Alberto Fernandez He said this Saturday that Argentina “has no permanent or perpetual friends or enemies”defended his recent visit to Russia and China, and he maintained that with the United States he wants to have “a mature, frank and sincere relationship”.
“The world has changed and is multilateral, which forces us to link up and have mature relations of respect with all the countries of the world. Argentina has neither permanent nor perpetual friends or enemies, but rather the defense of its interests,” said the President in dialogue with Romina Calderaro and Darío Villaroel, in the program Secreto de Sumario, radio Diez.
Along these lines, he stressed that “it is an agreement in which the conservative world mistreats the Fund because they say that they do not impose any adjustments on us” and added: “I believe that we have taken a step in trying to resolve this enormous problem that we have inherited, left to us by the government of US President Donald Trump, the Monetary Fund and the Government of (Mauricio) Macri”.
Regarding the position that the opposition would adopt by backing the agreement in Parliament, as anticipated this week after an opposition summit, Fernández said that “it is an act of good sense that they help us solve a very serious problem that Argentina has.”
“Unlike what has happened historically, we prefer that this issue be debated in Congress as the Constitution mandates. We do not want this to be done with its back to Congress or back to the people,” he said.
During the interview, the President also elaborated on the tour of Russia and China and also spoke of the relationship with the United States, which is an important member of the IMF.
“Many were upset when I said that Argentina has a dependency relationship with the Monetary Fund and consequently with the United States, but we have to remember and realize what is happening to us: today Argentina owes the Fund 45 billion dollars and is trying to get out of that problem and it’s something we’re going to have for a long time,” he said.
In that sense, he continued: “That debt was generated because the US government at the time – President Donald Trump – facilitated with their votes in the Fund that credit be given and this is not what I say, but what they themselves have said. “
Fernández also recognized that “just as Trump worked to favor the government of (Mauricio) Macri and give him credit that was very harmful to Argentina, at this time the US government -of Joe Biden-, when the time has come to find a solution or a beginning of exit to the problem, accompanied with his vote”.
“Both things are true and that marks that things are not so linear because it is not a bipolar world,” the president remarked.
“We believe that we should have a mature, frank, sincere and mutually respectful relationship with the United States. We do not do these things thinking of harming someone. We want to have the same relationship with the United States, with Russia, China, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil and with Europe,” he concluded.
“The world has changed and is multilateral, which forces us to link up and have mature relationships of respect with all the countries of the world. Argentina has no permanent or perpetual friends or enemies, but the defense of its interests”Alberto Fernandez
The controversy with CABA over passenger transport
Regarding the discussion between the national government and the Buenos Aires government regarding the level of subsidies that the capital receives for public transport, the President stated that “being autonomous requires self-financing, but it is very difficult for the city to understand this” of Buenos Aires .
“This issue must be resolved seriously. I am from Buenos Aires, I love the city and I celebrate the autonomy of the city, but this thing of being autonomous to do what I want but they give me the money to do it, is not reasonable,” said the leader.
In this framework, he maintained that “one looks at the cost of a ticket in the interior and in the city of Buenos Aires and immediately realizes that there is discrimination” and added: “The problem that this generates is that the rest of the country comes and says ‘I want the same as the City'”.
In another section, the head of state said that “to this day we continue to pay the salary of all the policemen (from CABA), but not from the Chaco or from other provinces, and the same happens with energy and transportation.”
“It is not to put themselves in that place that the people of Buenos Aires and their rulers put themselves. You have to understand that you have to seriously debate and resolve and address a problem that exists,” concluded the president.
This Friday, in Puerto Iguazú, the national government obtained the support of the governors of the Norte Grande -including the radicals Gerardo Morales (Jujuy) and Gustavo Valdés (Corrientes)- in “the decision to decentralize”, in the case of the City of Buenos Aires, “transport management” and stressed that “all governors have been consistent in this.”
