The Presidency of Mauricio Macri began on 10 December 2015, when
Mauricio Macri was sworn into office on 10 December 2015 to a four-year term as
President of Argentina. Macri took office following a 51.34% to 48.66%
runoff
Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to:
* RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program
* Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed
* Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...
ballotage win over
Daniel Scioli
Daniel Osvaldo Scioli (, ; born 13 January 1957) is an Argentine politician, sportsman, and businessman. He was Vice President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007 and Governor of Buenos Aires Province from 2011 to 2015. From 2020 to 2022 he was Argen ...
in the
2015 general election. He is
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
's first democratically elected non-
Radical or
Peronist president since 1916. In elections of October 2019, he lost his re-election bid for a second term and was succeeded by
Alberto Fernández
Alberto Ángel Fernández (; born 2 April 1959) is an Argentine politician, lawyer and professor, serving as president of Argentina since 2019.
Born in Buenos Aires, Fernández attended the University of Buenos Aires, where he earned his law ...
as president. Macri is also the first incumbent president in Argentina and South America's history to be unseated by a challenger and not reaching a second term.
President-elect
He has promised to reduce
inflation, improve conditions for
business
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit."
Having a business name does not separa ...
, and cease the international alignment with
Venezuela and
Iran. Macri has announced an
infrastructure development strategy named ''Plan Belgrano'' (after
Manuel Belgrano), a plan aimed at building infrastructure and encouraging industry development in ten of Argentina's northern
provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
, which have historically lagged behind the rest of the country in these areas. The plan includes a proposed investment of equivalent to 16 billion
United States dollars
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from Dollar, other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American ...
over the course of 10 years, along with an "historical reconstruction fund" of 50 billion
pesos to be used in 4 years. Other objectives of the plan include the provision of
housing for some 250,000 families, and the construction of 1400
child care
Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time, whose ages range from two weeks of age to 18 years. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(r ...
centers.
Macri announced the full
composition of his cabinet on November 25, 2015, some two weeks before he was due to take office.
Inauguration
Macri took office on 10 December 2015. He began the ceremony starting from his apartment in the neighborhood of
Recoleta at the corner of
Avenida del Libertador and Cavia at 11:00pm to the
National Congress of Argentina with his wife
Juliana Awada and his youngest daughter of 4 years old, through the
Casa Rosada
The ''Casa Rosada'' (, eng, Pink House) is the office of the president of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as ''Casa de Gobierno'' ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the president lives at the Quinta de O ...
and the
Plaza de Mayo. At 11:41 he entered the room where the Legislature was, taking an oath after the Vice President
Gabriela Michetti
Marta Gabriela Michetti Illia (; born 28 May 1965) is an Argentine politician and was Vice President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019 during Mauricio Macri's administration. Before her, the only woman to serve as vice president was Isabel Perón. ...
. Then he delivered a speech of 27 minutes in which he pledged his "support for an independent judiciary, fight corruption and drug trafficking, the internal union of Argentina, universal social protection, create a 21st-century style of education and that everyone can have a roof, water and sewer". Also greeted his competitors during the presidential elections.
Later he went to the
Casa Rosada
The ''Casa Rosada'' (, eng, Pink House) is the office of the president of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as ''Casa de Gobierno'' ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the president lives at the Quinta de O ...
, where he received the presidential attributes in the White Hall of the hands of the Temporary President of the Senate,
Federico Pinedo
Federico Pinedo (; born 29 December 1955) is an Argentine politician, provisional president of the Argentine Senate between 2015 and 2019. He was in charge of the executive branch on 10 December 2015 until the assumption of Mauricio Macri on the s ...
, accompanied by Vice President
Gabriela Michetti
Marta Gabriela Michetti Illia (; born 28 May 1965) is an Argentine politician and was Vice President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019 during Mauricio Macri's administration. Before her, the only woman to serve as vice president was Isabel Perón. ...
, president of the Chamber of Deputies Emilio Monzó and President of the Supreme Court
Ricardo Lorenzetti
Ricardo Luis Lorenzetti (born 19 September 1955) is an Argentine judge graduated from the National University of the Littoral, Argentina, with a long national and international career. He used to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Argentin ...
. Minutes later came the historic balcony where thousands of people waited in the
Plaza de Mayo, expressing his hope that "the Argentines can live better, starting a wonderful time for our country, always telling the truth, being honest, showing the problems " and calling " the Argentines to accompany management and alerting when he mistake".
After being anointed President, he gave a reception at the
San Martín Palace
San Martín Palace (''Palacio San Martín'') is located facing Plaza San Martín in the Retiro neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina and serves as the Ceremonial Headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
History
The Beaux Arts ...
of Argentina Foreign Ministry to all the heads of state present:
Michelle Bachelet
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 201 ...
from
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
Horacio Cartes
Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara (born 5 July 1956) is a Paraguayan businessman and politician who served as the president of Paraguay from 2013 to 2018. He is a member of the Colorado Party. Cartes owns about two dozen businesses in his Grupo Cart ...
from
Paraguay,
Juan Manuel Santos
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (; born 10 August 1951) is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
An economist by profession and a journalist by trade ...
from
Colombia,
Rafael Correa
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (; born 6 April 1963), known as Rafael Correa, is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. The leader of the PAIS Alliance political movement from its foundation ...
from
Ecuador,
Evo Morales from
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
,
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil, holding the position from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the first ...
from
Brazil, and representatives of other countries attending his inauguration.
Cabinet
Ministries
Presidential secretariats
Domestic affairs
Economic policy
One of the first changes to economic policy from the Macri administration, just seven days after he had taken office, was to remove the
capital controls
Capital controls are residency-based measures such as transaction taxes, other limits, or outright prohibitions that a nation's government can use to regulate flows from capital markets into and out of the country's capital account. These measure ...
that had been in place for four consecutive years. The move signified a 30%
devaluation of the
peso
The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named " doll ...
, and was met with both criticism and praise.
The Macri's administration eliminated
export taxes on
agricultural products
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
(
wheat,
corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
,
sunflower
The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...
,
meat and
fish),
minerals
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ...
(
metallic
Metallic may be a reference to:
*Metal
*Metalloid, metal-like substance
*Metallic bonding, type of chemical bonding
*Metallicity, in astronomy the proportion of elements other than helium and hydrogen in an object
*Metallic color, a color that g ...
and
non-metallic) and certain
industrial products; while it promised to lower the tariff on
soy
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...
5% every year.
For the next year, he eliminated the Advance Affidavits of Importation (an
import control program) and extended
Careful Pricing (a
price control
Price controls are restrictions set in place and enforced by governments, on the prices that can be charged for goods and services in a market. The intent behind implementing such controls can stem from the desire to maintain affordability of good ...
program) for six months.
Since 2016, Macri began the removal of
energy subsidies
Energy subsidies are measures that keep prices for customers below market levels, or for suppliers above market levels, or reduce costs for customers and suppliers. Energy subsidies may be direct cash transfers to suppliers, customers, or rel ...
(for
electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...
,
gas
Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma).
A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...
and
water) and
transport subsidies (for
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
,
train and
subway
Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to:
Transportation
* Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems
* Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle
* Subway (George Bush Intercontin ...
), which caused a huge increase in prices. He avoided to use a
shock therapy and introduced the changes
gradually.
