Fernández de Kirchner, Cristina

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[[image:Cristina Fernández de Kirchner - Foto Oficial 2.jpg|thumb|Cristina Elizabet Fernández de Kirchner.]]
 
[[image:Cristina Fernández de Kirchner - Foto Oficial 2.jpg|thumb|Cristina Elizabet Fernández de Kirchner.]]
  
'''Cristina Elizabet Fernández de Kirchner''' (born February 19 1953), commonly known as '''Cristina Fernández''' or '''Cristina Kirchner''', is a [[lawyer]] and [[Argentina|Argentine]] politician from the [[Justicialist Party]] and the current [[President of Argentina]]. She is the wife of former President of Argentina [[Néstor Kirchner]]. Before assuming the presidency she was a Senator for [[Buenos Aires Province]] and acted as [[First Lady]] during her husband's term. In the [[Argentine general election, 2007|October 2007 general election]], Fernández ran for President of Argentina, representing the ruling [[Front for Victory]] party. She won the presidency with 45.29% of the vote, and a 22% lead over her nearest rival—one of the widest margins obtained by a candidate since democracy returned in 1983—avoiding the need for a runoff election. She is Argentina's second [[female president]] (after [[Isabel Martínez de Perón]] (Eva)), but the first to be elected. Sworn in on December 10 2007, she became the first wife in history to be elected to succeed her husband as a president. Néstor Kirchner has also become the first [[First Gentleman]] in [[Argentine history]]. de Kirchner is one of a comparatively small number of women who have achieved their nation's highest elected office. Several other women have achieved high office whose husbands or fathers also led their nations, mainly in the [[Asian|South Asia]] region, such as [[Benazir Bhutto]] of [[Pakistan]] and [[Megawati Sukarnoputri]] of [[Indonesia]]. de Kirchner has inevitable attracted comparison with Eva. Both "played a considerable influence over their presidential husbands and enjoyed considerable support from Argentina's poor working communities" but de Kirchner is generally perceived to have "built a career largely on her own merit".<ref "name=Sturcke">Sturcke, James. 2007. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/argentina/story/0,,2201278,00.html The art of the possible.] ''The Guardian.'' October 29. Retrieved July 12, 2008.</ref>
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'''Cristina Elizabet Fernández de Kirchner''' (February 19, 1953 - ), commonly known as '''Cristina Fernández''' or '''Cristina Kirchner,''' is a [[lawyer]] and [[Argentina|Argentine]] politician from the [[Justicialist Party]] and the current [[President of Argentina]]. She is the wife of former President of Argentina [[Néstor Kirchner]]. Before assuming the presidency, she was a Senator for [[Buenos Aires Province]] and acted as [[First Lady]] during her husband's term. In the [[Argentine general election, 2007|October 2007 general election]], Fernández ran for President of Argentina, representing the ruling [[Front for Victory]] party. She won the presidency with 45.29 percent of the vote, and a 22 percent lead over her nearest rival—one of the widest margins obtained by a candidate since democracy returned in 1983—avoiding the need for a runoff election.  
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She is Argentina's second [[female president]] (after [[Isabel Martínez de Perón]], or Eva), but the first to be elected. Sworn in on December 10, 2007, she became the first wife in history to be elected to succeed her husband as a president and South America's second elected woman head of state—after [[Chile]]'s [[Michelle Bachelet]]. Néstor Kirchner has also become the first [[First Gentleman]] in [[Argentine history]]. Kirchner is one of a comparatively small number of women who have achieved their nation's highest elected office. Several other women have achieved high office whose husbands or fathers also led their nations, such as [[Benazir Bhutto]] of [[Pakistan]] and [[Megawati Sukarnoputri]] of [[Indonesia]]. Kirchner has inevitably attracted comparison with Eva Peron. Both "played a considerable influence over their presidential husbands and enjoyed considerable support from Argentina's poor working communities" but Kirchner is generally perceived to have "built a career largely on her own merit."<ref "name=Sturcke">James Sturcke, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/argentina/story/0,,2201278,00.html The art of the possible,] ''The Guardian.'' Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref> She has expressed a sense of responsibility towards her gender in assuming office, and is expected to aim at socially inclusive policies during her administration.<ref "name=Wharton">University of Pennsylvania, [http://www.wharton.universia.net/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&id=1429&language=english Elections in Argentina: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s Rendezvous with History,] Wharton School. Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref>
  
 
==Early life==
 
==Early life==
 
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Fernández was born '''Cristina Elizabet Fernández''' in [[La Plata]], [[province of Buenos Aires]], daughter of Eduardo Fernández (of Spanish heritage) and Ofelia Wilhelm (of German heritage). She studied law at the [[National University of La Plata]] during the 1970s. During her studies there she met her future spouse, Néstor. They married on March 9, 1975, and had two children: Máximo and Florencia. Florencia received international media attention during early 2008, when she started keeping a [[Fotolog]].<ref>Uki Goni, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/30/argentina.socialnetworking Wild child's exposure on web upsets presidential parents,] ''The Guardian.'' Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref>
Fernández was born '''Cristina Elizabet Fernández''' in [[La Plata]], [[province of Buenos Aires]], daughter of Eduardo Fernández (of Spanish heritage) and Ofelia Wilhelm (of German heritage). She studied law at the [[National University of La Plata]] during the 1970s. During her studies there she met her future spouse, Néstor. They married on March 9, 1975 and had two children: Máximo and Florencia. Florencia received international media attention during early 2008 when she started keeping a [[Fotolog]].<ref>Goni, Uki.  2009. [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1700434,00.html There's Something About the President's Daughter.] ''Time.'' January 04. Retrieved July 12, 2008.</ref><ref>Goni, Uki. 2007. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/30/argentina.socialnetworking Wild child's exposure on web upsets presidential parents.] ''The Guardian. '' December 30.Retrieved July 12, 2008.</ref>
 
  
 
==Political career==
 
==Political career==
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Kirchner started her political career in the Peronist Youth movement of the [[Justicialist Party]] in the 1970s. During the [[National Reorganization Process|period of authoritarian rule in the country]], she and Néstor dropped out of politics and practiced law in [[Río Gallegos]]. She picked up politics again in the late 1980s, and was elected to the [[Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)|Santa Cruz]] provincial legislature in 1989, a position to which she was re-elected in 1993.
  
