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A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 29 OcTOber 2019
A populist Peronist returns to power as VP in Argentina

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO tect themselves, many
DEBORA REY stashed dollars in vaults or
Associated Press under the mattress.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina "The last two years have
(AP) — Argentine former been brutal in Argentina,"
President Cristina Fernán- said Benjamin Gedan, an
dez, the divisive Peronist Argentina expert at the
leader both loathed and Woodrow Wilson Interna-
loved in this economically tional Center for Scholars.
troubled South American "Voters have suffered a
country, is once again in painful recession, unimag-
a top position of power, a inably high inflation and a
development that rattled debt crisis. No incumbent
investors Monday even as could survive in these con-
financial experts said it was ditions."
unlikely the country would When Alberto Fernández
fully return to Fernández's topped party primaries in
populist policies. August, stocks plummeted
Thousands of jubilant sup- and the peso depreci-
porters of Fernández's run- ated on investor fears of a
ning mate and new boss, return to the populist eco-
incoming President Alberto nomic policies of Cristina
Fernández, celebrated the Fernández. Argentina Cen-
center-left victory in Sun- Peronist presidential candidate Alberto Fernández, right, and running mate, former President Cris- tral Bank president Guido
tina Fernández, address supporters after incumbent President Mauricio Macri conceded defeat at
day's election after conser- the end of election day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019. Sandleris said that since
vative incumbent President Associated Press then, Argentina has spent
Mauricio Macri conceded about $22 billion to guard
defeat. predecessor as president, denies any wrongdoing. world, nearly one-third of the peso. He also prom-
"We're coming back! We're Nestor Kirchner. He re- "Today, Alberto is the presi- Argentines are poor and ised Monday to protect
coming back!" they chant- mained in the position dur- dent of all Argentines," its currency has continued the bank's foreign reserves.
ed, waving sky-blue and ing part of Cristina Fernán- Cristina Fernández told to plunge under Macri, And immediately after Sun-
white Argentine flags. dez's term as president but supporters, some of whom who came into power in day's election results came
Alberto Fernández, who is left after a conflict with brandished tattoos with her 2015 with promises to boost in, the Central Bank an-
no relation to the former farmers in 2008. and Kirchner's images. South America's second- nounced it would sharply
president, had 48.1% of the For many voters, placing Some worried that the Per- largest economy and one limit the amount of dollars
votes compared to 40.4% the former aide at the top onist victory would scare of the world's top grain sup- that people can buy: to
for Macri, with almost 97% of the ticket made it more off investors and revive pliers. $200 a month from a previ-
percent of the votes count- palatable. Cristina Fernán- the interventionist policies Ordinary Argentines are ous $10,000 a month, until
ed, election officials said. dez, who represents the blamed for squeezing both haunted by the country's December.
He needed 45% of the vote more radical wing of the exports and imports, as well worst economic collapse, Although the peso opened
to avoid a runoff. Peronist party, is both wildly as a busy black market dur- in 2001-2002, when banks stable Monday at about 65
Alberto Fernández served popular among many and ing Cristina Fernández's rule froze deposits, the local per dollar, some stocks fell
as chief of staff from 2003 widely despised. She also from 2007 to 2015. Argen- currency lost about 70% of in New York, while others re-
to 2007 for Cristina Fernán- faces a string of corruption tina's inflation rate already its value and 1 in 5 people mained stable or climbed
dez's late husband and investigations, although she is one of the highest in the were unemployed. To pro- slightly. q

Colombia's capital city of Bogota elects first female mayor

Claudia López won the crowd. "We knew that only Blanca Duran, a former city
race for mayor of Bogota by uniting could we win. politician, told the El Espe-
on a platform promising We did that. We united, we ctador newspaper that
to combat corruption and won and we made history!" with López's win, Bogota is
advance equal rights for She vowed to continue "setting an example for the
minority communities. uniting Colombians across country."
The Alianza Verde candi- the political spectrum and "It is showing that it is a city
date captured over 1.1 mil- work to improve daily life is- with respect, with diversity,
lion votes, or about 35 per- sues like public transporta- in which we can advance
cent of the vote, defeating tion. rights," she said.
runner-up Carlos Galán by Many in the LGBT commu- Centrist and progressive
2.7 percentage points. nity praised López's victory party candidates won sev-
With her victory, López also as an important step for- eral important posts in Co-
becomes the first openly ward in a country where lombia's local elections, the
lesbian mayor of a capital gay and lesbians still con- first since the signing of an
Claudia Lopez with the Green Alliance celebrates her election
victory as mayor of Bogota, in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Oct. city in Latin America, a re- front harassment. Earlier this historic peace accord with
27, 2019. gion slowly advancing in year, a man was caught leftist rebels.
Associated Press improving LGBT rights but on camera pushing and Conservative former Presi-
where long-standing cul- screaming profanities at dent Álvaro Uribe acknowl-
Associated Press or Sunday in what is being tural biases and inequality two gay men in their early edged his party's setback,
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) hailed as an important ad- remain barriers. 20s hugging and holding stating on Twitter that "I
— Colombia's capital city vancement for both wom- "This is the day of the wom- hands at an upscale mall in recognize the defeat with
elected its first female may- en and LGBT rights. an," she said to a jubilant Colombia's capital. humility."q