On January 19, Macri attended the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
in
Davos
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Bergün/Bravuogn, Klosters-Serneus, Langwies, S-chanf, Susch
, twintowns =
}
Davos (, ; or ; rm, ; archaic it, Tavate) is an Alpine resort town and a municipality in the Prättigau/Davos R ...
,
Switzerland with
Sergio Massa
Sergio may refer to:
* Sergio (given name), for people with the given name Sergio
* Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found
* ''Sergio'' (album), a 1994 album by Sergio Blass
* ''Sergio'' (2009 film), a documentary film
* ''Se ...
and part of his
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
looking for investments. He had meetings with various business representatives, politicians and journalists. Some of them were
US Vice President Joe Biden, the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,
David Cameron, the founder of Virgin Group
Richard Branson, CEO of
Google Eric Schmidt, the
Queen of the Netherlands, President and CEO
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlan ...
,
Muhtar Kent among others. It was the first time that
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
participates since 2003. The last president was
Eduardo Duhalde
Eduardo Alberto Duhalde (; born 5 October 1941) is an Argentine Peronist politician who served as the interim President of Argentina from January 2002 to May 2003. He also served as Vice President and Governor of Buenos Aires in the 1990s.
Bo ...
.
Macri wanted to negotiate with
holdouts and end the
default
Default may refer to:
Law
* Default (law), the failure to do something required by law
** Default (finance), failure to satisfy the terms of a loan obligation or failure to pay back a loan
** Default judgment, a binding judgment in favor of ei ...
to return to the
international capital markets
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
. Argentina faced a court hearing in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* ...
on April 13. The court upheld judge
Thomas P. Griesa
Thomas Poole Griesa (October 11, 1930 – December 24, 2017) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 1972 to 2017 and its Chief Judge from 1993 to 2000.
Education and care ...
's ruling and allowed Argentina to pay the 2005 and 2010
bondholders
In finance, a bond is a type of security under which the issuer ( debtor) owes the holder ( creditor) a debt, and is obliged – depending on the terms – to repay the principal (i.e. amount borrowed) of the bond at the maturity date as well a ...
. The payment, made with a
bond sale, was the end of the
Argentine default.
One of Macri's promises during the campaign was the elimination of
Income tax for workers. Macri had not fulfilled his promise, and it was not in the government's plan to eliminate the Income tax in the future either.
Political intervention in the
INDEC figures ended, and the
IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glob ...
declared in November 2016 that Argentine statistics were again in accordance with international standards.
Among the most notorious vulnerabilities of the administration was an extremely high
inflation rate: it was 40% in 2016 (while the
Central Bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union,
and oversees their commercial banking system. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central ba ...
expected an inflation rate of 17% for 2017, 10% for 2018 and 5% for 2019).
[Macri's election success is no cure-all for Argentina's structural issues]
November 17, 2017, Euromoney
''Euromoney'' is an English-language monthly magazine focused on business and finance. First published in 1969, it is the flagship production of Euromoney Institutional Investor plc.
History and profile
''Euromoney'' was first published in 19 ...
Other vulnerabilities included the
unemployment rate close to 9%, as well as the sharp rise in the
current-account deficit, which is likely to be around 3% to 4% of GDP in 2018 thanks to an over-valued currency.
[
Between 2017 and 2018 the government cut import tariffs on ]capital goods
The economic concept of a capital good (also called complex product systems (CoPS),H. Rush, "Managing innovation in complex product systems (CoPS)," IEE Colloquium on EPSRC Technology Management Initiative (Engineering & Physical Sciences Researc ...
and eliminated tariffs on the importation of technology products to encourage investment.
The deregulation area allowed the incorporation of low cost airlines, such as JetSmart, Norwegian and Flybondi.
Inflation continued to be a problem, with a rate of 25% in 2017, second only to Venezuela in South America and the highest rate in the G20
The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, ...
. On December 28, the Central Bank of Argentina
The Central Bank of the Argentine Republic ( es, Banco Central de la República Argentina, BCRA) is the central bank of Argentina, being an autarchic entity.
Article 3 of the Organic Charter lists the objectives of this Institution: “The bank ...
together with the Treasury
A treasury is either
*A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry.
*A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or ...
announced a change of the inflation target. This was seen by the market as a relaxation of the monetary policy
Monetary policy is the policy adopted by the monetary authority of a nation to control either the interest rate payable for very short-term borrowing (borrowing by banks from each other to meet their short-term needs) or the money supply, often ...
. They attempted to reduce it to 15%, but these efforts failed.
The international trade, which had a surplus in the previous year, gave a deficit. A drought reduced the production of soy
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...
, the country's principal export, ranking among the world's worst natural disasters in 2018.
The Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States of America. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after ...
of the United States increased interest rates from 0.25% to 1.75% and then 2%. This caused investors
An investor is a person who allocates financial capital with the expectation of a future return (profit) or to gain an advantage (interest). Through this allocated capital most of the time the investor purchases some species of property. Typ ...
to return to the United States, leaving emerging markets
An emerging market (or an emerging country or an emerging economy) is a market that has some characteristics of a developed market, but does not fully meet its standards. This includes markets that may become developed markets in the future or were ...
. The effect, a raise in the price of the United States dollar, was modest in most countries, but it was felt particularly strongly in Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, Brazil and Turkey.
Those factors led to a monetary crisis. The interest rate increased to 60%, but could not keep the price of the US dollar.
Macri announced on May 8 that Argentina would seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The loan was $57bn, and the country pledged to reduce inflation and public spending
Government spending or expenditure includes all government consumption, investment, and transfer payments. In national income accounting, the acquisition by governments of goods and services for current use, to directly satisfy the individual o ...
.
For 2019, the government accelerated the austerity
Austerity is a set of political-economic policies that aim to reduce government budget deficits through spending cuts, tax increases, or a combination of both. There are three primary types of austerity measures: higher taxes to fund spend ...
plans, with less expenses and more taxes, to completely remove the fiscal deficit
The government budget balance, also alternatively referred to as general government balance, public budget balance, or public fiscal balance, is the overall difference between government revenues and spending. A positive balance is called a ''g ...
.
The inflation rate was 53.8%, the highest in the country in 28 years.
Human rights
Human rights organizations had aligned themselves with the governments of both Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, even in topics unrelated to human rights, and often worked as their spokesmen. They continued this role after 2015, when Macri defeated the Kirchnerite candidate in the presidential elections, which undermined the legitimacy of the organizations in Argentine society. Macri maintained a distant relation with those organizations, and did not seek their support, but did not openly confront them. They kept their funding and the institutions under their control, and the trials of military personnel for crimes in the Dirty War
The Dirty War ( es, Guerra sucia) is the name used by the military junta or civic-military dictatorship of Argentina ( es, dictadura cívico-militar de Argentina, links=no) for the period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983 a ...
(1974–1983) continued. Nevertheless, the organizations continued their opposition to Macri. His cabinet was divided on an approach to take: whether to directly confront the organizations and remove their state financing, or to take an active role in their activities and replace their leaders with less politically motivated figures. The general policy, however, was to ignore the disputes and focus the activities of the government towards more pressing matters, such as the economy.
