No. 5 Cristina Kirchner
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner did something that Hillary Clinton could only wish for - transitioned from senator and first lady to the presidency of her country. Cristina, elected to office in October 2007, succeeded her husband Nestor Kirchner as president of Argentina and instantly became the most influential woman in Latin America. But less than a year later, Cristina Kirchner's reign has been greatly tarnished. Argentina, which emerged out of its 2001 collapse under her husband's rule, is teetering on the brink once more. Kirchner imposed an agricultural tax hike, leading to a clash with the country's powerful farmers. Her close ties to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez has been scrutinized, resulting in a strained relationship with the United States. As of February 2009, her approval rating was just 22%. Kirchner also no longer speaks to her vice president, Julio Cobos, after he cast the deciding vote to defeat Kirchner's proposal to increase a soybean tax in July 2008. Cobos is widely considered to be the primary challenger to Kirchner in the next presidential election - along with a few disgruntled defectors from her own Peronist party - though that won't be held until 2011.
