What do Evo and Macri play? Opinion

This can be an anticipation. The balance that Evo Morales should have achieved during his new visit to Argentina allows us to imagine the challenges that a new government would face on December 10 if Casa Rosada was not occupied by Mauricio Macri or by someone from Cambiemos. The essential thing is to maintain relations between states and not to break at the same time the historical link with the usual political friends.

The Bolivian president has therefore unveiled his visit. He spent Sunday meeting with leaders of the Bolivian community in Argentina. It is nothing less than surrounded by Verónica Magario and Fernando Espinoza, two pre-candidates for the governorship of the province of Buenos Aires. Steward of La Matanza, Magario. Former mayor, Espinoza.

In the act of La Matanza, 27 speakers spoke before Evo. There is a double explanation. On one side, Morales has always maintained links with Bolivian emigration for reasons of elementary solidarity. On the other hand, in Bolivia, presidential elections will be held on October 20 and in Argentina, about two million Bolivian immigrants, 210,000 people are registered on the voting lists. Attendance is generally high. In the last election, he voted nearly half and the number could increase. But in addition the vote goes mainly to Evo.

The former ambbadador to Bolivia Ariel Basteiro, one of the best Argentinian connoisseurs of the Bolivian reality, explained to this newspaper that Argentina would be the third constituency after Santa Cruz and La Paz. Each vote counts for an election between Evo and Carlos Mesa, along with the vice president in charge of the presidency who led the transition to the 2005 elections after a major crisis. Evo has been governing since January 2006.

The electoral challenge shows Bolivia with a stable economy, only 4% annual inflation and an expected growth of 4.5% for this year, significantly higher than the stagnation of its larger neighbors. Argentina and Brazil.

One of the stability nodes is the inflow of foreign exchange earnings from energy sales, specifically to Brazil and Argentina. Bolivia needs a yes or a yes that does not cut gas exports to Argentina and that is one of the explanations of the need to preserve a civilized relationship with the Macri government. Even when, as is known, they differ by diplomatic position with respect to Venezuela, the spraying of Unasur and the intensity of external relations with the United States.

In the meeting between Evo and Macri, the practical spirit was private. Argentina wants to sell Pampas aircraft to Bolivia. Bolivia wants to preserve Argentina's gas market and add value to it. Morales told the press at Casa Rosada: "With regard to energy, Bolivia is already allowed to manage the Argentine electrical system and, at the end of the installation of the power line, we start to share the little that we have the issue of energy. "He added that he" would also have the opportunity to sell natural gas directly to Argentina through the intermediary of Argentine private companies " and wished to participate in the investment in general liquefied gas processing plants for export.

Macri was also practical. "We came with President Morales from El Palomar airport, where we were talking about the gas contract and the plane Pampa, an aircraft with which we hope to equip the Bolivian aviation in a common training program. "

For macrismo, the Bolivian community is also a territory of dispute. Since the time of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Bolivians can vote in Argentina, but not for the president.

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