The government modified the public holiday for the Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice
The Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice ( es, Día de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia) is a public holiday in Argentina, commemorating the victims of the Dirty War. It is held on 24 March, the anniversary of the coup d'état of 1976 th ...
, which makes reference to the 1976 Argentine coup d'état
The 1976 Argentine coup d'état was a right-wing coup that overthrew Isabel Perón as President of Argentina on 24 March 1976. A military junta was installed to replace her; this was headed by Lieutenant General Jorge Rafael Videla, Admiral Em ...
, to allow it to be celebrated on a movable date. This ruling was met with huge criticism. The ruling was reverted some days later, and the holiday was kept at the fixed date of 24 March.
Social issues
The #NiUnaMenos movement, which advanced a feminist agenda in Argentina since 2015, stayed strong during the Macri presidency. Macri said during the 2018 opening of the National Congress that, although he was anti-abortion
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...
, he wanted the Congress to have an abortion debate
The abortion debate is a longstanding, ongoing controversy that touches on the moral, legal, medical, and religious aspects of induced abortion. In English-speaking countries, the debate most visibly polarizes around adherents of the self-describ ...
and discuss a bill for a new abortion law
Abortion laws vary widely among countries and territories, and have changed over time. Such laws range from abortion being freely available on request, to regulation or restrictions of various kinds, to outright prohibition in all circumstances ...
. As of 2018, abortion was only legally allowed for rapes and cases that may threaten the mother's health. The feminist movement organized several demonstrations in the following months, in support of the voluntary termination of pregnancy abortion bill that was proposed in Congress. The proposal, however, became highly polarizing. The country has a strong conservative catholic population, particularly in the less-populated provinces, who rejected the bill. This polarization was unrelated to the political polarization of the country, and the legislators of both Cambiemos and the Justicialist Party (PJ) were divided on the vote. The bill was approved by the chamber of deputies in June, but opposition became more organized after its approval and the Senate rejected the bill, by 38 to 31 votes.
Foreign affairs
During his government, Macri wants to strengthen ties with Brazil and the Southern Cone, looking away from the Bolivarian axis and claim for political prisoners in Venezuela. It will also promote the repeal of the agreement with Iran and work for a rapprochement with the United States and Europe. He has also worked to strengthen relations with Israel.
Americas
After being elected President, Macri received many congratulations from other Latin American Presidents. Despite the ruling Workers' party having supported Daniel Scioli
Daniel Osvaldo Scioli (, ; born 13 January 1957) is an Argentine politician, sportsman, and businessman. He was Vice President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007 and Governor of Buenos Aires Province from 2011 to 2015. From 2020 to 2022 he was Argen ...
during the campaign, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil, holding the position from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the first ...
congratulated Macri and invited him to a state visit "as soon as possible", while she was also set to attend Macri's inauguration as president. The pair have favored improving bilateral relations
Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...
between the two countries, as well as strengthening the Mercosur trade bloc.
The Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 201 ...
, contacted Macri by phone and spoke about the importance for both countries of maintaining the spirit of cooperation, integration and development which characterizes their common history and the importance of further work for Latin America.
Juan Manuel Santos
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (; born 10 August 1951) is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
An economist by profession and a journalist by trade ...
expressed "Congratulations to Mauricio Macri for his victory in presidential elections in Argentina. Successes in his management. It has our full support".
The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (; born 6 April 1963), known as Rafael Correa, is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. The leader of the PAIS Alliance political movement from its foundation ...
, congratulated Macri for his victory and wished him "the best of luck".
The President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto
Enrique Peña Nieto (; born 20 July 1966), commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican politician who served as the 64th president of Mexico from 1 December 2012 to 30 November 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party ...
, stated that "Mexico will work with" Macri's government to strengthen "bilateral relations and the wellbeing of Latin America".
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala
Lieutenant colonel Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso (; born 27 June 1962) is a Peruvian politician and former military officer who served as President of Peru from 2011 to 2016. Originally a socialist and left-wing nationalist, he is considere ...
contacted Macri in order to congratulate him on his election victory and point out that the Peruvian Government has "strong will" to strengthen ties with his country, reported the Peruvian Foreign Ministry.
Uruguayan president Tabaré Vázquez
Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas (; ''Vázquez Rosas'' locally ; 17 January 19406 December 2020) was a Uruguayan politician who served as the 41st president of Uruguay from 2015 to 2020. He previously served from 2005 to 2010 as the 39th presiden ...
greeted Macri by telephone and asked him to convey his congratulations to the people of Argentina for the civic maturity demonstrated during the election.
Immediately after the elections, Macri announced that he would ask for the invocation of Mercosur's "democratic clause" (limiting membership to democracies) with regard to Venezuela, since the government of Nicolás Maduro was not respecting democratic doctrines. He called for the holding of the 2015 Venezuelan elections without electoral fraud or tricks to avoid the result, and the release of political prisoners. In the end Maduro acknowledged the defeat of his party in the elections. Nevertheless, Macri made diplomatic requests for the political prisoners in the first meeting of Mercosur that he attended. Venezuela's opposition hailed Macri's presidential win in Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
as a blow for leftists in Latin America and a good omen for their own duel with ''Chavismo
''Chavismo'' (from es, chavismo), also known in English as Chavism or Chavezism, is a left-wing political ideology based on the ideas, programs and government style associated with the Venezuelan President between 1999 and 2013 Hugo Chávez tha ...
'' in the next month's parliamentary vote. "That was a big disappointment for Venezuela's ruling socialist 'Chavismo' movement, which had a close political alliance with Fernández." Diosdado Cabello called Macri a " fascist", and asked him to stay away from Venezuelan internal affairs, as Macri had proposed to remove Venezuela from the Mercosur because of the treatment to Leopoldo López
Leopoldo Eduardo López Mendoza (born 29 April 1971) is a Venezuelan opposition leader. He co-founded the political party Primero Justicia in 2000 with Henrique Capriles and Julio Borges and was elected mayor of the Chacao Municipality of Caraca ...
and other political prisoners. The victory of Macri is considered part of the decline of the Pink Tide
The pink tide ( es, marea rosa, pt, onda rosa, french: marée rose), or the turn to the left ( es, giro a la izquierda, link=no, pt, volta à esquerda, link=no, french: tournant à gauche, link=no), is a political wave and perception of a tur ...
in the region.
On November 5, Macri made his first trip as President-elect to Brazil, where he met with President Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil, holding the position from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the first ...
in Brasilia. Macri said he chose Brazil for his first trip as President-elect because it is the main commercial partner of Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and because of the strong ties that both countries have. That same day, Mauricio Macri traveled to Santiago de Chile, where he was received by President Michelle Bachelet
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 201 ...
in the Palacio de la Moneda
Palacio de La Moneda (, ''Palace of the Mint''), or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency and General Secret ...
.
United States
The United States Secretary of State John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he p ...
congratulated the country for its "successful elections", adding that he was "looking forward to working closely" with Macri and his government. Meanwhile, United States Ambassador to Argentina
The United States ambassador to Argentina is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Argentina.
Argentina had declared its independence from Spain in 1816 and there followed a series of revolution ...
