Ignacio Ortelli
09/17/2021 18:30
Clarín.com
Politics
Updated 9/17/2021 6:52 PM
Juan Pablo Biondi, one of Alberto Fernández's closest and most trusted men, presented his "unwavering" resignation from the post of government spokesman. Although close to him they emphatically denied it, the Secretary of Communication and Press surrendered
his position as part of the redesign of the Cabinet
that the President is drawing up and with the aim of decompressing the tension with Vice President Cristina Kirchner, who in the letter he published this Thursday had it questioned of mounting "press operations" against him.
In a letter of resignation presented to the President and that Biondi wrote this afternoon in his office, the now former official affirms that "this decision is motivated by the crisis unleashed in the last hours."
"I hope that my removal from office contributes to pacify, in part, these difficult moments that we have to live," he said.
Letter of resignation from presidential spokesman Juan Pablo Biondi, pointed out by Vice President Cristina Kirchner in a public letter.
"Only you know of my commitment, dedication and fidelity to your investiture in your person in this long path in which I accompanied you," he added, at the beginning of a message to the vice president who accused him of setting up operations.
"I am offended and regret the misinterpretations made about me by the vice president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, considering her an undisputed leader of the political space that she represents together with you," he said.
In any case, Cristina's attack had Biondi as its target, but it represented a dart for elevation to Fernández, since the official is part of the triad that has accompanied the President in sun and shadow since he took office, together with the Chief of Staff, Santiago Cafiero;
and the Secretary General of the Presidency, Julio Vitobello.
Consequently,
his discharge represents a hard blow for the president
, who always considered communication management key.
Alberto Fernández and Juan Pablo Biondi, in December 2019, when the ministers were sworn in.
(Photo Juan Mabromata / AFP)
Although the rispidos with Biondi began even during the presidential campaign of 2019, in the middle of last year the tension increased. And already in October those differences were made public, when Cristina spoke of "officials who do not work", to whom she later recommended that they "look for another job." Then, in December, after an act in La Plata, the Secretary of Communication and Press was exposed by a sector of Kirchnerism that criticized him for not having applauded the vice speech.
The distrust remained and Cristina asked for his departure several times.
However, Fernández kept his friend and even gave him a place at the communication table of this Legislative campaign.
But the defeat in the PASO was too much
.
And this Thursday's letter left no margin according to the head of state in the negotiation with Cristina.
Unlike usual, when arriving at Casa Rosada, Fernández did not arrive accompanied by Biondi (he did with Vitobello and Gustavo Beliz), who anyway entered a while later and settled in his office.
There he had lunch and met his collaborators, while Cafiero advanced in the talks to define the new Cabinet.
Alberto Fernández, arriving at Casa Rosada this Friday.
(Photo Federico López Claro)
"Regarding the category of officials who do not work ... presidential spokesman would
escape that classification is a rare case..? A presidential spokesman told where no one knows her voice Or have any other function than to
know
Does making operations in off for example?
True mystery ", Cristina fired at the beginning of her hard attack.
"Why am I telling this? Because
I will not continue to tolerate the press operations
that are carried out on me and on our political space through the presidential environment through its spokesperson: Alberto Fernández wanted Dr. Eduardo De Pedro to be his Chief of Staff and I was the one who disagreed. I could now hardly promote him to that position. "
The attack of hard Kirchnerism did not stop there.
After Cristina's letter, after this newspaper reported the news, the ultra-Christian deputy Rodolfo Tailhade, joined in the criticism, with an irony: "
They beat the pig and the owner appeared
."
At the end of his letter, Biondi reiterates “the immense honor of having been able to accompany him” to the President and wishes him “that this new stage that is beginning will surpass the previous one”.
"I am certain that this will be the case and that in this new instance of your Government you will have a new cast of collaborators to face the challenges ahead," he said.
