 19 1953) commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner, is an Argentine The President of Argentina (full title President of the Argentine Nation, Spanish: Presidente de la Nación Argentina) is the Head of state Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Daniel Osvaldo Scioli (born 13 January 1957) was Vice President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007 and is the current Governor of Buenos Aires Province Eduardo Alberto Duhalde (born 5 October 1941 is a former president of Argentina. Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (born February 19 1953) commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner, is an Argentine Santa Cruz is a province of Argentina, located in the southern part of the country in Patagonia. Sergio Edgardo Acevedo is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician formerly a provincial governor and secretary in the national government Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Río Gallegos is the capital of the Patagonic province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Front for Victory ( Spanish: Frente para la Victoria, FPV) is a leftist political front and electoral alliance in Argentina The Justicialist Party ( Spanish: Partido Justicialista, PJ) is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (born February 19 1953) commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner, is an Argentine A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The President of Argentina (full title President of the Argentine Nation, Spanish: Presidente de la Nación Argentina) is the Head of state For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A Justicialist Kirchner was previously governor of the province of Santa Cruz. Peronism (Peronismo or Justicialism (Spanish Justicialismo) is an Argentine political movement based on the ideas and programs associated with A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Regions See also Geography of Argentina The country is also divided into six or seven regions (seven when The Pampas is divided into the Pampas' plains Santa Cruz is a province of Argentina, located in the southern part of the country in Patagonia. ^[1]

Kirchner was little-known internationally and even domestically before his election, which he won by default with only 22 percent of the vote in the first round when former President Carlos Menem withdrew from the race. Carlos Saúl Menem Akil (born July 2, 1930) was President of Argentina from July 8, 1989 to December 10, 1999

Soon after taking office in May 2003, Kirchner surprised the world by standing down powerful military and police officials. Stressing the need to increase accountability and transparency in government, Kirchner overturned amnesty laws for military officers accused of torture and assassinations during the 1976-1983 "dirty war" under military rule. This article refers to the Argentine Dirty War for the British film of the same name see Dirty War (film. ^[2]

On October 28, 2007 his wife Cristina Fernández was elected to replace him as President of Argentina. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (born February 19 1953) commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner, is an Argentine On December 10, 2007 he became the first First Gentleman of Argentina. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics.

Early years

Kirchner was born in Río Gallegos, in the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz. Río Gallegos is the capital of the Patagonic province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina Santa Cruz is a province of Argentina, located in the southern part of the country in Patagonia. His father, a post office official, was of Swiss descent; his mother, María Juana Ostoić, born in Punta Arenas, Chile, is of Croatian background. A post office is a facility authorized by a Postal system for the posting receipt sorting handling transmission or delivery of Mail. Punta Arenas (literally in Spanish: "Sandy Point" is the most prominent settlement on the Strait of Magellan and the capital of the Magallanes y la Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Croats (Hrvati are a South Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries He received his primary and secondary education at local public schools, and his high-school diploma from the Argentine school Colegio Nacional República de Guatemala.

Early on, Kirchner participated in the Movimiento Justicialista, first as a member of the Young Peronists, whose left-wing radicalism was strongly opposed to the military dictatorships. Political radicalism or simply radicalism is adherence to radical views and principles in Politics. A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy, In the mid-1970s, Kirchner studied law at National University of La Plata, receiving his law degree in 1976. The National University of La Plata ( Spanish: Universidad Nacional de La Plata, UNLP is an Argentine National university and the most important He returned to Río Gallegos with his wife, Cristina Fernández,^[3] also a lawyer and member of the Justicialist Party (Partido Justicialista, PJ), to practice law. Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (born February 19 1953) commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner, is an Argentine The Justicialist Party ( Spanish: Partido Justicialista, PJ) is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component

After the downfall of the military dictatorship and restoration of democracy in 1983, Kirchner became a public officer in the provincial government. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system The following year, he was briefly president of the Río Gallegos social welfare fund, but was forced out by the governor because of a dispute over financial policy. "Social welfare" redirects here For other uses see Welfare A social welfare provision refers to any program which seeks to provide The affair made him a local celebrity and laid the foundation for his career. ^[4]

By 1986, Kirchner had developed sufficient political capital to be put forward as the PJ's candidate for mayor of Río Gallegos. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government He won the 1987 elections for this post by the very slim margin of about 100 votes. Fellow PJ member Ricardo del Val became governor, keeping Santa Cruz firmly within the hands of the PJ.