Noah Mamet wished Macri well. Members of the United States House of Representatives later asked Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
in a letter to prioritise US-Argentine relations during 2016, stating that "The United States and Argentina should be natural partners. Both have highly educated populations, diversified economies and vast natural resources" and calling such a relationship a "win-win" for both countries. The letter also stressed the importance of reversing high levels of anti-Americanism
Anti-Americanism (also called anti-American sentiment) is prejudice, fear, or hatred of the United States, its government, its foreign policy, or Americans in general.
Political scientist Brendon O'Connor at the United States Studies Centr ...
in the country and resolving the holdout problem with the vulture funds, among other key issues.
Obama later congratulated Macri personally, while an official White House statement confirmed that the President intends to strengthen ties. The relations between Argentina and the United States began to twitch due to the problem that came into the Argentine Government
The government of Argentina, within the framework of a federal system, is a presidential representative democratic republic. The President of Argentina is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President. ...
and the vulture fund, where former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President ...
stated after the latter denial of certiorari that her country had an obligation to pay its creditors, but not to become the victims of extortion by speculators; even if Argentina can't use the U.S. financial system to do so, she said, teams of experts are working on ways to avoid such a default
Default may refer to:
Law
* Default (law), the failure to do something required by law
** Default (finance), failure to satisfy the terms of a loan obligation or failure to pay back a loan
** Default judgment, a binding judgment in favor of ei ...
and keep Argentina's promises. The expiration of Rights Upon Future Offers in December 2014 will preclude other bondholders from suing for better terms should the Argentine Government and the vulture funds settle, making such a settlement all the more likely after that date, should the dispute continue.
On February 18, 2016, a White House official announced that President Obama would undertake a state visit to Argentina on March 23–24, 2016 to improve the Argentina–United States relations
Argentina and the United States have maintained bilateral relations since the United States formally recognized the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the predecessor to Argentina, on January 27, 1823.
Relations were severely strained in ...
after the two countries' relations under predecessors Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President ...
and Néstor Kirchner saw tension in trade and investment. President Obama and the First Family arrived in Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport from Havana, Cuba at around 1 a.m. ( UTC−3) on Wednesday, March 23, where they were greeted by Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra
Susana Mabel Malcorra (born 18 November 1954) is an Argentine electrical engineer who served as foreign minister of Argentina from 2015 to 2017. She was announced for the position by President Mauricio Macri on 24 November 2015. Prior to that she ...
.
Obama and Macri discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in promoting "universal value
A value is a universal value if it has the same value or worth for all, or almost all, people. Spheres of human value encompass morality, aesthetic preference, human traits, human endeavour, and social order. Whether universal values exist i ...
s and interests," such as in the areas of security, energy, health and human rights, where the two presidents have agreed for U.S. federal agencies to assist Argentina's counter-terrorism efforts, to contribute to peacekeeping
Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare.
Within the United N ...
missions, combat illegal drug trade and organized crime, respond to diseases and outbreak
In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire ...
s like the Zika virus
''Zika virus'' (ZIKV; pronounced or ) is a member of the virus family ''Flaviviridae''. It is spread by daytime-active ''Aedes'' mosquitoes, such as '' A. aegypti'' and '' A. albopictus''. Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, wh ...
, and develop resources and renewable energy strategies. Obama also praised Macri for his economic reforms that helped create "sustainable and inclusive economic growth
Economic growth can be defined as the increase or improvement in the inflation-adjusted market value of the goods and services produced by an economy in a financial year. Statisticians conventionally measure such growth as the percent rate of ...
" and "reconnected Argentina with the world economy." Thus, Obama declared a "fresh era" of relations that would help Argentina's credibility in the Latin American region and the world, and announced trade and economic initiatives to reset the countries relations after years of tension.
On 24 March 2016, Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra
Susana Mabel Malcorra (born 18 November 1954) is an Argentine electrical engineer who served as foreign minister of Argentina from 2015 to 2017. She was announced for the position by President Mauricio Macri on 24 November 2015. Prior to that she ...
announced that Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
signed agreements with the United States to join again on the Visa Waiver Program
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is a program of the United States federal government that allows nationals of specific countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism, business, or while in transit for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. It ...
. Argentina initially joined on the program in 1996, but was removed in 2002.
Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra
Susana Mabel Malcorra (born 18 November 1954) is an Argentine electrical engineer who served as foreign minister of Argentina from 2015 to 2017. She was announced for the position by President Mauricio Macri on 24 November 2015. Prior to that she ...
supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
, which was won by Republican Donald Trump.
Macri forged diplomatic relations with Trump and brought in measures likened to Trump's border policies, including tightening control of immigration, limiting the entry of convicted criminals and facilitating the deportation of foreigners who commit crimes.
In 2019, Trump declassified more than 5,600 US documents about the Dirty War
The Dirty War ( es, Guerra sucia) is the name used by the military junta or civic-military dictatorship of Argentina ( es, dictadura cívico-militar de Argentina, links=no) for the period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983 a ...
.
Europe
Many European leaders publicly expressed support for the new government of Macri. German Chancellor
The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,; often shortened to ''Bundeskanzler''/''Bundeskanzlerin'', / is the head of the federal government of Germany and the commander in chief of the Ge ...
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Opp ...
congratulated Macri and requested that he make a state visit to Germany. She added that the two countries have "always been deeply tied", particularly in the area of science, which she deemed "one of the pillars" of the two countries' relations. Merkel also remarked that she would be "thankful" if the countries could strengthen cooperation "in all areas". Spanish Prime Minister
The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government ( es, link=no, Presidente del Gobierno), is the head of government of Spain. The office was established in its current form by the Constitution of 1978 and it was first regula ...
Mariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy Brey (; born 27 March 1955) is a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, when a vote of no confidence ousted his government. On 5 June 2018, he announced his resignation as People's Party le ...
, who has a close relationship with Macri, congratulated him and invited him to carry out a state visit "as soon as possible", stating that he is confident that the new government will "lead this new stage with success" while offering "the necessary support to consolidate the historical ties of friendship, fraternity and cooperation". The relationship between Spain and Argentina had become increasingly tense under the presidency of Cristina Kirchner, particularly after the Renationalization of YPF
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina introduced a bill on April 16, 2012 for the partial renationalization of YPF, the nation's largest energy firm. The state would purchase a 51% share, with the national government controlling ...
in 2012. In a telegram to Macri, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his hopes that the two countries will continue to increase the "bilateral cooperation within diverse areas and the coordination of efforts to resolve current occurrences within the international agenda", adding that "the fundamental interests of the people of Russia and Argentina contribute to guarantee the stability and security of Latin America and the world", while reminding Macri that the countries had recently celebrated 130 years of diplomatic relations. Putin also made reference to the ongoing nuclear power and hydrocarbon extraction projects between the countries. In February 2016, Macri received the President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev
Rosen Asenov Plevneliev ( bg, Росен Асенов Плевнелиев ; born 14 May 1964) is a Bulgarian politician who was the 4th President of Bulgaria, holding the position from January 2012 to January 2017. He was the Minister of Region ...
, at the Casa Rosada
The ''Casa Rosada'' (, eng, Pink House) is the office of the president of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as ''Casa de Gobierno'' ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the president lives at the Quinta de O ...
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...
. Both leaders spoke of investments in each country; Plevneliev also met with entrepreneurs and visited the National Congress ''National Congress'' is a term used in the names of various political parties and legislatures .
