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A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 22 OcTOber 2019
She's back: Argentines contemplate possible role for "CFK"

By DÉBORA REY lighted the throng, which
Associated Press see Fernández de Kirchner
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina as the antithesis to conser-
(AP) — She's back. vative President Mauricio
At least, that was the opin- Macri. His critics link Argen-
ion of giddy supporters who tina's economic misery to
chanted "We will return!" austerity measures that are
as Cristina Fernández de part of a $55 billion financ-
Kirchner, Argentina's former ing deal with the Interna-
president, campaigned tional Monetary Fund.
ahead of national elec- Macri lost a primary election
tions on Oct. 27. in August, ceding frontrun-
Fernández de Kirchner, who ner status to his opponent,
embodies Argentina's en- Alberto Fernández. That
during cycle of hope and spooked Argentines who
despair, appears close to a recall how the big spend-
return to power, this time as ing and state intervention
a candidate for vice presi- of Fernández de Kirchner's
dent. So Argentines are center-left presidency got
wondering how exactly the In this Oct. 17, 2019 photo, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentina’s former president, waves to Argentina's economy into
government would run with supporters during a campaign rally in Santa Rosa, Argentina. Associated Press trouble.
her back in it. Macri's camp seeks to
Naturally, views diverge turned-president. ey laundering and other the poor. Supporters wear capitalize on that unease,
over the impact of Fernán- "I don't see Cristina want- crimes, although she enjoys T-shirts with her image, re- portraying Fernández de
dez de Kirchner's outsized, ing to turn Alberto into a immunity from arrest as a fer to her affectionately by Kirchner as a puppet mas-
polarizing persona on the puppet, speaking over member of Congress, a sta- her initials "CFK" and barely ter waiting in the wings.
leadership of a nation long him, making her own ad- tus that would also apply as mention a running mate "She'll be the one who gov-
starved of economic stabil- ministrative agenda," said vice president. who was once Cabinet erns" if Alberto Fernández
ity. It's hard to find common Patricio Giusto, co-founder Fernández de Kirchner's chief when she was presi- wins, said Miguel Pichetto,
ground among Argentines of Diagnóstico Político, an biggest concern as vice dent. Macri's candidate for vice
weary of financial crashes Argentine consultancy. president would be to en- "She's the one who has the president. "She's the one
and political convulsion. "She wants to be en- sure that the Justice Min- votes, she makes it all hap- who would have power,
Will Fernández de Kirchner, trenched in the Senate, istry treats her favorably, pen," said Gastón Pérez, have no doubt."
if her ticket wins, take a which is an important pole said Mariel Fornoni, head of who waited more than Nicolás Trotta, a top aide
back seat to her new boss, of power, but above all she Management & Fit Consul- four hours at a Buenos Aires on the opposition ticket,
who used to work for her? is worried about her family tora, an Argentine research university complex to see dismisses such theories. He
Or would she be a Machia- situation," Giusto said. center. Fernández de Kirchner. told The Associated Press
vellian figure, manipulating The vice president is based The former president has There, she electrified the in an interview that Alberto
Argentina's possible next not at government head- held few campaign events. awed crowd, reflecting an Fernández, as president,
president, Alberto Fernán- quarters but in the Sen- She has often visited Cuba emotional connection that would gladly consult a
dez, from behind the ate, over which he or she to see daughter Florencia, eludes most other Argen- deputy (the two are not re-
scenes? presides. If Fernández de who has received medical tine politicians. lated) who has "an incred-
Some analysts doubt Kirchner becomes vice treatment there this year. "If I'm a candidate for vice ible connection" with many
66-year-old Fernández de president, she would be Her son Máximo is a deputy president, it's not because I Argentines.
Kirchner, a senator who watched for any maneu- in Congress and also faces want to be vice president. Argentina's next govern-
succeeded husband Nés- vers aimed at elevating the legal problems. That's clear. I thought of it ment faces massive debt,
tor Kirchner as president in deputy's traditionally junior Still, Fernández de Kirchner as a way to help shape a soaring inflation, deepen-
2007 and served two four- role. retains immense popular- new majority in Argentina," ing poverty and official un-
year terms, would try to But she faces investigations ity among Argentines who Fernández de Kirchner said. employment of more than
sideline a running-mate- into alleged fraud, mon- view her as a champion of The opaque remarks de- 10 percent.q

Renewed disturbances in Chile; many line up for food

By EVA VERGARA later reformed elsewhere. many people were unable
Associated Press Meanwhile, police and sol- to reach jobs. Conserva-
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — diers guarded long lines of tive President Sebastián Pi-
Hundreds of protesters de- Chileans who lined up be- ñera said Sunday that the
fied an emergency decree fore supermarkets that had country is "at war with a
and confronted confront reopened. Many remained powerful, relentless enemy
police in Chile's capital on closed after a weekend that respects nothing or
Monday, continuing distur- that saw scores of stores anyone and is willing to use
bances that have left at looted or burned. violence and crime without
least 11 dead and led the Only one of the city's six any limits," though he did
president to say the coun- subway lines was operat- not say who the enemy is.
try is "at war." ing because rioters had But his left-leaning rival,
Police used tear gas and burned or damaged many former President Michelle
streams of water to break of the stations, and officials Bachelet, issued a state-
up the march of students said it could take weeks ment calling for dialogue
and union members on one or months to fully restore and urging all sides to Military police stand guard at a supermarket as customers are
of Santiago's main streets service. Some 2 million stu- work "toward solutions that pay for their groceries, in Santiago, Chile, on Monday, Oct. 21,
Monday, but demonstra- dents were forced to stay contribute to calming the 2019.
tors who at first dispersed home from classes and situation."q Associated Press