Kirchner's performance as mayor from 1987 to 1991 was satisfactory enough to the electorate and to the party to enable him to run for governor in 1991, where he won with 61% of the votes. By this time his wife was also a member of the provincial congress.

Governor of Santa Cruz

When Kirchner assumed the governorship, the province of Santa Cruz (pop. Santa Cruz is a province of Argentina, located in the southern part of the country in Patagonia. 200,000) contributed one percent to Argentina's gross national product, primarily through the production of raw materials (mostly oil), and was being battered by the ongoing economic crisis, with high unemployment and a budget deficit equal to $1. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 2 billion. He arranged for substantial investments to stimulate productivity, the labor market, and consumption. Investment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in Business management, Finance and Economics, related to saving By eliminating unproductive expenditures and cutting back on tax exemptions for the key petroleum industry, Kirchner restored the financial balance of the province. Through his expansionist and social policies, Kirchner was credited with bringing a substantial measure of prosperity to Santa Cruz. Subsequent studies showed that the province had a better distribution of wealth and lower levels of poverty than most other provinces, second only to Buenos Aires. Economic inequality refers to disparities in the distribution of Economic Assets and Income. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and Buenos Aires Province (ˈbwenos ˈaiɾes Spanish: Provincia de Buenos Aires is the most populated province of Argentina.

Kirchner emerged as a center-left Peronist, critical both of President Menem's far-reaching neoliberal model and of the syndicalist bureaucracy of the PJ. Carlos Saúl Menem Akil (born July 2, 1930) was President of Argentina from July 8, 1989 to December 10, 1999 Originally coined by its critics and opponents " neoliberalism " is a label referring to the recent reemergence of Economic liberalism or Classical liberalism Syndicalism is a type of movement which aims to degrade capitalist societies through action by the Working class on the industrial front He attached great importance not only to careful management of the budgetary deficits but also economic growth based on domestic production, rather than financial speculation. Speculation, in a financial context is making an investment that increases the overall risk in a portfolio He was also considered a progressive in human rights issues, voicing his opposition to Menem's decision in 1990 to grant a presidential pardon to the leaders of the last junta. Progressivism is a term that refers to a broad school of international social and political philosophies. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it

In 1994 and 1998, Kirchner introduced amendments to the provincial constitution,^[5] to enable him to run for re-election indefinitely. As a member of the 1994 Constitutional Assembly organized by Menem and former president Raúl Alfonsín, Kirchner participated in the drafting of a new national constitution which allowed the president to be re-elected for a second four-year term. The 1994 reform to the Argentine Constitution was approved on 22 August, as a result of the Olivos Pact between by that time president of Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín Foulkes (born 13 March 1927 in Chascomús) is an Argentine politician who was the President of Argentina

In 1995, with his constitutional changes in place, Kirchner was easily re-elected to a second term as governor, with 66. 5% of the votes. But by now, Kirchner was distancing himself from the charismatic and controversial Menem, who was also the nominal head of the PJ; this was made particularly apparent with the launch of Corriente Peronista, an initiative supported by Kirchner to create an alternative space within the Justicialist Party, outside of Menem's influence. ^[6]

In 1998, Menem's attempt to stand for re-election a second time, by means of an ad hoc interpretation of a constitutional clause, met with strong resistance among Peronist rank-and-file, who were finding themselves under increasing pressure due to the highly controversial policies of the Menem administration and its involvement in corruption scandals. Kirchner joined the camp of Menem's chief opponent within the PJ, the governor of Buenos Aires Province (and later president, 2002–2003) Eduardo Duhalde. Eduardo Alberto Duhalde (born 5 October 1941 is a former president of Argentina.