Kirchner started her political career in the Peronist Youth movement of the [[Justicialist Party]] in the 1970s. During the [[National Reorganization Process|period of authoritarian rule in the country]] she and Néstor dropped out of politics and practised law in [[Río Gallegos]]. She picked up politics again in the late 1980s, and was elected to the [[Santa Cruz Province (Argentina)|Santa Cruz]] provincial legislature in 1989, a position to which she was re-elected in 1993.
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In 1995, she was elected to represent Santa Cruz in the [[Argentine Senate|Senate]], and in 1997, in the [[Argentine Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]]. In 2001, she again won a seat in the Senate.
  
In 1995 she was elected to represent Santa Cruz in the [[Argentine Senate|Senate]], and in 1997 in the [[Argentine Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]]. In 2001 she won again a seat in the Senate.
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Kirchner provided the main backbone to her husband's successful campaign for the presidency in 2003, against two other Justicialist candidates and several other competitors. In the April 27, 2003 [[Argentine general election, 2003|presidential election]] first round, former president [[Carlos Saúl Menem]] won the greatest number of votes (25 percent), but failed to get the votes necessary to win an overall majority. A second-round run-off vote between Menem and second-place finisher [[Néstor Kirchner]] was scheduled for May 18. Feeling certain that he was about to face a resounding electoral defeat, Menem decided to withdraw his candidacy, thus automatically making Kirchner the new president, with 21.97 percent of the votes (the lowest number in the history of the country).
  
Kirchner provided the main backbone to her husband's successful campaign for the presidency in 2003, against two other Justicialist candidates and several other competitors. In the April 27, 2003 [[Argentine general election, 2003|presidential election]] first round, former president [[Carlos Saúl Menem]] won the greatest number of votes (25%), but failed to get the votes necessary to win an overall majority. A second-round run-off vote between Menem and second-place finisher [[Néstor Kirchner]] was scheduled for May 18. Feeling certain that he was about to face a resounding electoral defeat, Menem decided to withdraw his candidacy, thus automatically making Kirchner the new president, with 21.97% of the votes (the lowest number in the history of the country).
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[[Image:Cristina Fernández de Kirchner - Laura Bush.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Cristina Kirchner (on the right) next to U.S. First Lady [[Laura Bush]], on November 5, 2005, during the state visit of the Bushes for the [[Mar del Plata]] Summit of the Americas.]]
 
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During her husband's term, Cristina Kirchner became an itinerant ambassador for his government. Her highly combative speech style polarized Argentine politics, recalling the style of [[Eva Perón]]. Although she repeatedly rejected the comparison later, Cristina once said in an interview that she identified herself "with the Evita of the hair in a bun and the clenched fist before a microphone" (the typical image of Eva Perón during public speeches) more than with the "miraculous Eva" of her mother's time, who had come "to bring work and the right to vote for women."<ref>Rory Carroll and Oliver Balch, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/argentina/story/0,,2199434,00.html President in waiting evokes echo of Evita,] ''The Guardian''. Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref>
[[Image:Cristina Fernández de Kirchner - Laura Bush.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Cristina Kirchner (on the right) next to U.S. First Lady [[Laura Bush]], on 5 November 2005, during the state visit of the Bushes for the [[Mar del Plata]] Summit of the Americas.]]
 
During her husband's term, Cristina Kirchner became an itinerant ambassador for his government. Her highly combative speech style polarized Argentine politics, recalling the style of [[Eva Perón]]. Although she repeatedly rejected the comparison later, Cristina once said in an interview that she identified herself "with the Evita of the hair in a bun and the clenched fist before a microphone" (the typical image of Eva Perón during public speeches) more than with the "miraculous Eva" of her mother's time, who had come "to bring work and the right to vote for women".<ref>Carroll, Rory  and Balch, Oliver. 2007. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/argentina/story/0,,2199434,00.html President in waiting evokes echo of Evita.] ''The Guardian''. October 26. Retrieved July 12, 2008.</ref><ref "name=Sturcke">Sturcke, James. 2007. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/argentina/story/0,,2201278,00.html The art of the possible.] ''The Guardian.'' October 29. Sturcke points out that while Evita did stand on her husband's shoulders, de Kirchener, "while never far from her husband whom she met at law school in her youth, is seen by supporters as having built a career largely on her own merit".</ref>
 
 
 
She was the main candidate for Senator of the Front for Victory faction of her party in the province of Buenos Aires, for the [[Elections in Argentina, 2005|October 2005 elections]], in a heated campaign directed mainly against [[Hilda González de Duhalde]], the wife of former interim president [[Eduardo Duhalde]]. Kirchner won the elections by a 25% margin over González.
 