Political parties
*Ethiopia: Oromo National Congress
*Guyana: People's National Congress (Guyana)
*India: Indian National Congress
*Iraq: Iraqi Nati ...
.
Italian Prime Minister
The Prime Minister of Italy, officially the President of the Council of Ministers ( it, link=no, Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri), is the head of government of the Italian Republic. The office of president of the Council of Ministers is ...
Matteo Renzi called Macri on the night of his victory and stated that he would meet soon with the new president to "open a new page of collaboration between the two countries". He also highlighted the historical and cultural ties between the two countries, stating that "it is the country with the largest presence of Italian citizens in the world", numbering some 900,000. The Cambiemos
( en, Together for Change) is a centre-right political coalition in Argentina. It was created in 2015 as Cambiemos ( en, Let's Change), and renamed in 2019. It is composed of Republican Proposal, Radical Civic Union, Civic Coalition ARI and ...
victory also provoked much reaction in the domestic Italian press. On 15 February 2016, Renzi met with Macri for a two-day state visit to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...
; Renzi was the first European leader to meet Macri after the 2015 presidential election and the first Italian Prime Minister since Romano Prodi
Romano Antonio Prodi (; born 9 August 1939) is an Italian politician, economist, academic, senior civil servant, and business executive who served as the tenth president of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004. He served twice as Prime ...
in 1998 to visit Argentina.
French President
The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...
François Hollande
François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. He previously was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (PS) from 1997 to 2008, Mayor of Tulle from ...
sent a telegram to Macri and expressed "We will have the opportunity at that time to deepen our dialogue and our bilateral relationship that is one of the densest known to the Latin American continent". Hollande also confirmed a state visit to Argentina in February 2016. Upon congratulating President Macri on his victory in the 2015 election, President Hollande announced that he would visit Argentina in February 2016. During his state visit to Buenos Aires on 24–25 February 2016, Macri and Hollande signed 20 bilateral agreements.
British Prime Minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...
David Cameron called Macri after his election to congratulate him and offer his support for his presidency. A Downing Street spokesperson stated that "both leaders expect to meet in the near future", emphasising trade relations and investments, while also prioritising the establishment of a free trade agreement between MERCOSUR and the European Union "as soon as possible". The chancellor Susana Malcorra
Susana Mabel Malcorra (born 18 November 1954) is an Argentine electrical engineer who served as foreign minister of Argentina from 2015 to 2017. She was announced for the position by President Mauricio Macri on 24 November 2015. Prior to that she ...
clarified that Argentina would maintain the Argentine claim in the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute
Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands ( es, Islas Malvinas) is disputed by Argentina and the United Kingdom. The British claim to sovereignty dates from 1690, when they made the first recorded landing on the islands, and the United Kingdom has exe ...
, but would also try to expand the Argentina–United Kingdom relations
Foreign relations between the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have existed for over a century.
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 December 1823. Diplomatic relations were cut of ...
into other areas of interest. Macri met Cameron at the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
in Davos
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Bergün/Bravuogn, Klosters-Serneus, Langwies, S-chanf, Susch
, twintowns =
}
Davos (, ; or ; rm, ; archaic it, Tavate) is an Alpine resort town and a municipality in the Prättigau/Davos R ...
, Switzerland, to which Argentina officially returned after 12 years. After the meeting, Macri said he had a "very nice meeting" with Cameron and explained in a brief meeting with journalists that their goal is to initiate "a relationship in which all issues on the table are placed under one umbrella". Chancellor Malcorra reported that the dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands was one of the most important axes of the meeting, but not the only one. "Focusing our relationship only in the Islands is to stay with the glass half full," said the minister.
In July 2016, President Macri started a European tour that took him to France, Belgium and Germany, where he sought to project his international leadership as a political and commercial partner of the European Union. Macri held in Paris a meeting with French President Francois Hollande, and Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Opp ...
, in this case in the context of a two-day official visit in which the President was accompanied by businessmen. In addition to meeting with the two leaders brunt of the European Union, Macri was received in Brussels by the European Council President Donald Tusk, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, and by King Philip and Queen Mathilde at the Royal Palace of Brussels
The Royal Palace of Brussels (french: Palais royal de Bruxelles, , nl, Koninklijk Paleis van Brussel , german: Königlicher Palast von Brüssel) is the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capita ...
.
Asia
On March 27, 2016, a Casa Rosada
The ''Casa Rosada'' (, eng, Pink House) is the office of the president of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as ''Casa de Gobierno'' ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the president lives at the Quinta de O ...
official announced that President Macri will meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, si ...
on 1 April in the framework of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, N ...
China and Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
established diplomatic relations in 1972 but revived especially during the mandates of Nestor Kirchner
Nestor may refer to:
* Nestor (mythology), King of Pylos in Greek mythology
Arts and entertainment
* "Nestor" (''Ulysses'' episode) an episode in James Joyce's novel ''Ulysses''
* Nestor Studios, first-ever motion picture studio in Hollywood, L ...
and Cristina Kirchner
Cristina is a female given name, and it is also a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
*Cristina (daughter of Edward the Exile), 11th-century English princess
*Cristina (singer), Cristina Monet-Palaci (1956–2020), American s ...
, during which relations reached the level of "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership". However, since the assumption of Macri, the relationship was observed for the promises of the now head of state during the election campaign to "review" the proceedings between the Casa Rosada
The ''Casa Rosada'' (, eng, Pink House) is the office of the president of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as ''Casa de Gobierno'' ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the president lives at the Quinta de O ...
and Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 2 ...
between 2003 and 2015. Both countries signed agreements in 2015 for the construction of two new nuclear power plants in Argentina, with a total investment of 15,000 million dollars in an operation in which China pledged 85 percent of funding. China is the second main destination of Argentine exports after Brazil.
During the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit Macri also met with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
and South Korean president Park Geun-hye with the aim to resume relations and try to add investors in Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. Japan and South Korea have a strong interest in investing in the areas of mining, energy, and infrastructure, and to raise levels of trade with Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. It is also known that there is a strong interest of Japanese and Korean companies to invest in the lithium deposits of the Argentine Northwest
The Argentine Northwest (''Noroeste Argentino'') is a geographic and historical region of Argentina composed of the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.
Geography
The Argentine Northwest comprises v ...
.
In September 2016, during the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, President Macri met with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
and they made a commitment to expand the relations between Argentina and India. "I think so far the relationship between our countries has been a little superficial. It's a good opportunity to deepen" Macri said. Macri met Modi in one of the last added to its agenda of activities at the G20 summit bilateral meetings. Macri expressed interest to "increase and diversify" Argentine exports to India and for Indian companies to "come to invest in our country." Modi also expressed satisfaction that the Confederation of Indian Industry will participate in the Business Forum in the city of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...
. In addition, the Argentine president exchanged a greeting with Indonesian president Joko Widodo. In both meetings Macri was accompanied by Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra
Susana Mabel Malcorra (born 18 November 1954) is an Argentine electrical engineer who served as foreign minister of Argentina from 2015 to 2017. She was announced for the position by President Mauricio Macri on 24 November 2015. Prior to that she ...
, Economy Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay
Alfonso Prat-Gay (born 24 November 1965) is an Argentine economist and politician. Following the election of Mauricio Macri to the presidency on 2015, he became Minister of Economy.
