Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BUENOSAIRES1090
2006-05-12 19:49:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:  

ARGENTINA: AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ADVOCATE EXPELLED

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREL AR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1090 1321949
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121949Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4522
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 5527
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 5330
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0910
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 4136
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 5544
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 5126
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001090 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ADVOCATE EXPELLED
FROM RULING PARTY

REF: 05 BUENOS AIRES 02303
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001090

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ADVOCATE EXPELLED
FROM RULING PARTY

REF: 05 BUENOS AIRES 02303

1) (SBU) Peronist national congresswoman Maria del Carmen
Alarcon -- the leading defender of the agricultural sector in
the national Congress-- was expelled from the ruling Victory
Front (FPV) congressional bloc and asked to resign the
presidency of the Agricultural Committee in the Lower House
on May 10 by FPV leaders because of her strong criticism of
the GOA's agricultural policies. Alarcon also heads the
agricultural lobby Grupo Pampa Sur together with
ex-Congressman Miguel Saredi (For more on Grupo Pampa Sur,
see Reftel). Alarcon is a second-term Lower House member
that first entered Congress in 1999 as a protege of former
Santa Fe Governor and current National Senator Carlos
Reutemann. Casa Rosada pollster Enrique Zuleta Puceiro told
Poloff on May 11 that FPV bloc leader, Agustin Rossi,
strongly advocated Alarcon's expulsion to President Kirchner
because he views Reutemann and Alarcon as rivals within the
Peronist Party (PJ) in Santa Fe.

2) (SBU) The political opposition -- including the
Duhaldistas that have remained outside of the FPV, Elisa
Carrio's Affirmation for an Egalitarian Republic (ARI) and
Republican Proposal (PRO) leader Mauricio Macri -- criticized
the action against Alarcon. Senator Hilda "Chiche" Gonzalez
de Duhalde attacked the ruling party's "authoritarianism" and
the National Justice bloc that she is a part of expressed
strong support for Alarcon. Alarcon said she would not
resign the Agriculture Committee presidency -- forcing the
FPV to vote to remove her -- and would form her own
one-person bloc in Congress. (Comment: The FPV leadership
will easily be able to garner the necessary votes to remove
her from the committee presidency. End Comment.)

3) (SBU) Comment: Maria del Carmen Alarcon has been the
leading congressional member in recent years who has
championed the rights of the agricultural community. The
move against Alarcon is clearly designed to send the message
that the Kirchner administration will not tolerate criticism
of its controversial agricultural policies from within the
ruling party. Alarcon chose to defend the interests of her
province and that of her voters rather than give her
unwavering support for the GOA's policies. Alarcon's
punishment is yet another example of President Kirchner's
control over his supporters in the Argentine Congress. As
Kirchner continues to exert greater control over his
congressional bloc through actions like this, he in the
process weakens the independence and power of the Argentine
Congress. End Comment.

GUTIERREZ