Alberto Fernández's phone, a matter of state

Pablo de Leon

07/10/2020 - 2:00

• Clarín.com
• Politics

Be careful with the cell phone

"You have to put the President to sleep early and get the phone out of him," says a powerful Peronist leader who visits the Olivos presidential residence once a week. The reason for that phrase are  the retweets that the head of state performs, many of them, on the edge or after midnight when, after the day of many, Alberto Ángel Fernández takes his phone and begins to have fun with the social network Twitter. This is how the repugnant retuit against Diego Leuco happened, where a video with a boxing glove that appeared in the middle of the cross between the journalist and Santiago Cafiero, on Telenoche, was echoed. Or as he did some time ago, with another journalist, like Jonatan Viale. Thus, the use of Fernández's cell phone becomes a matter of State, since his sayings, debates or RTS, fix the position of a President, not an ordinary tweeter. But the president heard thoughts similar to the opening sentence of this note from his own, from those who want the Alberto who mentions Rodríguez Larreta as a "friend" or who sits down to take cuts with Jorge Macri, Néstor Grindetti or the most dialogista of the mayors, Juanchi Zabaleta de Hurlingham.

Alberto Fernández with the mayors Juan Zabaleta and Jorge Macri

This is what happened this week at a meeting where the Secretary General of the Presidency, Julio Vitobello; the presidential spokesman Juan Pablo Biondi and the economy minister, Martín Guzmán, with Sergio Tomás Massa. The president of the Chamber of Deputies smiled and said: "I'm going to steal your phone so you don't download your fever on Twitter . " Everyone, including Fernández, started to laugh but Vitobello, a close friend of the President, who did not separate a minute from the president joined us: "We are going to give you a box bag." The meeting continued, topics of the pandemic were discussed and closed, coordinating that Massa bring the President, next week, to the heads of the opposition bloc for a new show of amplitude, after the appointment with the mayors of the PRO and the act for the Independence Day with the governors and businessmen of the field, the industry and the commerce. But since everyone knows Alberto, Massa said goodbye. And in addition to the nudge that replaces kisses and handshakes, he said again, with a smile: "I hid your cell phone that I am going to rush you."

Alberto Fernández on the phone with the German Chancellor Angela Markel. Argentina Presidency Photo

Tweeters

But the presidential forays on Twitter also generate a debate in the Casa Rosada, where officials and officials argue strongly. It is that the question that many ask themselves is: where does Alberto get those tweets that he later reposts and generate controversy? In the Communications, Media and Cabinet Heads there are women and men who work specifically to establish a presidential style of communication. But those who dress there, assure that they only manage to sneak their own into institutional issues (for example, post the letter in solidarity with Alberto to Bolsonaro after learning that he has a coronavirus) and that the retweets and spicy responses are the exclusive work of the President. in his chair, watching Twitter. Now, Santiago Cafiero joined the tweeting move : one crossing the Macrista lawyer Alejandro Fargosi, another about the murder of Fabián Gutiérrez and another, also referring to his crossing with Diego Leuco. It happens to leave the Casa Rosada, a subject: why Balcarce 50 are no pots or dispensers with alcohol gel anywhere? There is hardly one, next to the Security post, through which officials and accredited journalists enter. If alcohol is not found in the Government House itself ...

Highest institutional severity pic.twitter.com/C8sIle1O1S

Opponents

This week, the President met with Jorge Macri, Néstor Grindetti and Juanchi Zabaleta and that photo once again ignited the internal fights in Cambiemos / Juntos por el Cambio . Critics of this snapshot assure that Alberto celebrates having the opposition divided, between dialogues and hawks. one hour. More when that same day, the reappearance of Mauricio Macri happened, in a television dialogue with Álvaro Vargas Llosa. Thus, the JxC chats burned with those who defend that they are times of openness and dialogue due to the consequences of the pandemic (here are those of the PRO and the radicals with government responsibilities) and those who say that they must move forward now with the rearming of the political coalition before a society that, they assure, distrusts the intentions of Alberto Fernández and sees the shadow of Cristina Kirchner in the actions of the Government and in the creation of judicial cases for men and women who passed through the Macri administration (Patricia plays here Bullrich and Miguel Pichetto). Those who defend this last position also set their eyes on Twitter and ask to observe the results of the posts by both Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Jorge Macri. Thus, they ensure that the head of government shows in his networks his actions of his government and management and does not put anything on political issues. And they ask to see the reactions that Jorge Macri obtained, after tweeting the photo with the President, his partner Grindetti and the Peronist mayor of Hurlingham. Spicy times for opposition and ruling politicians ...

President Alberto Fernández received at the Olivos residence the mayors of Vicente López, Jorge Macri; Lanús, Néstor Grindetti; and Hurlingham, Juan Zabaleta.