He was also President of the Central Bank of Argentina from Dec ...
, and Secretary of Strategic Affairs Fulvio Pompeo.
In November 2016, President Macri received Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in the Casa Rosada
The ''Casa Rosada'' (, eng, Pink House) is the office of the president of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as ''Casa de Gobierno'' ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the president lives at the Quinta de O ...
of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...
to give a new impetus to the economic and commercial relations between both nations. Abe's state visit to Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
was the first of a Japanese leader in 57 years. Macri and Abe signed several bilateral instruments, including a Memorandum of Cooperation for the establishment of an enhanced mechanism for political consultations. The last precedent was in 1959, when Nobusuke Kishi, Abe's grandfather, arrived to hold a bilateral meeting with the then President Arturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ércoli (October 28, 1908 – April 18, 1995) was an Argentine lawyer, journalist, teacher and politician, who was elected President of Argentina and ruled between May 1, 1958 and March 29, 1962, when he was overthrown by a ...
.
Middle East
On December 21, government lawyers withdrew an appeal in Federal Court made by his predecessor, over the constitutionality of a memorandum
A memorandum ( : memoranda; abbr: memo; from the Latin ''memorandum'', "(that) which is to be remembered") is a written message that is typically used in a professional setting. Commonly abbreviated "memo," these messages are usually brief and ...
she had signed with the Iranian government, to investigate the 1994 AMIA bombing
The AMIA bombing occurred on 18 July 1994 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and targeted the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA; ), a Jewish Community Centre. Executed as a suicidal attack, a bomb-laden van was driven into the AMIA buildi ...
. The memorandum was criticized by both Israel and Argentina's Jewish community, as Iran was long suspected of being involved in the attack. The memorandum had been ruled unconstitutional by a federal court during Kirchner's administration, and along with the withdrawal of the appeal, the memorandum was voided by Macri's administration. The move was praised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an improvement of bilateral relations
Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...
.
In July 2016 President Macri met with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, at the Presidential Residence of Olivos. Both led the signing of memorandums of understanding signed Chancellor, Susana Malcorra
Susana Mabel Malcorra (born 18 November 1954) is an Argentine electrical engineer who served as foreign minister of Argentina from 2015 to 2017. She was announced for the position by President Mauricio Macri on 24 November 2015. Prior to that she ...
, and his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. also they attended by the Chief of Staff, Marcos Peña
Marcos Peña (born March 15, 1977) is an Argentine politician, author and political scientist who served as Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers during Mauricio Macri's presidency.
Previously, he was Legislator of the City of Buenos Aires by Commi ...
, and the Minister of Finance and Public Finance, Alfonso Prat-Gay
Alfonso Prat-Gay (born 24 November 1965) is an Argentine economist and politician. Following the election of Mauricio Macri to the presidency on 2015, he became Minister of Economy.
He was also President of the Central Bank of Argentina from Dec ...
. In 2015, Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
exported to Qatar goods by 11.5 million dollars and imported worth just over 153 million dollars, what, 141 million deficit in bilateral balance totaled 164 million, down 35 percent in relation to 2014, when the exchange was 471.5 million dollars, according to statistics from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
In July 2016, it was announced that Argentina would grant asylum to 3,000 refugees of the Syrian Civil War.
Criticism
Conflict over the presidential inauguration protocol
On November 24, two days after the ballot, outgoing president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President ...
and president-elect Macri met and agreed on the transfer protocol to be carried out on December 10 at the National Congress. Macri himself was in charge of announcing what was agreed at the meeting, which he described as a protocol and "cordial":
Subsequently, he changed his mind and considered that the oath had to be made in the National Congress, but after the oath, both had to move to the Casa Rosada so that Fernández de Kirchner there gave him the band and the cane. He explained that he intended to preserve the tradition prior to 2003, while Cristina's spokesmen explained that the agreement should be fulfilled according to what the Constitution establishes. The underlying reasons for Macri's change of opinion have led to journalistic speculation, as well as the alleged intentions of both to humiliate the other or the other.
While the negotiations were in progress, he made a judicial presentation requesting that it be established that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's mandate would end on December 9 at midnight. 198
The presentation of the judicial claim definitively interrupted the negotiations. Known the decision of the prosecutor to make room for the claim of Macri, the head of the Federal Intelligence Agency Oscar Parrilli
Oscar Isidro Parrilli (born 13 August 1951) is an Argentine lawyer and politician, member of the Justicialist Party.
Oscar Parrilli is National Senator He was born in San Martín de Los Andes, Neuquén province in 1951 and studied law at the Univ ...
questioned by irregular judicial decision to shorten the constitutional mandate of Kirchner, leave the country without president and force to put into operation the law of acefalía, supporting before an affirmation of a journalist that "if there is acefalía as you say that for me it is a blow". Parrilli announced that because the justice system had established that the presidential mandate of Cristina Kirchner had ended the day before the inauguration of the new president took place, it did not legally correspond to be present in the National Congress. 199
The next day Judge Maria Servini de Cubria made the injunction requested by Macri and ordered that the mandate of President Kirchner should end at midnight on December 9, twelve hours before the ceremony of transfer of command and swear in Congress. The judicial decision generated an anomalous situation, since the mandate of President Kirchner would end before Macri could comply with the constitutional requirements to assume command.
Faced with this situation, the provisional president of the Senate, Federico Pinedo, announced that he would be president of the Nation starting at 00:01 on December 10, holding office until Macri takes the constitutional oath. 200
Simultaneously the block of deputies of the Front for Victory
The Front for Victory ( es, Frente para la Victoria, FPV) was a centre-left Peronist electoral alliance in Argentina, and is formally a faction of the Justicialist Party. Former presidents Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner we ...
declared that the judicial decision constituted a "subjugation to the institutions" and that it would not attend the act of assumption as president of Mauricio Macri. 201
Pinedo effectively assumed the exercise to the Executive Power to cease the mandate of Cristina Kirchner, applying to the case the law of acefalía. 202
Conflict with the Public Ministry
After being elected President of the Nation, Macri confirmed that he intended the Attorney General of the Nation Alejandra Gils Carbó, head of the Public Prosecutor's Office to resign, despite the fact that it is a civil servant and a constitutional body that are independent of the Executive Power. for which he was chosen. 203
Attorney General Gils Carbó considered that President Macri did not have legal powers to demand his resignation and that it was a violation of institutionality and constitutional order. 204 The Attorney General received the support of more than 80 prosecutors and judicial officials. 205 Some 120 prosecutors from the Public Prosecutor's Office expressed their support for the Attorney General, Alejandra Gils Carbó, by noting "her deep concern" for the demonstrations carried out by different political actors "during the electoral campaign" and that they exercise "undue pressure "on the official by demanding her resignation. 206
In that context, Attorney General Gils Carbó was not invited to the presidential oath, because the invitation was sent to an incorrect address. Several human rights organizations, such as the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo and Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, considered that President Macri was unduly putting pressure on the Prosecutor's Office, and declared their solidarity in support of the Attorney General's continuity. 207
Conflict over the appointment by decree of two members of the Supreme Court
On 14 December 2015 the Executive Power reported that Macri appointed by decree of necessity and urgency , without approval of the Senate , two judges on commission for vacant positions in the Supreme Court of Argentina . 208 According to article 99 of the National Constitution , the Executive Power " ''appoints the magistrates of the Supreme Court with the agreement of the Senate by two thirds of its members present, in public session, summoned for that purpose.'' " 209 The press release justifies this designation without agreement based on paragraph 19 of the same article: 208" ''19. You can fill the vacancies of the jobs, which require the agreement of the Senate, and that occur during your recess, by means of commission appointments that will expire at the end of the next Legislature.'' .." 209 In addition, Decree 222/03 establishes a prior system of challenges and public hearings to be able to appoint the members of the Supreme Court.