  
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She was the main candidate for Senator of the Front for Victory faction of her party in the province of Buenos Aires, for the [[Elections in Argentina, 2005|October 2005 elections]], in a heated campaign directed mainly against [[Hilda González de Duhalde]], the wife of former interim president [[Eduardo Duhalde]]. Kirchner won the elections by a 25 percent margin over González.
  
 
==Election to Presidency of Argentina==
 
==Election to Presidency of Argentina==
[[Image:Cristina_Fernandez_at_2007_Presidential_elections.jpg|thumb|250px|President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, with her husband Néstor, the ex-president of Argentina 2007-10-28.]]
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[[Image:Cristina_Fernandez_at_2007_Presidential_elections.jpg|thumb|250px|President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, with her husband Néstor, the ex-president of Argentina, October 28, 2007.]]
With Kirchner leading all the pre-election polls by a wide margin, her challengers were trying to force her into a run-off. She needed either more than 45% of the vote, or 40% of the vote and a lead of more than 10% over her nearest rival, to win outright. The legality of her presidential bid funding was later disputed when U.S federal prosecutors alleged that the government of Venezuelan President [[Hugo Chávez]] secretly tried to funnel nearly $1 million in cash to her campaign, while these allegations were vehemently denied by both the Argentinian and Venezuelan governments.<ref>Carlson, Chris. 2007. [http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3001 Venezuela, Argentina Accuse US of Smear Campaign.] Venezuelanalysis, December 13. Retrieved July 12, 2008.</ref>  
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With Kirchner leading all the pre-election polls by a wide margin, her challengers were trying to force her into a run-off. She needed either more than 45 percent of the vote, or 40 percent of the vote and a lead of more than 10 percent over her nearest rival, to win outright. The legality of her presidential bid funding was later disputed when U.S federal prosecutors alleged that the government of Venezuelan President [[Hugo Chávez]] secretly tried to funnel nearly $1 million in cash to her campaign, while these allegations were vehemently denied by both the Argentinean and Venezuelan governments.<ref>Chris Carlson, [http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3001 Venezuela, Argentina Accuse US of Smear Campaign,] Venezuelanalysis. Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref>  
  
Kirchner finally won the election in the first round with 45.29% of the vote, followed by 22% for [[Elisa Carrió]] (candidate for the [[Civic Coalition]]) and 16% for former Economy Minister [[Roberto Lavagna]]. Eleven others split the remaining 15%. Fernández was popular among the suburban working class and the rural poor, while Carrió received more support from the urban middle class.<ref>Goni, Uki. 2007. [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1677374,00.html A Mixed Message in Argentina's Vote.] Time/CNN. October 29. Retrieved July 12, 2008.</ref> Of note, Fernández lost the election in the three largest cities ([[Buenos Aires]], [[Córdoba, Argentina|Córdoba]] and [[Rosario, Santa Fe|Rosario]]), although she won in most other places elsewhere, including the large provincial capitals such as [[Mendoza]] and [[Tucumán]].
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Kirchner finally won the election in the first round with 45.29 percent of the vote, followed by 22 percent for [[Elisa Carrió]] (candidate for the [[Civic Coalition]]) and 16 percent for former Economy Minister [[Roberto Lavagna]]. Eleven others split the remaining 15 percent. Fernández was popular among the suburban working class and the rural poor, while Carrió received more support from the urban middle class. Of note, Fernández lost the election in the three largest cities ([[Buenos Aires]], [[Córdoba, Argentina|Córdoba]], and [[Rosario, Santa Fe|Rosario]]), although she won in most other places elsewhere, including the large provincial capitals such as [[Mendoza]] and [[Tucumán]].
  
 
The president elect began a four-year term on December 10, 2007, facing challenges including inflation, union demands for higher salaries, private investment in key areas, lack of institutional credibility (exemplified by the controversy surrounding the [[National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina|national statistics bureau]], INDEC), utility companies demanding authorization to raise their fees, low availability of cheap credit to the private sector, and the upcoming negotiation of the defaulted foreign debt with the [[Paris Club]].
 
The president elect began a four-year term on December 10, 2007, facing challenges including inflation, union demands for higher salaries, private investment in key areas, lack of institutional credibility (exemplified by the controversy surrounding the [[National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina|national statistics bureau]], INDEC), utility companies demanding authorization to raise their fees, low availability of cheap credit to the private sector, and the upcoming negotiation of the defaulted foreign debt with the [[Paris Club]].
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==Cabinet==
 
==Cabinet==
 
[[Image:Ministros de Cristina.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The President in a meeting with her Ministers.]]
 
[[Image:Ministros de Cristina.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The President in a meeting with her Ministers.]]
On November 14, Cristina Kirchner announced the names of her new cabinet, which started working with her on December 10. Of the 12 ministers appointed, seven were already ministers in [[Néstor Kirchner]]'s government whilst the other five took office for the first time.
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On November 14, 2007, Cristina Kirchner announced the names of her new cabinet, which started working with her on December 10. Of the 12 ministers appointed, seven were already ministers in [[Néstor Kirchner]]'s government whilst the other five took office for the first time.
  
 
{| class="toccolours" style="float: auto; font-size:90%; width:530px; background:F5F5F5;"
 
{| class="toccolours" style="float: auto; font-size:90%; width:530px; background:F5F5F5;"
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!style="background:#D3D3D3;" colspan="3"|
 
!style="background:#D3D3D3;" colspan="3"|
 
|-
 
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| [[Ministry of Work, Labour and Social Security|Ministry of Work,<br/> Labour and Social Security]]  
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| [[Ministry of Work, Labor and Social Security|Ministry of Work,<br/> Labor and Social Security]]  
 
| '''Carlos Tomada'''
 
| '''Carlos Tomada'''
 
| December 10, 2007 – ''incumbent''
 
| December 10, 2007 – ''incumbent''
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[[Image:Cristinayhugo jpg.jpg|thumb|left|200px|President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, with Venezuela's president Hugo Chávez 2008-03-05.]]
 