Menem did not run, and the PJ nominated Duhalde. The elections of 24 October 1999 were a major upset for the PJ; Duhalde was beaten by Fernando de la Rúa, the Alianza (opposition coalition) candidate, and the party lost its majority in Congress. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Fernando de la Rúa (born September 15 1937) is an Argentine politician The Congress of the Argentine Nation (Congreso de la Nación Argentina is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Although the Alianza also made headway in Santa Cruz, Kirchner managed to be re-elected to a third term as governor in May 1999 with 45. 7% of the vote. De la Rúa's victory was in part a rejection of Menem's perceived flamboyance and corruption during his last term. De la Rúa instituted austerity measures and reforms to improve the economy; taxes were increased to reduce the deficit, the government bureaucracy was trimmed, and legal restrictions on union negotiations were eased.

2001 crisis

De la Rúa's measures did not work to stop the economic collapse. By late 2000, Argentina was deep in recession and the government sought help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and private banks to meet its financial obligations and refinance existing debt. A recession is a contraction phase of the Business cycle. The U The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic In December 2000, an aid package of nearly $40,000 million was arranged, and the government announced a $20,000 million public works program that was designed to help revive the economy. Public works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the State on behalf of the Community. Despite measures designed to revive it, the economy remained in recession, however, aggravating the problems posed by the country's substantial budget deficit and public debt. Unemployment rose to around 20% at the end of 2001. Ongoing economic problems led to a crisis of confidence as domestic depositors began a run on the banks, resulting in the highly unpopular corralito, a limit, and subsequently a full ban, on withdrawals. A bank run (also known as a run on the bank) occurs when a large number of Bank customers withdraw their deposits because they believe the bank is or might Corralito (koraˈlito was the informal name for the economic measures taken in Argentina at the end of 2001 by Minister of Economy Domingo Cavallo in order International investors by this time had already begun withdrawing large amounts of capital from Argentina, adding further stress to the embattled economy. The IMF insisted that the government meet certain conditions required for further distributions from the fund (including a 10% cut in the government's large budget deficit), with which the government could not or would not comply. With the IMF and private institutional investors unwilling to continue financing the budget deficit, the government effectively ran out of money in late-2001, defaulting on its financial obligations to international creditors.

Nationwide riots, looting, strikes and demonstrations erupted in late December, leading De La Rúa to resign (see December 2001 riots). Riots are a form of Civil disorders characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of Violence, Vandalism or other Looting ( Hindi lūṭ akin to Sanskrit luṭhati steals also Latin latro, latronis Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. A demonstration is an historically and geographically common form of Nonviolent action by groups of people The December 2001 riots were a period of civil unrest and rioting in Argentina, which took place during December 2001, with the most violent incidents A series of interim presidents and renewed demonstrations ended with the appointment of Duhalde as interim president in January 2002, to serve until new presidential elections in 2003. Ad interim ( ad int) is Latin for "temporarily" or "in the meantime Duhalde abolished the fixed exchange rate regime that had been in place since 1991, and the Argentine peso quickly devalued by more than two thirds of its value, decimating middle-class savings and sinking the heavily import-dependent Argentine economy even deeper, but giving a significant profit boost to Argentinian exports. A fixed exchange rate, sometimes called a pegged exchange rate, is a type of Exchange rate regime wherein a Currency 's value is matched to the value of The peso (originally established as the nuevo peso argentino or peso convertible) is the currency of Argentina. Devaluation is a reduction in the value of a Currency with respect to other monetary units In Economics, an import is any good (eg a Commodity) or Service brought into one country from another country in a legitimate fashion There was a strong public rejection of the entire political class, characterized by the pithy slogan que se vayan todos ("away with them all").

2003 presidential election

Main article: Elections in Argentina, 2003

Kirchner's electoral promises included "returning to a republic of equals". Argentina held presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday April 27, 2003. After the first round of the election, Kirchner visited the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who received him enthusiastically. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (pronounced /lu'iz i'nasju 'lulɐ da 'siwvɐ/; born October 27, 1945) known simply as Lula, is the thirty-fifth and He also declared he was proud of his radical left-wing political past. ^[7]

Although Menem, who was president from 1989 to 1999, won the first round of the election on April 27, 2003, he only got 24% of the valid votes — just 2% ahead of Kirchner. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. This was an empty victory, as Menem was viewed very negatively by much of the Argentine population and had virtually no chance of winning the runoff election. After days of speculation, during which polls forecast a massive victory for Kirchner with about a 30%–40% difference, Menem finally decided to stand down. This automatically made Kirchner president of Argentina, even though having secured only 22% of the votes in the election, the lowest percentage gained by the eventual winner of Argentine presidential election. He was sworn in on May 25, 2003 to a four-year term of office. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[8][9]