The president of the Supreme Court, Ricardo Lorenzetti , gave the "welcome" to the judges. 210 Lorenzetti affirmed, referring to the previous governments, Peronists:
The radical Ernesto Sanz said that Macri did what he had to do, and that the measure would guarantee good governance. 212 The journalist Adrián Ventura opined that "the procedure can be risky, strange, politically criticized by the opposition, but it is valid". 213
Months later, Mauricio Macri sent the Senate a list of ten judges for the Supreme Court, which included the lawyer of the Clarín Group, the former personal lawyer of Macri charged in the Correo Argentino scandal, together with militant and radical militants, Macri also requested that they name cojueza of the court to the daughter of the magistrate that has in its hands the Argentine Mail cause, by which is imputed by condoning to a familiar company 70,000 million weights of debt, who in turn works with the minister Garavano, to the lawyer of the vice-president Gabriela Michetti in the scandal by the bags of money in his house, and an ex- judge who summoned to timbreos in favor of Macri, among others. 214
Objections to the Decree
The measure was criticized by politicians, jurists and journalists of the majority of the political arc, including several important figures of Cambiemos, criticizing from the little republican to directly by calling it unconstitutional. 215 Among the main criticisms, former presidential candidate Margarita Stolbizer described the decision as "inadmissible" and "an institutional setback"; 216 also ex-candidate Sergio Massa maintained that "the names are impeccable, the form horrible"; 217 Senator Miguel Ángel Pichetto maintained that it was "nonsense"; 218 the jurist León Arslaniánhe considered it "improper"; the journalist of Joaquín Morales Solá declared that "it does not seem convenient, nor opportune nor a success"; 219 the ex-governor of the province of Córdoba José Manuel de la Sota reproached him that the construction of a republic "will not be achieved by appointing provisional judges of the Court by decree." 220 Former Supreme Court Minister Eugenio Zaffaroni questioned the decision saying that "this affects the Republic and democracy without a republic can be a chaos, it seems an outrage, it is an abuse of authority." 221 The journalist Mario WainfeldHe maintained that "the move passes over the Senate to the top" and that Macri's intention is "to partially format a court to his liking". 222 The constitutionalist Daniel Sabsaydescribed the measure as "of terror", "manifest unconstitutionality" and "phenomenal regression", maintaining that he was "setting a disastrous precedent for the Argentine institutions he promised to improve" and contrasting President Macri's attitude with the one of the president Néstor Kirchner that autolimited his faculty to designate the members of the Court by means of the Decree Nº 222/03. 223 The president of the Bar Association of Buenos Aires Raúl Rizzo expressed his disagreement saying "we started bad Mauricio. " 224The Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel said that "is an unprecedented extent authoritarian democracy". 225 The radical senator from Cambiemos Julio Cobos affirmed that the appointment of the judges of the Court by Decree of necessity and urgency "has surprised me and is unnecessary", maintaining that he does not see "reasons for it to be by decree and not by sending Senate". 226 The lawyer of Cambiemos Gil Lavedra described the measure as a "very unfortunate precedent", adding that "the constitutional norm that was used is untenable in view of the scope of the principle of independence of judges."227 Ricardo Alfonsínde Cambiemos, also criticized the decree because "leaves much to be desired in terms of republican and political legitimacy." 227 The socialist governor of Santa Fe called it "an error". 228
Beatriz Sarlo said that Macri had met a few days ago with the main opposition figures to seek basic consensus and did not mention that he was preparing an appointment of two judges of the Court by decree and in committee:
On the other hand, the ex-candidate for the Progressive Front Margarita Stolbizer and the former candidate for the renovating Peronism Sergio Massa, made a joint declaration asking President Macri to reconsider his decision to appoint the members of the Court by decree. 230
Objections to candidates
About the appointed members of the Court, the press has released information about them. In the case of Carlos Rosenkrantz, the journalist Luis Bruchtein has announced that he was a lawyer for ''Grupo Clarín'' in his actions against the Law on Audiovisual Communication Services . 231 ''Page / 12'' in turn said Rosenkrantz in 2007, published a questioning of the Supreme Court rulings handed down in the case "Simon" and "Mazaeus" through article which declared unconstitutional the laws of endpoint, due obedience and the pardons of Menem to thecrimes against humanity . 232
The Coordinator against Police and Institutional Repression (Correpi) questioned the merits of the "appointed" candidates. 233 With regard to Rosatti, he announced that while he was in charge of the government secretariat of the Province of Santa Fe and in the municipality, more than 80 people died at the hands of the security forces he controlled and that in 2005 He was accused of pressuring the National Anti-Corruption Office to file an investigation against his former boss, Carlos Reutemann, about the misappropriation of public funds due to the 2003 flood, which caused dozens of deaths. 233 With respect to Carlos Fernando RosenkrantzHe questioned his links with companies that include major media ( América TV, La Nación, Grupo Clarín and Cablevisión ), food sales chains, prepaid medicine, telecommunications, energy, "and a huge etcetera of the world of business and finance" . 233
Conflict with workers of Cresta Roja
On December 22, the National Gendarmerie repressed a demonstration by employees of a poultry industry that had cut the Ricchieri Highway, access to the Ezeiza International Airport, after ordering the protesters to leave the court within five minutes. The repression, which consisted of two separate charges for a few hours, included the use of sticks, rubber bullets and hydrant trucks, leaving between ten and twelve workers injured, according to the testimony of the demonstrators. 234 235Cristian Villalba, delegate of the workers, denounced that the aggressions were not initiated by the workers of Cresta Roja but by political activists infiltrated in the demonstration. 236 This situation provoked a dispute between the government and the Partido Obrero, since the Ministry of Security, led by Patricia Bullrich, directly incriminated this political organization trying to occupy the Ezeiza airport and unleash the conflict. 237 What was worth a criminal complaint against the official by the left organization "for slander and insults, aggravated because they come from high-ranking State officials and, therefore, to use lies to pave political persecution."238 The day after this presentation, the ministry retracted 239 and the lawsuit was withdrawn.
