Felipe Solá tried to explain to Secretary of State de Biden Argentina’s position vis-à-vis the Nicaraguan dictatorship

They were forty minutes in the Palazzo Lanfranchi, which protected them from the heat which struck the city of Matera (Italy), within the framework of the summit of the chancellors of the G20. In this multilateral context, Felipe Solá met Antony Blinken, Secretary of State for the Administration of Joseph Biden, to analyze the relations between the two countries, the economic and health crisis triggered by COVID-19, and the political situation in Nicaragua caused by dictator Daniel Ortega.

“There was mutual trust and sincerity. It was a frank conversation. This is the initial assessment of the meeting “, commented Infobae an Argentinian official who attended the meeting.

“Today I met the Minister of Foreign Relations of Argentina, Felipe Solá. We can work together on various issues including climate change, ending the COVID-19 pandemic, and support for human rights and democracy in the region. We hope to collaborate around shared objectives ”, Blinken wrote on his official Twitter account.

Solá was accompanied to the meeting by the Argentine Ambassador to the United States, Jorge Arguello; the Chief of Staff of the Chancellery, Guillermo Justo Chaves; and the Ambassador to Italy, Roberto Carles. And next to Blinken were Derek Chollet, Marcia Bernicat and Suzy George, State Department officials who also attended the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Summit held in Bari, Italy.

This is the first time that Solá and Blinken have met in person. So far, they had spoken on the phone and by video conference. On these occasions, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State have discussed from time to time the regional agenda and the political situation in Nicaragua.

Before the Organization of American States (OAS) condemnation of the Sandinista dictatorship, Blinken opened a line of negotiations to join Argentina. But Solá – by presidential instruction – rejected the terms of the diplomatic text proposed by Blinken, and ultimately Argentina abstained in a resolution that was passed by 26 Latin American countries.

Solá reiterated to Blinken that the Peronist government does not support the Sandinista dictatorship. The Minister of Foreign Affairs argued before the Secretary of State that Argentina does not agree to express an opinion on the electoral standards of the Nicaraguan regime, as this would imply intervening in the internal affairs of the countries.

In this context, The Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated that there is a condemnation of the dictatorship of the Ortega couple that Argentina has formalized with Mexico in the OAS, and that the administration of Alberto Fernández has all the political will to insist on the freedom of the political prisoners of the Sandinista regime.

“Diplomatic differences were raised regarding Nicaragua. But not in the heart of the matter: both Argentina and the United States, we want freedom to be in full force, there to be free and fair elections, and an end to the harassment of the media and businesses. », Commented a member of the government who participated in the conclave of Matera (Italy).

With this analysis of the geopolitical scenario of the region, Solá defended Balcarce’s position 50 when a strong condemnation of the Sandinista regime was approved at the last meeting at the OAS. On this occasion, Argentina was on the fringes of 26 Latin American countries, including the United States and its three Mercosur partners: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Alberto Fernández and Biden keep their distance from Nicaragua and Venezuela, and they come together when the bilateral relationship is about environmental sustainability and the fight against transnational crime.

La Casa Rosada believes that a transition can be negotiated with Daniel Ortega and Nicolás Maduro, while the White House maintains that populist leaders are using diplomatic dialogue to buy time and consolidate their positions of totalitarian power.

On the other hand, Argentina and the United States share a common agenda related to the persecution of drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking and the control of the Triple Frontier – the regional operational base. of Hezbollah-, and with Biden, the shared point of view on the Treaty of Paris and climate change was recaptured.

At the same time, Alberto Fernández needs Biden to consolidate his negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Paris Club. The United States is the key to these multilateral organizations, and without their support it is impossible to reach an agreement to refinance the payment of the foreign debt of 44,000 million dollars left by the administration of Mauricio Macri.

In addition to the situation in Nicaragua and the effective implementation of the Climate Change Agreement, Solá and Blinken analyzed the global situation caused by COVID-19. The minister described to the Secretary of State the decision to restrict flights to avoid the massive arrival of the Delta strain in the country and the vaccination plan at the national level.

Biden has decided to donate millions of coronavirus vaccines, but they will not be able to reach Argentina yet for legal reasons. As Casa Rosada has not yet signed contracts with Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson, these doses transferred by the White House have remained blocked in the United States until further notice.

Anyway, Solá thanked Blinken for the gesture, that of the State Department has made itself available to achieve the rapid shipment of these doses that could have accelerated the national vaccination plan in the face of the relentless second wave of COVID-19.