[[Image:Cristinayhugo jpg.jpg|thumb|left|200px|President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, with Venezuela's president Hugo Chávez 2008-03-05.]]
  
During the first days of her presidency, Argentina's relations with the United States deteriorated as a result of allegations made by a United States assistant attorney of illegal campaign contributions, case known as the [[maletinazo]] (suitcase scandal). According to these allegations, agents tried to pressure a Venezuelan-American citizen ([[Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson]]) to lie about the origin of $790,550 in cash found in his suitcase on August 4, 2007 at a Buenos Aires airport. U.S. prosecutors said the money was sent to help Fernandez's presidential campaign.
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During the first days of her presidency, Argentina's relations with the United States deteriorated as a result of allegations made by a United States assistant attorney of illegal campaign contributions, a case known as the [[maletinazo]] (suitcase scandal). According to these allegations, agents tried to pressure a Venezuelan-American citizen ([[Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson]]) to lie about the origin of $790,550 in cash found in his suitcase on August 4, 2007, at a Buenos Aires airport. U.S. prosecutors said the money was sent to help Fernandez's presidential campaign.
  
Fernandez de Kirchner and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, called the allegations "a trashing operation" and part of a conspiracy orchestrated by the United States to divide Latin American nations. On December 19, 2007 she restricted the U.S. ambassador's activities and limited his meetings to Foreign Ministry officials; a treatment reserved for hostile countries, in the opinion of a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State.<ref>Faries, Bill and Raszewski, Eliana. 2007. [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=anPqjcENNtWo Argentina Protests Charges, Restricts U.S. Ambassador.] Bloomberg. December 19. Retrieved July 12, 2008.</ref> <ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10438525 Argentina, Venezuela and America. Slush and garbage.] ''The Economist'' Jan 03 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2008.</ref>
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Fernandez de Kirchner and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, called the allegations "a trashing operation" and part of a conspiracy orchestrated by the United States to divide Latin American nations. On December 19, 2007, she restricted the U.S. ambassador's activities and limited his meetings to Foreign Ministry officials; a treatment reserved for hostile countries, in the opinion of a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State.<ref>Bill Faries and Eliana Raszewski, [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=anPqjcENNtWo Argentina Protests Charges, Restricts U.S. Ambassador,] Bloomberg. Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref>
However, on January 31, during a special meeting with the Argentine President, the United States ambassador in Argentina, [[Earl Anthony Wayne]], clarified that the allegations "were never made by the United States government," and the dispute cooled down.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://spanish.argentina.usembassy.gov/rel244.html |title= DECLARACION DEL EMBAJADOR DE EE.UU., EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, LUEGO DE REUNIRSE CON LA PRESIDENTA CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER |publisher= U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina |accessdate= 2008-04-01}}</ref>
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However, on January 31, during a special meeting with the Argentine President, the United States ambassador in Argentina, [[Earl Anthony Wayne]], clarified that the allegations "were never made by the United States government," and the dispute cooled down.<ref>U.S. Embassy, [http://spanish.argentina.usembassy.gov/rel244.html DECLARACION DEL EMBAJADOR DE EE.UU., EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, LUEGO DE REUNIRSE CON LA PRESIDENTA CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER.] Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref>
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[[Elisa Carrio]] and [[María Estenssoro]], both high ranking members of the main opposition parties, have claimed that the Argentine government's response to the allegations and its criticism of the U.S. are a "smokescreen" and described U.S. involvement in the affair as merely symptomatic, alleging that corruption in the Argentinean and Venezuelan governments are the root cause of the scandal.
  
[[Elisa Carrio]] and [[María Estenssoro]], both high ranking members of the main opposition parties, have claimed that the Argentine government's response to the allegations and its criticism of the US are a "smokescreen" and described US involvement in the affair as merely symptomatic, alleging that corruption in the Argentinean and Venezuelan governments are the root cause of the scandal.<ref> {{cite web |publisher= TIME |date= 20 December 2007 |url= http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1697490,00.html |title= Troubles for Argentina's New Evita}}</ref>
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In March 2008, Fernandez de Kirchner's government introduced a new sliding-scale taxation system for agricultural exports, effectively raising levies on soybean exports to 44 percent from 35 percent at the time of the announcement.<ref>Heather Walsh and Eliana Raszewski, [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aXApGun1Lmpw Argentine Soybean Output May Slip; Protests May Pause (Update3),] Bloomberg. Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref> This led to a nationwide [[Lockout (industry)|lockout]] by farming associations, starting on March 12, with the aim of forcing the government to back down on the new taxation scheme. As a result, on March 25, thousands of demonstrators banging pots massed around the obelisk in the capital and in front of the presidential palace. Protests extended across the country. In Buenos Aires, hours after Fernandez attacked farmers for their two-week strike and "abundant" profits, there were violent incidents between government supporters and protesters, and the police was accused of willfully turning a blind eye.
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The media was harshly critical of [[Luis D'Elia]], a former government official who took part in the incidents, with some media sources and members of the opposition (notably [[Elisa Carrio]]), claiming that he and his followers had violently suppressed the protest pursuant to the government's orders.
  