Conflict with the AFSCA
Macri said he intended the resignation of Martin Sabbatella, president of the Federal Audiovisual Communication Services Authority, a self-governing body that had the responsibility of regulating audiovisual media and was created by the Media Law . By law, the mandate of the AFSCA president was four years "there must be two years of difference between the beginning of the mandate of the directors and the national Executive Power". 240
On the second day of his mandate, Macri signed a Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) stating that AFSCA and AFTIC would become dependent on the Ministry of Communication. 241 Several organizations and unions reported that the creation of the new portfolio seeks to eliminate the AFSCA's self-sufficiency, constituting a covert intervention and called for a symbolic embrace in defense of the AFSCA and the preservation of its autonomy. 242
On December 11, Communications Minister Oscar Aguad announced that "the regulation of the Media Law will not subsist during our government." 243 Minister Aguad's announcement was in turn questioned by AFSCA president Martín Sabbatella, denouncing that the government intends to benefit Grupo Clarín . 244
On the afternoon of December 14, a group of members of social and political organizations, workers and self-convened held a demonstration in the Plaza de Mayo in defense of the AFSCA and the Media Law, becoming the first opposition march to the government of Macri. There were also demonstrations in the cities of Córdoba and Mendoza . 245
On December 23 Macri arranged to intervene the Federal Audiovisual Communication Services Authority (AFSCA). Communications Minister Oscar Aguad justified the measure by saying that the authorities of the AFSCA had committed an act of " rebellion " and that its president Martin Sabbatella was a " political activist ." 246 Sabatella with a mandate until 2017, affirmed that the "government was democratically elected but has the attitudes of a de facto government " and filed an amparo and habeas corpus appeal before the courts . 247A few hours after the intervention a demonstration of citizens met to protest against the measure at the door of the AFSCA. 248 The Ministry of Communications placed Agustín Garzón as auditor of the AFSCA. 249 Later Garzón was accused of political persecution and arbitrary dismissals in the organization, and of intimidation, 250 besides using police officers to intimidate employees. 251 He was also criticized for designating Cambiemos militants in the public body . 252
Scandal of Panama Papers
Macri is among the politicians involved in the international investigation into corruption through tax havens called " Panama Papers ", published on April 3, 2016, by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists . 253 According to the investigation, he joined with his father Franco and his brother Mariano the board of the offshore company Fleg Trading Ltd, registered in the Bahamas between 1998 and 2009. When he was elected mayor of Buenos Aires in 2007, the now president did not include in his sworn statements his connection to the firm. 254 255Macri's official spokesman, Ivan Pavlovsky, said the Argentine president did not declare his participation in that offshore company as an asset because he had no equity interest in it. 253 Journalist Joaquín Morales Solá considers it unlikely that the case will be prosecuted, since Mauricio Macri appears personally in the company's board of directors (and not using a front man ), Franco Macri declared the account before AFIP, the money movement was insignificant, and was closed a year after Mauricio Macri was elected head of government. 256On April 7, a few days after the scandal was known, Mauricio Macri was formally imputed by the prosecutor Federico Delgado. 257 Judge Sebastián Casanello is in charge of investigating the case, and he asked the Central Bank to report on all the accounts that have Macri as owner or agent. He also asked the AFIP for affidavits from the father and brothers of the President and sent letters to five countries. 258
Months later, the existence of another company was known, -Kagemusha SA, based in Panama-, in which President Macri was vice president and director. 259
In September 2017 the judge in charge of the case ruled that Mauricio Macri "was not a partner or shareholder" of any of the two companies, which had been created by his father Franco Macri, who was responsible for both firms. 260 Subsequent investigations, released in June 2018, show a series of steps taken by legal representatives of Mauricio Macri, in order to obtain the documents that dissociated him from the case, including a document with an adulterated date that he adjudicates the total responsibility of Fleg Trading to his father Franco Macri. 261
Scandal by filtering and alteration of data in the AFIP
See also: Scandal by filtering and alteration of data in the AFIP
During the first year of the government, a scandal broke out over the alteration and filtering of secret AFIP information for political purposes . The investigation involves a group of officials of the AFIP, accused of "filtering" confidential information on taxpayers, with political objectives. In turn, it was reported that tests are being erased in AFIP involving politicians from the Change Alliance. 262 The prosecutor Eduardo Taiano denounced the preparation of "dossiers" of influential personalities that were later used in judicial cases or broadcast in the media. 263Inclusively, the case asks to investigate whether the head of the entity Alberto Abad and the general deputy director of Impositive Operations in the Interior, Jaime Mecicovsky helped the company IECSA, -owned by Ángelo Calcaterra, the cousin of President Mauricio Macri-, to "readjust" to a possible "fraudulent fiscal insolvency." 264
According to the investigation, since Cambiemos they would have used sensitive information from government rivals and protected by fiscal secrecy to prepare reports that were then leaked to Carrió in order to make journalistic reports. Thus, sworn statements, bank transactions, credit card expenses, among others, were under the possibility of being disclosed, 264 which were used for the electoral campaign of Mauricio Macri, through a special force within AFIP to collect data of his «enemies». 265
The prosecutor Eduardo Taiano imputed the head of the AFIP, appointed by Mauricio Macri for the crime of violation of secrecy along with the ally of Cambiemos, Elisa Carrió. 266
Ghost contributors to the 2015 campaign
In 2016 certain journalistic investigations revealed cases of irregularities in the financing of the presidential campaign of Mauricio Macri and Gabriela Michetti, -as well as the campaign of the opposition candidate Kirchner, Daniel Scioli-, 267 complaints about contractor companies that were contributors, donors " ghosts "or without economic capacity and contractors of the Government of the City that added millions for the presidential campaign of Mauricio Macri. 268 In addition, the Cambiemos alliance designated two retirees as the maximum responsible for handling the 36 million pesos that it used in the PASO. 269According to La Nación, Stella Maris Sandoval, 68, was the legal manager of those funds although she denied the newspaper having occupied that position as well as being a member of the PRO. "I never signed anything," he confessed. Another retiree, María Armanda Inza, 82, also assured La Nación that she was not aware of it. 270 271
Rates of public services
On April 5, 2016, cacerolazos occurred in Argentina, protesters demanded the resignation of Mauricio Macri after the large number of dismissals, the steep increases, adjustments, tariffs and the link and imputation for the Panama Papers case . There were cacerolazos in the center of Mar del Plata, in the plaza in front of the Cathedral, also a massive mobilization called # 7A in repudiation of Macri's adjustment and corruption. 272 There were also protests in other plazas in the interior of the country and in Rosario. 273 Spontaneously summoned to the cry of "processed", thousands of demonstrators gathered in Plaza de Mayo in the city of Buenos Aires. 272 274
Market crisis
At the end of August 2018, there was a rise in the dollar standing at a maximum of 40 pesos in exchange houses, this situation has been developing a distrust and dissatisfaction by various sectors of society towards the government. 275 After this happened, Macri reduced his ministerial cabinet. 276
Controversy by nickname
Painted "Macri cat".
On May 17, 2016, President Macri visited the city of Ledesma in Jujuy, to inaugurate "the thousandth house", as had been announced, in the midst of a climate of hostility and division where the deputy of Parlasur, Milagro Sala, She had been detained for months. That day Luis Llanos, a young native of the capital of the province, publicly rebuked the president under the label of "Macri Gato". This fact earned Llanos the arrest by the provincial police and generated a viralization of the nickname throughout the country. 277
In the prison jargon "cat" derives from "gatillar", in the sense of paying, and refers to the prisoner who collects for the head of the pavilion: "The" cat "above all things, despises the one who is inferior to conditions and admires who uses it. " 278
In 2018, the announcer Mario Pergolini considered that the expression "Macri gato" is "a great graffiti" that adequately expresses the feeling of youth that must be contestative. 279
References
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2016 in Argentina
2017 in Argentina
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2015 establishments in Argentina