Page 11 - atoday
P. 11
WORLD NEWS A11
Thursday 22 October 2015
Argentines’ fear of change gives ruling party election boost
P. PRENGAMAN form the core of Kirchner- Nora Beatriz Diaz stands outside her home in Hurlingham in the province of Buenos Aires, Argen-
Associated Press ismo, the political move- tina, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina ment of Fernandez and
(AP) — Nora Beatriz Diaz her late husband and pre- (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
says her choice for presi- decessor, Nestor Kirchner.
dent in Sunday’s election The couple’s supporters social spending. loyalist who broke ranks to on Nov. 22.
was essentially decided six credit them with lifting the Scioli was leading in a half form his own party. The sur- While the country’s econo-
years ago, when she was economy after a devastat- dozen private polls pub- vey interviewed 1,200 peo- my is limping and inflation
hired by a government jobs ing 2001-2002 financial crisis lished over the past week, ple by phone Oct. 2-15 and runs at about 30 percent,
program. while also providing a life- but the race is tight. had a margin of error of 2.8 for Argentines, the refer-
Now 55, the mother of two line to the poor. In one poll, by Ricardo percentage points. ence point for a worst-
struggled for years to make Today, an estimated 15 mil- Rouvier and Associates, To win in the first round, case scenario is the finan-
ends meet. lion Argentines, or about 40.1 percent of respon- a candidate must get at cial meltdown of 2001 that
But through the “Argentina 35 percent of the popula- dents said they would least 45 percent of the plunged millions of mem-
Works” program created tion, receive some kind of vote for Scioli compared votes, or 40 percent and a bers of the middle class
by Cristina Fernandez’s direct financial assistance to 29.2 percent for Macri. 10 percent spread over the into poverty.
government, Diaz got a job from the government, ac- Another 21.6 percent said nearest competitor. If not,
cleaning and doing light cording to researchers at they would vote for Sergio there will be a runoff be- Continued on page 27
construction. the Catholic University of Massa, a former Fernandez tween top two candidates
“If I lose this job, I’ll go back Argentina.
to zero,” Diaz said of her The programs are so popu-
$275-a-month salary. “This lar that leading opposition
government has to stay in candidate Mauricio Macri,
power.” the mayor of Buenos Aires,
That attitude helps explain felt compelled to tailor his
why Fernandez hand- campaign to take them
picked successor, Daniel into consideration.
Scioli, is leading in the polls Macri initially ran a pro-
despite the country’s many market campaign, prom-
hardships: rampant infla- ising to battle corruption
tion, a stagnant economy and liberalize Argentina’s
and a battle with creditors protectionist economy.
that has made Argentina But with his poll numbers
an international financial sagging, Macri in recent
pariah. months has talked about
Diaz is among the estimat- achieving “zero poverty”
ed 30 percent of voters and promised to maintain
who political analysts say and even increase some
Venezuela president vows to tighten price controls
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) He did not provide details The plummeting free mar- the food supplier Empresas cials, suggested in the call
— Venezuela President about how the new system ket value of Venezuela’s Polar. that the International Mon-
Nicolas Maduro is vowing would be put in place. currency, the bolivar, Congress President Dios- etary Fund could create
to expand price controls in Critics blame existing price makes it hard to import dado Cabello released a an adjustment plan for the
a bid to battle rampant in- controls for increasing goods independently. recording last week of bil- country.
flation. shortages in the country, Prices are currently regulat- lionaire Polar CEO Lorenzo Mendoza has confirmed
Maduro said Tuesday he partly because many busi- ed products ranging from Mendoza speaking with an that the telephone con-
will increase enforcement nesses say they cannot pantry staples to Barbie economist on the phone versation was real, but de-
of rules that limit the profit cover costs without getting dolls. Meanwhile, Venezu- about the possibility of an nounced its secret record-
retailers can make. He a government-subsidized ela’s socialist party-con- international bailout of ing and later distribution.
also said he would expand exchange rate, and that trolled Congress made a Venezuela’s sinking econ- He denied charges that
price controls to all goods can be hard to obtain at a formal request on Wednes- omy. he is conspiring against the
and services, and said no time when falling oil prices day for an investigation into Mendoza, who has often government.
profit margin should ex- have squeezed govern- the head of the country’s come in for attack from Maduro on Sunday joined
ceed 30 percent. ment revenues. largest private company, leading government offi- in calls for his prosecution.q