In March 2008, Fernandez de Kirchner's government introduced a new sliding-scale taxation system for agricultural exports, effectively raising levies on soybean exports to 44 percent from 35 percent at the time of the announcement. <ref>{{cite web|title= Argentine Soybean Output May Slip; Protests May Pause|publisher=Bloomberg|date=9 March2008|url= http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aXApGun1Lmpw}}</ref>. This led to a nationwide [[Lockout (industry)|lockout]] by farming associations, starting on March 12, with the aim of forcing the government to back down on the new taxation scheme. As a result, on March 25 thousands of demonstrators banging pots massed around the obelisk in the capital and in front of the presidential palace. Protests extended across the country. In Buenos Aires, hours after Fernandez attacked farmers for their two-week strike and "abundant" profits, there were violent incidents between government supporters and protesters, and the police was accused of wilfully turning a blind eye.<ref>{{cite web|title=La policía observó, pero no intervino|publisher=La Nacion|date=27 March 2008|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/nota.asp?nota_id=999067&origen=relacionadas}}</ref>
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On April 1, the government organized a rally during which thousands of pro-government protesters marched through downtown [[Buenos Aires]] in support of the Argentine leadership. Fernandez recently called on farmers to act "as part of a country, not as owners of a country."
The media was harshly critical of [[Luis D'Elia]], a former government official who took part in the incidents, with some media sources and members of the opposition (notably [[Elisa Carrio]]), claiming that he and his followers had violently suppressed the protest pursuant to the government's orders. <ref>{{cite web|title=Cacería para ganar la Plaza. Fueron golpeados manifestantes que apoyaban el reclamo del campo|publisher=La Nacion|date=26 March 2008|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/nota.asp?nota_id=998778&origen=relacionadas}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web|title=El verdadero mensaje de las cacerolas|publisher=La Nacion|date=27 March 2008|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/EdicionImpresa/politica/nota.asp?nota_id=999018&pid=4186310&toi=5825}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Argentina's Fernandez Plays With Fire|publisher=The Guardian|date=01 April 2008|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7425706}}</ref>
 
  
On April 1 the government organised a rally during which thousands of pro-government protesters marched through downtown [[Buenos Aires]] in support of the Argentine leadership. Fernandez recently called on farmers to act "as part of a country, not as owners of a country".<ref>{{cite web|title=In Argentina, thousands rally in support of president|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=2 April 2008|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-farmers2apr02,1,5792792.story}}</ref>
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A poll published in the Spanish newspaper ''[[El Pais]]'' revealed that, following the protests, Fernandez's approval rating had "plummeted" from 57.8 per cent at the start of her administration.<ref>Angus Reid Global Monitor, [http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/positive_rating_for_argentinas_cristina_kirchner/ Positive Rating for Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner.] Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref> However, ''El País'' did not cite the source of its numbers.
  
A poll-result published in the Spanish newspaper [[El Pais]] revealed that, following the protests, Fernandez's approval rating had "plummeted" from 57.8% at the start of her administration <ref> {{cite web |publisher= Angus Reid |date= 31 December 2007 |url= http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/positive_rating_for_argentinas_cristina_kirchner/ |title= Positive Rating for Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner}}</ref> to an unprecedented 23%.<ref>{{cite web|title=La popularidad de la presidenta argentina se hunde en tres meses|publisher=EL PAIS|date=9 April 2008|url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/popularidad/presidenta/argentina/hunde/meses/elpepiint/20080409elpepiint_7/Tes}}</ref>
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==Relationship with the media==
. However, ''El País'' did not cite the source of its numbers.
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In April 2008, Fernandez received a stern public rebuke from ADEPA (the Argentine Journalists Association) for having publicly accused the popular cartoonist [[Hermenegildo Sábat]] of behaving like a "quasi mafioso."<ref>Clarin, [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2008/04/04/opinion/o-01643113.htm Libertad de prensa y democracia.] Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref> In addition, a government proposal to create a watchdog to monitor racism and discrimination was received with suspicion by ADEPA, who called it a "covert attempt to control the media."<ref>''La Nacion,'' [http://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/nota.asp?nota_id=1002431 Cuestionamiento de las entidades periodísticas,] ''La Nacion.'' Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref> In 2006, Nestor Kirchner, Fernandez's husband and predecessor in office, received a similar rebuke for publicly and falsely denouncing that [[Joaquín Morales Solá]], a journalist critical of the government, had produced an inflammatory text published in 1978.
  