President of Argentina

Néstor Kirchner with the former president Raúl Alfonsín

Kirchner came into office on the tail of a deep economic crisis. A country which once vied with Europe in levels of prosperity and considered itself a bulwark of European culture in Latin America found itself deeply impoverished, with a decimated middle-class and malnutrition appearing in the lower strata of society. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. The country was burdened with $178,000 million in debt, the government strapped for cash. While associated to the clientelist and feudal-like style of government of many provincial governors and the corruption of the PJ, Kirchner was comparatively unknown to the national public, and showed himself as a newcomer who arrived at the Casa Rosada without the usual whiff of scandal about him, trying not to make a point of the fact that he himself was seven times in the same electoral ballot with Menem. La Casa Rosada ( Spanish for "the Pink House" officially known as the Casa de Gobierno ("Government House" or Palacio Presidencial

Shortly after coming into office, Kirchner made changes to the Argentine Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of Argentina (in Spanish, Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación) is the highest Court of Law of the Argentine He denounced blackmailing on the part of certain justices and pressured them to resign, while also fostering the impeachment of two others. Impeachment is the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to forcibly remove a Government official In place of a majority of politically right-wing and religiously conservative justices, he appointed new ones who were ideologically closer to him, including two women (one of them an avowed atheist). Kirchner also retired dozens of generals, admirals, and brigadiers from the armed forces, a few of them with reputations tainted by the atrocities of the Dirty War. This article refers to the Argentine Dirty War for the British film of the same name see Dirty War (film. ^[10][11]

Néstor Kirchner and former economy minister Roberto Lavagna

Kirchner kept the Minister of the Economy of the Duhalde administration, Roberto Lavagna, who piloted Argentina through the unpopular corralito and the painful devaluation, but Lavagna also declared his first priority now was social problems. Roberto Lavagna ( Buenos Aires, 24 March 1942) is an Argentine economist and politician and was the former Minister of Economy and Production Argentina's default was the largest in financial history, and ironically it gave Kirchner and Lavagna a certain bargaining power with the IMF, which loathes having bad debts in its books. In Finance, default occurs when a debtor has not met its legal obligations according to the debt contract e During his first year of office, Kirchner achieved a difficult agreement to reschedule $84,000 million in debts with international organizations, for three years. In the first half of 2005, the government launched a bond exchange to restructure the approximately $81,000 million of private debt (there were an additional $20,000 million in past defaulted interest not recognized). Argentina went through an economic crisis beginning in the mid-1990s with full Recession between 1999 and 2002 though it is debatable whether this crisis has ended Over 76% of the debt was tendered and restructured for a recovery value of approximately one third of its nominal value. ^[4]

Under Kirchner, Argentine foreign policy shifted from the "automatic alignment" with the United States during the 1990s, to one stressing stronger ties (economic and political) within Mercosur and other Latin American countries, and rejecting the Free Trade Area of the Americas. This article deals with the diplomatic affairs, Foreign policy and International relations of Argentina. Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North The Free Trade Area of the Americas ( FTAA) ( Spanish: Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas (ALCA French: Zone de libre-échange des ^[12][4]

Kirchner saw the 2005 parliamentary elections as a means to confirm his political power, since Carlos Menem's defection in the second round of the 2003 presidentials did not allow Kirchner to receive the large amount of votes that surveys predicted. Argentina held national parliamentary elections on Sunday 23 October, 2005. Kirchner explicitly stated that the 2005 elections would be like a mid-term plebiscite for his administration, and actively participated in the campaign in most provinces. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Due to internal disagreements, the Justicialist Party did not present as such on the polls, but split into several factions. Kirchner's Frente para la Victoria (FPV, Front for Victory) was overwhelmingly the winner (the candidates of the FPV got more than 40% of the national vote), following which many supporters of other factions (mostly those led by former presidents Eduardo Duhalde and Carlos Menem) migrated to the FPV. The Front for Victory ( Spanish: Frente para la Victoria, FPV) is a leftist political front and electoral alliance in Argentina

