A constant zigzag. The position of Argentina regarding the Russian invasion to Ukraine it can be more or less condemnatory, depending on the chancellor’s definitions santiago cafiero. And there is everything.
In just under a week, Alberto Fernández’s trusted official took it upon himself to speak of “conflict”, first, and “invasion” later. While in Argentina he used a lighter stance against Russia, in his presentation at the UN Human Rights Council it was more forceful. Even though the country did not accept the press release from the OAS or NATO. “Here you don’t have to choose sides,” Cafiero tried to explain. A confused chancellor.
Balancer
Beyond the pressure from the Western powers that support Ukraine, two positions underlie the government coalition.
the one that heads Cristina Kirchner He has a certain empathy with Vladimir Putin: that generates headaches when it comes to not looking so bad on the outside, but neither on the inside. In between, Cafiero strives to combine criteria.
The first government statement on the war was hastily put together between the President and Chancellor, a few hours after the Russian invasion was unleashed. The objective was that, in his morning conferences, Government spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti could read the Argentine position. The text, which spoke of “conflict” and did not directly condemn Russiashowed the discomfort of the Government on the subject.
So flimsy was the statement that the charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Ukraine in Argentina, Sergiy Nebrathe maintained: “We are not satisfied with the answer.”
The thing is Alberto Fernandez he had recently returned from a tour that had taken him to meet Putin, even as tensions between Russia and Ukraine were already on the front page of the international media. The fact that the President offered to find “a way for Argentina to become a gateway for Russia enters Latin America”, to a president who was already thinking of invading another sovereign territory.
They accuse the chancellor of such nonsense, by action or omission. “Cafiero is an intern”, protested the radical leader Mario Negri about the inexperience of the official. Other opponents requested the interpellation of the minister in Congress.
Zig Zag
At the top of the UN, Coffee it was restrictive. He indicated that the Argentine position demands “the immediate cessation of the use of force.” However, the country did not acquiesce to the OAS ruling and neither did it with NATO. “The only alignment that Argentina has are the interests of Argentines,” Cafiero said on radio El Destape. An answer for each interlocutor.
In the search for internal harmony, the foreign minister had a Solomonic definition to explain Argentina’s position in the face of the Russian invasion: “What the vice president expressed is our position,” he said. End of discussion. Hours before, Cristina had broken the silence by avoiding condemning Russia.
short circuits
In the internal distribution of power, Cafiero has an uncomfortable position with respect to the vice. Albertist par excellence, the chancellor enjoys the most absolute mistrust of the real leader of the Front of All. So much so that the international information that Cristina receives is provided by Deputy Foreign Minister Pablo Tettamanti and by the Ambassador to Russia, Eduardo Zuain.
In fact, Cristina had pointed out to Cafiero as one of those responsible for the 2021 electoral defeat, for which Alberto Fernández had to relegate him from his role as Chief of Staff. The chancery thing was just a consolation prize.
Nor is it that Cafiero have used this time to do an express master’s degree in international relations. His office became a kind of parallel Cabinet headquarters, where meetings were held with officials who wanted to send a message to the President.
Cafiero seems to be destined to fulfill his role in the face of great adversity: as chief of staff he had to face the pandemic, as chancellor a war. The problem is whether he is prepared for the challenges that politics imposes on him.
Meanwhile, he juggles between internal cracks and external pressures. And the improvisations leave it in evidence.
