Times Continues War on South America’s Left

Although Ms. Fernandez was leading in polls by 25%, the article portrayed her as lacking people skills, and relied on an “expert” critic who argued that her economic policies risked her “ending up with no support at all.” This from a United States media that framed George W. Bush’s narrow victory over John Kerry in 2004 as a sweeping mandate for the entire Republican agenda. The Times’ hostile coverage of Fernandez echoes its stories on Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales: in each case, the political popularity of progressive economic policies is framed as transitory, while the failed neoliberal is depicted as the recipe for success.

The sweeping election of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in yesterday’s Argentinean election gives progressives another reason to cheer events in South America. Wife of the current president, Ms. Fernandez is a longtime political leader who has been outspoken against the Iraq War, a critic of the International Monetary Fund, and a strong ally of Venezuela’s Chavez.

Read More