Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero warned of a “radicalization of the anti-democratic right-wing in the region”, referring to the attacks by a group of followers of former President Jair Bolsonaro against the institutions of Brazil.
“When I was chief of staff and the Argentine opposition spoke of ‘infection’, I warned that there was a colonization in the opposition by anti-democratic right-wing tendencies,” Cafiero said in dialogue with El Destape Radio.
The official interpreted that “this is both (Donald) Trump in the United States, Bolsonaro in Brazil and is represented by (Mauricio) Macri in Argentina.”
The foreign minister explained that he is in permanent contact with Brazilian authorities, and ruled out that a trip by President Alberto Fernández to that country is being planned.
Regarding what happened last Sunday in Brasilia, when a group of Bolsonaro supporters attacked various institutions in the country, Cafiero estimated that there was “an organization, with a financing scheme to advance this sort of uprising with violent actions, in addition to letting act on behalf of the local authority.
When asked about the quick reaction of the Brazilian Justice to what happened and the comparison with the investigation into the attempted assassination of Vice President Cristina Kirchner, Cafiero indicated that “when the judiciary feels threatened they act more quickly”, recalling that in the riots the headquarters of the Supreme Court of Brazil was also attacked.
Regarding the attack suffered by the Vice President, he said that “first it was minimized, then they said it was crazy and they tried to trivialize the situation.”
He added that “judicial times are what they are, and what the Vice President’s lawyers are carrying out is propitious.”
For Cafiero, “if the judges are not able to carry out the investigation, let it go to another jurisdiction or to another court, but let the investigations be done quickly.”
Regarding the Celac summit that will be held in Buenos Aires this month, Cafiero affirmed that “with these events, the agenda will surely be much more loaded in relation to the challenges of integration.”
Regarding the Celac summit that will be held in Buenos Aires this month, Cafiero affirmed that “with these events, the agenda will surely be much more loaded in relation to the challenges of integration.”
“It is not only an economic or financial integration, but to strengthen the democratic institutions of each of the countries,” he said.
Cafiero indicated that when he traveled with President Alberto Fernández to the inauguration ceremony of Lula Da Silva, he could see “the hope of a people that not only embraced” the new president but also “hoped that Brazil would stand up based on respect for the diversities”.
“Brazil should not have lost that course and must return to the path of pacification,” he said.
By last, Referring to Bolsonaro’s reaction to what happened, he said that “the same thing was said by Macri and many violent leaders of Together for Change (JxC) when they hung mortuary bags in Government House” during the pandemic.
“When you sow hate, you reap haters”finished Cafiero.
