The real reasons for the cancellation of Alberto Fernández’s trip to Paris

President Alberto Fernandez I was going to be one of the guest stars of the Generation Equality forum in Paris. But the absence of other presidents summoned, the reduction to which it was mainly made by Zoom, the advance of the Delta variant of the Covid and the concern of the French authorities in front of the delegations arriving from the red zones, plus the trap. air in Argentina and the fury of those who could not travel made him abandon the project at the last minute.

He wasn’t wrong. The idea of ​​the Forum in the Louvre Pyramid was diluted when Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, co-organizer of the meeting, decided to come down and send his chancellor. At the same time, at the Eliseo Palace the details of the presence of the head of state, Emmanuel Macron, at the event were unknown.

Argentina’s presence was joined by Finland, Sweden, Austrian Prime Minister and UN Secretary Antonio Guterres. But then the numbers that were waiting in France disappeared to be reduced to Tunisia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Georgia and Iceland.

The Forum did not respond to requests for accreditation from journalists. Those who were to arrive in Paris accompanying their presidents had to comply with quarantine measures, demanded by the French government, if they came from a country in the red zone for fear of variations. The organization was getting more and more complicated.

The Generación Igualdad project to promote gender equality around the world was launched in Mexico in March and was due to culminate in Paris between June 30 and July 2.

Its organizers see it as a global turning point for gender equality. A goal that brings together governments, businesses and change agents from around the world to define and announce ambitious and political investments.

President Emmanuel Macron released a video on Monday afternoon to announce his participation on June 30 at its opening.

He qualified his commitment “in favor of equality between women and men, and in particular access to positions of responsibility, in both the public and private sectors”. The French head of state noted that “female leadership will be essential to decide, build and innovate in the post-pandemic world”.

He called for redoubling efforts “in favor of equality between women and men”, access “to sexual and reproductive health and rights”, access “to educational, professional and political opportunities and support for feminist organizations and rights defenders ”. He still did not know that his friend Alberto Fernández was canceling his trip and announcing his presence.

The Argentine president will ultimately not be able to live in the traditional Raphael hotel, with its spectacular views of the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and the Sacred Heart, where his neighbor is Bernard Henry Levy and was the Palestinian leader’s favorite haunt. Yasser. Arafat in Paris. Although no one wears masks in town, not all hotels are open. They had obtained a more than reasonable price for the Argentine delegation in one of the most traditional and elegant hotels in the capital, with its famous terrace.

The Argentine Embassy celebrated the Forum and Gay Pride Month with a landmark documentary on its Facebook page. “The unforgettable fuck. The life of Carlos Jáuregui,” Argentina’s first gay activist, can be seen over the next 24 hours.