Argentina's Kirchner runs to the Pope to help her on the Falklands.
Everywhere you go, politicians are all the same. When times are good, they take the credit; when times are bad, they find a convenient boogeyman (often a straw man foreign threat) to distract the public for a while.
Populist Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner -- under whose auspices the nation has experienced a 26 percent inflation rate and riots in December -- is facing quite a bit of political trouble. Unsurprisingly, her approval rating has plummeted, from 69 percent over a year ago to 39 percent in January. True to form, she is taking a page from the global political playbook: She has decided to pick yet another fight with the UK over the Falkland Islands. And, this time, she has turned to a higher power: She called the Pope.
The Falkland Islands, a British territory referred to as Malvinas in Argentina, have been a sore spot for UK-Argentinian relations for several decades. Argentina claims the islands, and so the country invaded them in 1982, triggering a 74-day long war with the UK. In 1982, Margaret Thatcher was the UK's Prime Minister, so you can probably guess who won the war. (Nobody messes with the Iron Lady.)
But that was over 30 years ago, and Argentina is feeling scrappy again. Because of this, the Falkland Islands held a referendum on their status as a British territory last week. The result wasn't particularly close. Of the 1518 votes cast, 1513 (99.8 percent) voted to remain in the UK. What about those other 5 votes? One was invalid, one was lost and presumably three were cast in favor of Argentina. (When was the last time 99.8 percent of Americans agreed on anything?)
So now you can see why President Kirchner needs some divine intervention. Going up against the wishes of nearly all Falkland Islanders, not to mention the British government, is a monumental task.
Kirchner hopes that Pope Francis, an Argentinian himself, will support her. In the past, he has voiced support for Argentina's claims to the islands. However, he and Kirchner aren't exactly good friends. The two of them butted heads over social issues while he was still a cardinal, and Kirchner referred to his beliefs as "medieval." Further, the idea that a newly installed pope would immediately insert himself into a controversial geopolitical debate is a bit far-fetched.
Kirchner may need to boost her political support by attacking some other foreign boogeyman. Perhaps the U.S. would make a tempting target.
( AP photo)
