• President Kirchner took office on 25 May 2003.
  
  
• Kirchner is part of a modern group of Latin American leaders whose hostility to the United States is unparalleled.  Many view Washington’s interference in South America as both underhanded and fuelled by self-interest.
  
  
• When you chart Argentina and South America’s political and social histories, American interests in the region often propped up military rule that devastated peoples.  We (I am British) always have strong principal and our overwhelming democratic principles to support our reckless interferences of foreign lands.
  
  
• The United States of America’s arrogance in this region, ‘it’s our backyard’ attitude has backfired and those fences need much repair around a garden that is fast over-growing.
  
  
• It is unfortunate that today that we see similar interferences outside of United Nations mandate, both military and ‘guerrilla’ wars propagated by the world’s most vocal laughing-policeman and his trans-Atlantic pooch.  After the 2001/2, collapse the Argentine government really dished out blame directed at the IMF and others for their own economic failures.
  
  
• Argentines must look closer to home; not only boom and crash economic policies adopted by successive governments that are to blame for their country’s woes; as interested outsiders and businesspeople spending, a lot of time in Argentina we see other intangible economic factors that still dog this economy.  Not least institutional corruption and a judiciary and police force which are sadly flawed.  It is time for Argentines to wizen up and blaming their woes on external factors.
  
  
• So-called ‘speculation’ has emerged in the media about a possible anti-U.S. coalition of Latin American countries including Brazil under Lula, Cuba under Castro, Venezuela under Chavez we  am not sure where the word ‘speculation’ comes from; these countries see themselves as growing allies and want to counter their powerful neighbour’s regional influence.
  
  
• Kirchner's victory was clearly a vote of dissatisfaction by impoverished Argentines who were sick of previous presidents' pro-American, free-market reforms.  However, Argentines are more pragmatic and better educated than many of South America’s voters and anti-American ‘band-wagon politics’ will not take voters’ minds off the real issues at home.
  
  
• Kirchner is a voice of reason.  He does attempt to strike a balance and has great finesse as a political leader, in contrast to the puffed-up bluster of Chavez.
  
  
• Our boss was unfortunate enough to see the overbearing Chavez on a podium with another arrogant twit, Ken Livingston, Mayor of London, some months ago.  He was not impressed and felt cheated to leave his pint on a bar to listen to complete rubbish.  How is it that people fall for these dangerous arrogant populists that herald real danger to democracy?
  
  
• Our impression of Chavez he is a socialist dictator-in-waiting and wants to use his oil and gas revenues to create his own backyard.
  
  
• We also think that his overbearing persona on the world stage, and more particularly in the Americas, will lead to confrontation and downfall at home, as he attempts to monopolise industry ad wrestle power from the democratic institutions.   
  
  
• January 2007: Where are we today?  Well, women in Argentinean politics are a historical factor one should not ignore – either as the power behind the man, his deputy, or as de-facto la Presidente – my betting, and I am a betting man, is another Kirchner will find her way to higher office sometime in 2007.
  

Update September 2008

• The baton passed to Christina Kirchner and what a tumultuous11 months it has been!
• This must have been the worst political honeymoon ever seen!
• Will the ‘Kitcheners’’ see out their next term out – we hope so, any political instability would be very worrying – she needs to stay!
• Read about the ‘campo-cattle-prod.’
• Read about inflation in Argentina
• Read about the Paris Club Debt
• Read about our predictions for the Peso and getting bang for your buck during 2009