On 15 December 2005, following Brazil's initiative, Kirchner announced the cancellation of Argentina's debt to the IMF in full and in a single payment, in a historical decision which generated controversy at the time (see Argentine debt restructuring). Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Argentina went through an economic crisis beginning in the mid-1990s with full Recession between 1999 and 2002 though it is debatable whether this crisis has ended Some commentators, such as Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, suggest that the Argentine experiment has thus far proven successful. ^[13] Others, such as Michael Mussa, formerly on the staff of the International Monetary Fund and now with the Peterson Institute, question the longer-term sustainability of Pres. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic Kirchner's approach. ^[14]

In a meeting with executives of multinational corporations at Wall Street — after which he was the first Argentine president to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange — Kirchner defended his "heterodox economic policy, within the canon of classic economics" and criticized the IMF for its lack of collaboration with the Argentine recovery. Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE) is a Stock exchange based in New York City. ^[15]

On July 2, 2007, President Kirchner announced he would not seek re-election in the October elections, despite having the support of 60% of those surveyed in recent polls. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Instead, Kirchner will focus on the creation of a new political party. ^[16]

First Gentleman

On December 10,2007 he became the first First Gentleman in Argentine history. This article is about the History of Argentina. See also History of South America, History of Latin America, History of the Americas, and

In December 2007, he participated as witness in a failed mission -organized by Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez- to liberate three hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of The three where among 700 hostages reportedly still in guerrilla hands. ^[17]

Personal style and ideology

Kirchner embracing Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez during the closing of a July 2004 joint press conference held in Venezuela.

Kirchner and Venezuela President Hugo Chávez discuss the Gran Gasoducto del Suran energy and trade integration project for South America. Gran Gasoducto del Sur (also known as Venezuela-Argentina Gas Line) was a proposed 8000-15000-kilometer (5000-9000 mi long natural gas pipeline to connect Venezuela South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a They met on November 21, 2005 in Venezuela. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the

Kirchner is a critic of IMF structural adjustment programs. Structural adjustment is a term used to describe the policy changes implemented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF and the World Bank (the Bretton His criticisms were supported in part by former World Bank economist Joseph Stiglitz, who opposes the IMF's measures as recessionary and urged Argentina to take an independent path. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e Joseph Eugene Stiglitz (born February 9, 1943) is an American Economist and a professor at Columbia University. According to some commentators, Kirchner can be seen as part of a spectrum of new Latin American leaders, including Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil and Tabaré Vázquez in Uruguay, who see the Washington consensus as an unsuccessful model for economic development in the region. Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (ˈuɰo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβ̞es ˈfɾias (born July 28 1954 is the current President of Venezuela. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (pronounced /lu'iz i'nasju 'lulɐ da 'siwvɐ/; born October 27, 1945) known simply as Lula, is the thirty-fifth and |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas ( pron taβa'ɾe ra'mon 'bahkes 'rosas (born January 17, 1940) is the current President of Uruguay. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The term Washington Consensus was initially coined in 1989 by John Williamson to describe a set of ten specific economic policy prescriptions that he considered to constitute ^[18]

Kirchner's increasing alignment with Chávez became evident when during a visit to Venezuela on July 2006 he attended a military parade alongside Bolivian president Evo Morales. Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (ˈuɰo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβ̞es ˈfɾias (born July 28 1954 is the current President of Venezuela. Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro) popularly known as Evo (ˈeβo is the President of Bolivia since On that occasion Mr Chávez called for a defensive military pact between the armies of the region with a common doctrine and organization. Kirchner stated in a speech to the Venezuela national assembly that Venezuela represented a true democracy fighting for the dignity of its people. ^[19]

While a critic of neoliberalism, Kichner does not describe himself as an opponent of markets and the private sector. Originally coined by its critics and opponents " neoliberalism " is a label referring to the recent reemergence of Economic liberalism or Classical liberalism [1]