==Relationship with the media==
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==Legacy==
In April 2008 Fernandez received a stern public rebuke from ADEPA (the Argentine Journalists Association) for having publicly accused the popular cartoonist [[Hermenegildo Sábat]] of behaving like a "quasi mafioso".<ref>{{cite web|title=Libertad de prensa y democracia |publisher=Clarin|date=4 April 2006|url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2008/04/04/opinion/o-01643113.htm}}</ref> In addition, a government proposal to create a watchdog to monitor racism and discrimination was received with suspicion by ADEPA, who called it a "covert attempt to control the media." <ref>{{cite web|title=Cuestionamiento de las entidades periodísticas|publisher=La Nacion|date=8 April 2008|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/nota.asp?nota_id=1002431}}</ref> In 2006, Nestor Kirchner, Fernandez's husband and predecessor in office, received a similar rebuke for publicly and falsely denouncing that [[Joaquín Morales Solá]], a journalist critical of the government, had produced an inflammatory text published in 1978. <ref>{{cite web|title=ADEPA pide prudencia al presidente de la Nación|publisher=ADEPA|date=2 October 2006|url=http://www.adepa.org.ar/libertaddeprensa/dcl-02-10-06.asp}}</ref>
+
Regardless of how her tenure in office as Argentina's first elected woman President, and South America's second elected female head of state is evaluated, her place in history seems assured. Discussion will inevitably revolve around the fact that she belongs to a political family, which may be presented as an argument intended to detract from her personal achievements. Yet political families have played significant roles in the politics of many nations, not least of all the [[United States]], where two Presidents have had sons who also became President ([[John Adams]] and [[George H.W. Bush]]). The advantage of name recognition is certainly a factor in anyone's political success. Those who enter public service, too, are often inspired by the example of others whether their heroes are members of their own family, or people whom they may never have met but admire. She has expressed both a sense of responsibility for leading her country and for her gender.<ref>''New York Times,'' [http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/cristina_fernandez_de_kirchner/index.html?inline=nyt-per Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.] Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref> Her policies are expected to aim at social inclusion, which might be an especially feminine concern.<ref>University of Pennsylvania, [http://www.wharton.universia.net/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&id=1429&language=english Elections in Argentina: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s Rendezvous with History,] Wharton School. Retrieved July 14, 2008.</ref>
 +
 
 +
==Notes==
 +
<references/>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags—>
+
* Bolger, Jillian. Presidential Retreats: On holiday with women who run the ultimate show: Argentina's Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner by Brian Byrnes, New Zealand's Helen Clark by Audrey Young, Germany's Angela Merkel by Susan Stone, Ireland's Mary McAleese. ''Forbes'' 53 (2008): 90.  
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* Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner elected president of Argentina. ''Facts on File: Weekly World News Digest with Cumulative Index'' 67(3490) (2007): 717.
-->
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* Di Mauro, José Angel. ''Cristina K.: la dama rebelde''. Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana, 2004. ISBN 9500725800
{{reflist|2}}
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* Litvin, Aníbal, and Mario Kostzer. ''Los chistes de Néstor & Cristina''. Buenos Aires: Vergara, Grupo zeta, 2007. ISBN 978-9501524086
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
{{wikiquote|Cristina Fernández de Kirchner}}
+
All links retrieved April 30, 2022.
*{{es icon}} [http://www.presidencia.gov.ar/ Office of the President]
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*{{es icon}} [http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/argentina/cristina_fernandez_de_kirchner Extensive biography by CIDOB Foundation].
*{{es icon}} [http://www.cristina.com.ar Official site of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner]<br/>
 
*{{es icon}} [http://www.senado.gov.ar/web/senadores/biografia.php?id_sena=212&iOrden=0&iSen=ASC Senate of the Argentine Republic website]<br/>
 
*{{es icon}} [http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/argentina/cristina_fernandez_de_kirchner Extensive biography by CIDOB Foundation]
 
 
 
{{start box}}
 
{{s-hon}}
 
{{succession box
 
| before = [[Hilda de Duhalde]]
 
| after= [[Néstor Kirchner]] <br /><small>(as a [[First Gentleman]])</small>
 
| title = [[Spouses of heads of state and government#Argentina|First Lady of Argentina]]
 
| years= 2003 - 2007
 
}}
 
{{s-off}}
 
{{incumbent succession box
 
| before = [[Néstor Kirchner]]
 
| after= Incumbent
 
| title = [[President of Argentina]]
 
| start= 2007
 
}}
 
{{end box}}
 
 
 
{{Heads of State of the South America}}
 
{{Presidents of Argentina}}
 
 
 
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] —>
 
{{Persondata
 
|NAME= Kirchner, Cristina Elisabet Fernández de
 
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
 
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= [[President of Argentina|President-elect of Argentina]]
 
|DATE OF BIRTH= 1953-02-19
 
|PLACE OF BIRTH=  [[La Plata|La Plata]], [[Buenos Aires Province]]
 
|DATE OF DEATH=
 
|PLACE OF DEATH=
 
  
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[[Category:Living people]]
 
[[Category:Biography]]
 
[[Category:Biography]]
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[[Category:History]]
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[[Category:Politicians and reformers]]
  
 
{{Credit|205988694}}
 
{{Credit|205988694}}

Revision as of 19:37, 30 April 2022

Cristina Elizabet Fernández de Kirchner.

Cristina Elizabet Fernández de Kirchner (February 19, 1953 - ), commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner, is a lawyer and Argentine politician from the Justicialist Party and the current President of Argentina. She is the wife of former President of Argentina Néstor Kirchner. Before assuming the presidency, she was a Senator for Buenos Aires Province and acted as First Lady during her husband's term. In the October 2007 general election, Fernández ran for President of Argentina, representing the ruling Front for Victory party. She won the presidency with 45.29 percent of the vote, and a 22 percent lead over her nearest rival—one of the widest margins obtained by a candidate since democracy returned in 1983—avoiding the need for a runoff election.

