The ambition to become a savior is constant. Before his current landing in Economics, Massa had other important attempts that came to nothing. The first was when the PASO of 2021 were lost and John Manzur replaced Santiago Cafiero in the Chief of Cabinet, then when he resigned Matias Kulfas, and finally when he left Guzman. In all three instances, Massa sounded like a superminister, but exercising his power from the Chief of Staff. In all those cases, he was halfway there. What changed now? In those different times, the only one pushing the situation was Massa. Alberto Fernandez and Cristina Kirchner they had their qualms. This time, urged by the severe exchange rate run, the President and the Vice President agreed to give the green light to the Tigrense, who carried out a strong media lobby –including an operational clamor from friendly governors– to reach the Government.
The relationship between Massa and CFK was always tense, especially since the 2009 legislative elections, when Néstor Kirchner lost to Francisco De Narvaez. In those elections Massa fared better than Kirchner in his district, Tigre, and that ballot cut-off raised suspicions of treason. We must add to this episode the Wikileaks chapter, in 2010, when the cables from the United States embassy in Buenos Aires were revealed in which Massa’s texts were transcribed in which he described Néstor Kirchner as a “psychopath” and Cristina as a “submissive”.
Closer in time, in 2013, the great break with Kirchnerism occurred, when he faced the candidate of CFK, Martin Insaurralde, in the legislative elections of that year and won, to the point that a presidential dream began to dawn, which he tried for the first time in 2015. By then, the war with Kirchnerism was total and he even threatened in campaign events with “ put them in jail.” Cristina always mistrusted Massa’s friendship with the judicial actors who persecuted her the most and her friends, such as the deceased Judge Claudio Bonadio or the prosecutor Guillermo Marijuan.
Massa’s judicial friendships remain to this day. An example: Cassation Judge Eduardo Riggi asked the now Economy Minister if he could intercede to extend his retirement. Next year he turns 75 and he must step down. Riggi has causes that Cristina Kirchner could be interested in, which is why Commodore Py is already speculating that the magistrate could offer a ruling in his favor in exchange for an extension in his retirement.
by RN
