Argentina: Cristina Fernandez Prepares Political Comeback

Argentina’s former president, Cristina Fernandez, prepares for her return to the political scene, heading a foundation that will debate the new conservative government’s policies, the daily Tiempo Argentino reported on Sunday.

According to former officials from her administration and current lawmakers from her Front for Victory, or FpV coalition, the preparation has already begun, and February should be “a key month.”

“Cristina has a powerful voice,” said her former Minister of Defense, Agustin Rossi. “And she will speak up when she fully comes back to political activity ... Basically, Cristina will be the strongest reference point for the opposition against [President Mauricio] Macri’s neoliberal model.”

The foundation will also be directed by Carlos Zannini, her former legal and technical secretary, as well as Oscar Parrilli, her former General Director of the federal intelligence service.

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Fernandez will draw from the experience of Lula da Silva after he left Brazilian presidency in 2011. Lula cut short his political inactivity as the right-wing offensive and the international economy significantly weakened current President Dilma Rousseff's leadership in the beginning of her second term.

In the case of Argentina, the recently-elected government of Mauricio Macri has also compelled Fernandez's return, as the conservative president passed via decree a series of neoliberal measures in a month that are drastically changing the country's progressive model promoted over the past decade.

In the first week of taking office for instance, Macri devalued the currency and announced plans to roll out changes to export and import rules to open up the South American country to foreign companies.

Macri’s opponents say his proposals will turn the country back to 1990s neoliberalism, rolling back the social welfare programs implemented during the Kirchnerist administrations, which have benefited poor and working class Argentines.

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