Kirchner has emphasized holding businesses accountable to Argentina's democratic institutions, laws prompting environmental standards, and contractual obligations. He has pledged to not open his administration to the influence of interests that "benefited from inadmissible privileges in the last decade" under Menem. These groups, according to Kirchner, were privileged by an economic model that favored "financial speculation and political subordination" of politicians to well-connected elites. [2] For instance, in 2006, citing the alleged failure of Aguas Argentinas, a company partly owned by the French utility group Suez, to meet its contractual obligation to improve the quality of water, Kirchner terminated the company's contract with Argentina to provide drinking water to Buenos Aires. Suez SA was a leading French -based Multinational corporation, with operations primarily in Water, Electricity and Natural gas supply [3]. His preference for a more active role of the state in the economy is showcased with the founding, in 2004, of ENARSA a new state owned energy company. Enarsa (or all-uppercase ENARSA) in full Energía Argentina Sociedad Anónima, is a company managed by the national state of Argentina for the At the June 2007 summit of the Mercosur, he scolded energy companies for their lack of investment in the sector and for not supporting his strategic vision for the region. Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North He said he was losing patience with energy companies as South America's second-largest economy faces power rationing and shortages during the Southern Hemisphere winter. Price controls on energy rates instituted in 2002 are attributed to have limited investment in Argentina's energy infrastructure, risking more than four years of economic growth greater than 8 percent. ^[20][21]

Kirchner's collaborators and others who support and stand politically close to him are known informally as pingüinos ("penguins"), alluding to his birthplace in the cold southern region of Argentina. ^[22][23] Some media and sectors of society also resorted to using the letter K as a shorthand for Kirchner and his policies (as seen, for example, in the controversial group of supporters self-styled Los Jóvenes K,^[24] that is "The K Youth", and in the faction of the Radical Civic Union that supports Kirchner, referred to by the media as Radicales K). The Radical Civic Union (in Spanish Unión Cívica Radical, UCR) is a Political party in Argentina. ^[25]

Criticism, controversy and scandals

Despite his high public approval ratings, Kirchner has been strongly criticized by commentators accusing him of overly concentrating power in the executive and excessive use of decrees. The magazine The Economist is among Kirchner's foreign critics. The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London In an August 2006 article, it stated, "Kirchner appointed a majority of the judges on the Supreme Court, then gained an effective veto over lower court nominations . . . and on August 3, 2006 the Congress gave him authority to reallocate government spending as he sees fit. "^[26] The Economist also accuses Kirchner of "populism," which it describes as a Latin American tendency that the Argentine president shares with a diverse range of figures, such as indigenous Peruvian nationalist Ollanta Humala, Mexican social democrat Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political Andrés Manuel López Obrador, (born November 13, 1953) is a Mexican politician who held the position of Head of Government of the Federal District Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (ˈuɰo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβ̞es ˈfɾias (born July 28 1954 is the current President of Venezuela. ^[27]

The Wall Street Journal is another English-language publication critical of Kirchner. The newspaper, for instance, ran an article criticizing the NYSE for choosing Kirchner as a bell ringer, accusing him of being "anti-market. "^[28][29]

Joaquín Morales Solá, a political columnist for the Argentine newspaper La Nación, accused Kirchner of having a "personalistic style of governing, with a dose of authoritarianism and hegemony, an aggressive style of induced rupture and confrontation", and recently diverse allegations of cronyism and corrupt practices by his government's officials began to mount. Joaquín Morales Solá (born 1950 in Tucumán) is an Argentine political journalist La Nación is an Argentine daily Newspaper. It is on the right of the political spectrum with the centrist Clarín being its main For the record label see Crony Records Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends especially by appointing them to positions of authority ^[30]

Controversy also arose when the ex-Minister of Economy Felisa Miceli removed an officer of the National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina in charge of the calculus of the inflation indexes, hand-picking another person from outside the institution, what was seen as a measure of the government to manipulate the indexes. Felisa Miceli (b 1953 in Carlos Casares, Buenos Aires Province) is an Argentine economist and a former Minister of Economy and Production of Argentina National Statistics and Censuses Institute ( Spanish: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos, INDEC is the Argentine government agency responsible ^[31]

In the last months of his presidency, Mr. Kirchner had to weather several scandals. His Minister of Economy Felisa Miceli was forced to resign over more than $60,000 found stashed in a bag in her office bathroom, and a businessman carrying a suitcase with US$800,000 in cash, on a government-hired jet traveling from Venezuela, was discovered at an Argentine airport. Felisa Miceli (b 1953 in Carlos Casares, Buenos Aires Province) is an Argentine economist and a former Minister of Economy and Production of Argentina ^[32]

References

External links

• (Spanish) Office of the President