She is Argentina's second female president (after Isabel Martínez de Perón, or Eva), but the first to be elected. Sworn in on December 10, 2007, she became the first wife in history to be elected to succeed her husband as a president and South America's second elected woman head of state—after Chile's Michelle Bachelet. Néstor Kirchner has also become the first First Gentleman in Argentine history. Kirchner is one of a comparatively small number of women who have achieved their nation's highest elected office. Several other women have achieved high office whose husbands or fathers also led their nations, such as Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan and Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia. Kirchner has inevitably attracted comparison with Eva Peron. Both "played a considerable influence over their presidential husbands and enjoyed considerable support from Argentina's poor working communities" but Kirchner is generally perceived to have "built a career largely on her own merit."[1] She has expressed a sense of responsibility towards her gender in assuming office, and is expected to aim at socially inclusive policies during her administration.[2]

Early life

Fernández was born Cristina Elizabet Fernández in La Plata, province of Buenos Aires, daughter of Eduardo Fernández (of Spanish heritage) and Ofelia Wilhelm (of German heritage). She studied law at the National University of La Plata during the 1970s. During her studies there she met her future spouse, Néstor. They married on March 9, 1975, and had two children: Máximo and Florencia. Florencia received international media attention during early 2008, when she started keeping a Fotolog.[3]

Political career

Kirchner started her political career in the Peronist Youth movement of the Justicialist Party in the 1970s. During the period of authoritarian rule in the country, she and Néstor dropped out of politics and practiced law in Río Gallegos. She picked up politics again in the late 1980s, and was elected to the Santa Cruz provincial legislature in 1989, a position to which she was re-elected in 1993.

In 1995, she was elected to represent Santa Cruz in the Senate, and in 1997, in the Chamber of Deputies. In 2001, she again won a seat in the Senate.

Kirchner provided the main backbone to her husband's successful campaign for the presidency in 2003, against two other Justicialist candidates and several other competitors. In the April 27, 2003 presidential election first round, former president Carlos Saúl Menem won the greatest number of votes (25 percent), but failed to get the votes necessary to win an overall majority. A second-round run-off vote between Menem and second-place finisher Néstor Kirchner was scheduled for May 18. Feeling certain that he was about to face a resounding electoral defeat, Menem decided to withdraw his candidacy, thus automatically making Kirchner the new president, with 21.97 percent of the votes (the lowest number in the history of the country).

Cristina Kirchner (on the right) next to U.S. First Lady Laura Bush, on November 5, 2005, during the state visit of the Bushes for the Mar del Plata Summit of the Americas.

During her husband's term, Cristina Kirchner became an itinerant ambassador for his government. Her highly combative speech style polarized Argentine politics, recalling the style of Eva Perón. Although she repeatedly rejected the comparison later, Cristina once said in an interview that she identified herself "with the Evita of the hair in a bun and the clenched fist before a microphone" (the typical image of Eva Perón during public speeches) more than with the "miraculous Eva" of her mother's time, who had come "to bring work and the right to vote for women."[4]

She was the main candidate for Senator of the Front for Victory faction of her party in the province of Buenos Aires, for the October 2005 elections, in a heated campaign directed mainly against Hilda González de Duhalde, the wife of former interim president Eduardo Duhalde. Kirchner won the elections by a 25 percent margin over González.

Election to Presidency of Argentina

President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, with her husband Néstor, the ex-president of Argentina, October 28, 2007.

With Kirchner leading all the pre-election polls by a wide margin, her challengers were trying to force her into a run-off. She needed either more than 45 percent of the vote, or 40 percent of the vote and a lead of more than 10 percent over her nearest rival, to win outright. The legality of her presidential bid funding was later disputed when U.S federal prosecutors alleged that the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez secretly tried to funnel nearly $1 million in cash to her campaign, while these allegations were vehemently denied by both the Argentinean and Venezuelan governments.[5]

Kirchner finally won the election in the first round with 45.29 percent of the vote, followed by 22 percent for Elisa Carrió (candidate for the Civic Coalition) and 16 percent for former Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna. Eleven others split the remaining 15 percent. Fernández was popular among the suburban working class and the rural poor, while Carrió received more support from the urban middle class. Of note, Fernández lost the election in the three largest cities (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Rosario), although she won in most other places elsewhere, including the large provincial capitals such as Mendoza and Tucumán.

The president elect began a four-year term on December 10, 2007, facing challenges including inflation, union demands for higher salaries, private investment in key areas, lack of institutional credibility (exemplified by the controversy surrounding the national statistics bureau, INDEC), utility companies demanding authorization to raise their fees, low availability of cheap credit to the private sector, and the upcoming negotiation of the defaulted foreign debt with the Paris Club.

Cabinet

The President in a meeting with her Ministers.

On November 14, 2007, Cristina Kirchner announced the names of her new cabinet, which started working with her on December 10. Of the 12 ministers appointed, seven were already ministers in Néstor Kirchner's government whilst the other five took office for the first time.

 The Presidential Standard of Argentina
Chiefdom of Cabinet and Ministries
of the Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's Government
Office Name Term
Chief of Ministers Cabinet Alberto Fernández December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Interior Florencio Randazzo December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
International Trade and Worship
Jorge Taiana December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Defense Nilda Garré December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Economy and Production Martín Lousteau December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Federal Planning,
Public Investment and Services
Julio de Vido December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Justice,
Security and Human Rights
Aníbal Fernández December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Work,
Labor and Social Security
Carlos Tomada December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Health and Environment Graciela Ocaña December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Social Development Alicia Kirchner December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Education Juan Carlos Tedesco December 10, 2007 – incumbent
Ministry of Science,
Technology and Productive Innovation
Lino Barañao December 10, 2007 – incumbent

Presidency

President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, with Venezuela's president Hugo Chávez 2008-03-05.

During the first days of her presidency, Argentina's relations with the United States deteriorated as a result of allegations made by a United States assistant attorney of illegal campaign contributions, a case known as the maletinazo (suitcase scandal). According to these allegations, agents tried to pressure a Venezuelan-American citizen (Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson) to lie about the origin of $790,550 in cash found in his suitcase on August 4, 2007, at a Buenos Aires airport. U.S. prosecutors said the money was sent to help Fernandez's presidential campaign.

