Cristina Kirchner approaches López Obrador to unite forces against Trump
Cristina Kirchner concretized a keygeostrategic movement months from the presidential elections in Argentina,where she finds herself leading the polls.
The ex-president, branded as apopulist like López Obrador, sent her ex-minister of economy, Axel Kicillof, tomeet with officials from AMLO's cabinet. Both of them share a regional viewcritical of the United States and a closeness to the Chavista regime of NicolásMaduro.
She has not announced it formally,but everything indicates that Cristina Kirchner will compete in the Argentineelections against President Mauricio Macri in October, who is seeing hissupporters fade away because of the major economic crisis that is strikingArgentina.
In the middle of that process, AxelKicillof arrived in Mexico this Monday on a visit of strong and dense policies.
First of all, López Obrador became asort of beacon of hope for a large part of the Argentine center-left for a newprogressive era in the region. It's a process that failed to prove itself withJair Bolsonaro's victory in Brazil. AMLO would be a natural ally in ideologicalterms for an eventual third presidency for Cristina Kirchner, and aninteresting counterweight to Donald Trump, who has shown very clearly hispreference for Macri.
On the other hand, Kicillof hasstrong anti-neoliberalist rhetoric, which is very similar to, though moretechnical, than the one López Obrador outlines. In fact, its was under thatslogan that he arranged a conference against neoliberalism at the famousNational Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) alongside left-wing scholarJohn Ackerman, who is very close to AMLO.
Kicillof held meetings with theyoung Secretary of Labor, Luisa María Alcalde, and Graciela Márquez Colín fromthe Ministry of Economy.
Axel Kicillof at the UNAM in Mexico City.
On the first day of his visit, theeconomist interviewed with Luisa María Alcalde, AMLO's young Secretary ofLabor, and Graciela Márquez Colín, the Minister of Economy. Although they arestill negotiating, on Tuesday Kicillof might have some minutes in private withLópez Obrador, all a gesture by the man from Tabasco.
It's not the first time thatCristina Kirchner tries to reinforce her ties with López Obrador, who sheconsiders a valuable leader for the region. Already during the elections,AMLO's campaign team received visits from various of the ex-president'scollaborators.
Kicillof traveled alongside theeconomist Cecilia Nahón, the Argentine Ambassador to the United States duringthe last years of Kirchnerism. Her presence has a simple explanation: the tourincludes a visit to Washington on a trip where the main objective would be toreassure the markets in the face of fears that Cristina would default on theArgentine debt if she wins again.
In Mexico, Kicillof also met withMarti Batres, Senate President and one of the most prominent leaders leaning tothe left within MORENA, the movement created by AMLO. Within that same group hemet with Dani Tovar, an ex-adviser to Rafael Correa, about a fluid dialoguewith La Cámpora.
López Obrador is one of the fewcountries in the region that has stayed neutral in the face of the assault ledby the United States against Maduro, which in fact implies support to theChavista regime.
Cristina Kirchner doesn't hide thehistory of her relationship with Chavismo either, and if she returns to power,it's very probable that Argentina shifts from the pro United States axis itleads along with Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.