Five candidates, five ways to put Argentina on the world map

he discuss around the place that Argentina should occupy in the world today, he showed the six presidential candidates faithful to his booklets, with Mauricio Macri claiming the slogan of "Around the world"That he got his government and the rest of the candidates to make a common cause to dismantle these arguments, each from a strong angle.

Strong debt, "submission" to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and at the will of the great powers and until they give up the struggle for sovereignty over the Falkland Islands Alberto Fernandez, Roberto Lavagna, José Luis Espert, Juan José Gómez Centurión and Nicolás del Caño in the same corner of the ring with strange coincidences despite its sharp ideological divergences.

"Upon our arrival, Argentina was one of the most isolated countries in the world. He had few contacts and his strategic partner was Venezuela. Fortunately, in 2015, we have changed and established relations with many countries, whatever their ideology, "said the president before listing the victories of his management: a revitalized Mercosur, from the hand of Brazil, Trusted relationships with world leaders have helped to preside over the G20 and restore damaged links with Uruguay and Paraguay. "All of this we have done with a unique vision and purpose: work and a better quality of life for the Argentineans. For these were the trips, meetings, conferences and visits, "said Macri.

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Many hoped that the president would benefit even more from the first segment of the night, after all, Argentina's "smart insertion" leitmotif in the global system was part of the conceptual core of its history of power. Yes up It was even one of the questions that Macri was preparing in depth with his Secretary for Strategic Affairs, Fulvio Pompeo. With the latest decision to formalize the diplomatic break with the government of Nicolás Maduro, in the days leading up to his arrival in Santa Fe, they had even paid the land for Venezuela, one of Rosada's favorite political flags. , gaining ground presidential debate.

Fernández chose to focus on the lack of investments that we had encouraged so much: change since 2015 and even a repeated chicana with the succession of semesters was allowed on the basis of the promise of growth missed in the second half of 2016 that had not been given. The candidate Before everyone He began his presentation with a focus on globalization and how to participate "dignified, standing, preserving the rights of Argentina" in a phenomenon "who has come to stay". He also stated that Mercosur was the platform for establishing links with other regions, such as the European Union, whose agreement indicated that it was not did not know the details. "I'm not afraid of openness, what I'm not going to allow is that openness takes Argentine industries and work," he said. .

Mercosur has indeed consumed a significant part of the minutes devoted to external relations and has clearly shown the strategies developed in the previous weeks. Like that of Espert in his eagerness to continue Lavagna's vote without stopping, therefore, to question Macri and Fernández. For example, when he charged directly against the definitions of the other economist's block on stage, in order to make a difference in the schools: "Candidate Roberto Lavagna has just said that Mercosur must be saved, we believe that Mercosur was a sham, an economic opening lie from which nothing can be saved."

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For the ultra-liberal candidate, Mercosur was nothing more than the imposition of former President Carlos Menem, in collusion "with this retrograde industrialism of Argentina, not to be in competition. with the whole world, nothing can be saved from trading with peers, equal to us. "In turn, instead, Lavagna chose to ignore it and stick to the government's position on the commercial success of its foreign policy.

"It is not true that exports are increasing, much less than the participation of medium and small enterprises Since 2005, the number of exporting companies has decreased in 1,700 cases." Except for commodities, we have not progressed and this reflects: in any event, the low level of current economic activity in Argentina ". He however stressed the potential of the knowledge industry, although he stressed that it was an original law of 2004, while it was still Minister of the Economy.

Curiously the current government's debt policy matches strange dance partners. Of the two ideological extremes, Del Caño and Espert are the two who have given the greatest importance to the subject and the agreement with the International Monetary Fund and the great powers. Similarly, the claim of Argentina's sovereign rights over the Falkland Islands and the "global" policy adopted by the Macri Executive were subject to a common approach by the participants.

Of all, Gomez Centurion He focused on the proposal for a new defense policy for the country, while most presidents focused on the economic aspect. If he even returned to the diffused Chinese presence in his Patagonian space base, he would ask Alberto if he was considering repeating this "surrender of sovereignty" of the Kirchnerist administration – although Fernández did not not answered – and takes in the current immigration policy that allows "tour" health, universities and social plans for non-resident aliens. "But as in other parts of the debate, he ran out of time and his voice only disappeared.

M.B./D.S.