Fernandez de Kirchner and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, called the allegations "a trashing operation" and part of a conspiracy orchestrated by the United States to divide Latin American nations. On December 19, 2007, she restricted the U.S. ambassador's activities and limited his meetings to Foreign Ministry officials; a treatment reserved for hostile countries, in the opinion of a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State.[6] However, on January 31, during a special meeting with the Argentine President, the United States ambassador in Argentina, Earl Anthony Wayne, clarified that the allegations "were never made by the United States government," and the dispute cooled down.[7] Elisa Carrio and María Estenssoro, both high ranking members of the main opposition parties, have claimed that the Argentine government's response to the allegations and its criticism of the U.S. are a "smokescreen" and described U.S. involvement in the affair as merely symptomatic, alleging that corruption in the Argentinean and Venezuelan governments are the root cause of the scandal.

In March 2008, Fernandez de Kirchner's government introduced a new sliding-scale taxation system for agricultural exports, effectively raising levies on soybean exports to 44 percent from 35 percent at the time of the announcement.[8] This led to a nationwide lockout by farming associations, starting on March 12, with the aim of forcing the government to back down on the new taxation scheme. As a result, on March 25, thousands of demonstrators banging pots massed around the obelisk in the capital and in front of the presidential palace. Protests extended across the country. In Buenos Aires, hours after Fernandez attacked farmers for their two-week strike and "abundant" profits, there were violent incidents between government supporters and protesters, and the police was accused of willfully turning a blind eye.

The media was harshly critical of Luis D'Elia, a former government official who took part in the incidents, with some media sources and members of the opposition (notably Elisa Carrio), claiming that he and his followers had violently suppressed the protest pursuant to the government's orders.

On April 1, the government organized a rally during which thousands of pro-government protesters marched through downtown Buenos Aires in support of the Argentine leadership. Fernandez recently called on farmers to act "as part of a country, not as owners of a country."

A poll published in the Spanish newspaper El Pais revealed that, following the protests, Fernandez's approval rating had "plummeted" from 57.8 per cent at the start of her administration.[9] However, El País did not cite the source of its numbers.

Relationship with the media

In April 2008, Fernandez received a stern public rebuke from ADEPA (the Argentine Journalists Association) for having publicly accused the popular cartoonist Hermenegildo Sábat of behaving like a "quasi mafioso."[10] In addition, a government proposal to create a watchdog to monitor racism and discrimination was received with suspicion by ADEPA, who called it a "covert attempt to control the media."[11] In 2006, Nestor Kirchner, Fernandez's husband and predecessor in office, received a similar rebuke for publicly and falsely denouncing that Joaquín Morales Solá, a journalist critical of the government, had produced an inflammatory text published in 1978.

Legacy

Regardless of how her tenure in office as Argentina's first elected woman President, and South America's second elected female head of state is evaluated, her place in history seems assured. Discussion will inevitably revolve around the fact that she belongs to a political family, which may be presented as an argument intended to detract from her personal achievements. Yet political families have played significant roles in the politics of many nations, not least of all the United States, where two Presidents have had sons who also became President (John Adams and George H.W. Bush). The advantage of name recognition is certainly a factor in anyone's political success. Those who enter public service, too, are often inspired by the example of others whether their heroes are members of their own family, or people whom they may never have met but admire. She has expressed both a sense of responsibility for leading her country and for her gender.[12] Her policies are expected to aim at social inclusion, which might be an especially feminine concern.[13]

Notes

  1. James Sturcke, The art of the possible, The Guardian. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  2. University of Pennsylvania, Elections in Argentina: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s Rendezvous with History, Wharton School. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  3. Uki Goni, Wild child's exposure on web upsets presidential parents, The Guardian. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  4. Rory Carroll and Oliver Balch, President in waiting evokes echo of Evita, The Guardian. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  5. Chris Carlson, Venezuela, Argentina Accuse US of Smear Campaign, Venezuelanalysis. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  6. Bill Faries and Eliana Raszewski, Argentina Protests Charges, Restricts U.S. Ambassador, Bloomberg. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  7. U.S. Embassy, DECLARACION DEL EMBAJADOR DE EE.UU., EARL ANTHONY WAYNE, LUEGO DE REUNIRSE CON LA PRESIDENTA CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  8. Heather Walsh and Eliana Raszewski, Argentine Soybean Output May Slip; Protests May Pause (Update3), Bloomberg. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  9. Angus Reid Global Monitor, Positive Rating for Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  10. Clarin, Libertad de prensa y democracia. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  11. La Nacion, Cuestionamiento de las entidades periodísticas, La Nacion. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  12. New York Times, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  13. University of Pennsylvania, Elections in Argentina: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s Rendezvous with History, Wharton School. Retrieved July 14, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bolger, Jillian. Presidential Retreats: On holiday with women who run the ultimate show: Argentina's Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner by Brian Byrnes, New Zealand's Helen Clark by Audrey Young, Germany's Angela Merkel by Susan Stone, Ireland's Mary McAleese. Forbes 53 (2008): 90.
  • Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner elected president of Argentina. Facts on File: Weekly World News Digest with Cumulative Index 67(3490) (2007): 717.
  • Di Mauro, José Angel. Cristina K.: la dama rebelde. Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana, 2004. ISBN 9500725800
  • Litvin, Aníbal, and Mario Kostzer. Los chistes de Néstor & Cristina. Buenos Aires: Vergara, Grupo zeta, 2007. ISBN 978-9501524086

External links

All links retrieved April 30, 2022.

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