Opposition political figures quickly came out to question the speech that Alberto Fernández broadcast on national television on Friday as a farewell to his government. "They leave a broken country," said María Eugenia Vidal. "He didn't live up to the job, there's no doubt about it," Mario Negri added.
While Alberto Fernández continued with his televised message, which lasted more than 20 minutes and reviewed area by area the achievements and deficits of his administration, opposition personalities crossed him through social networks.
One of the points insisted on by the current head of state was the "calamitous legacy" left to him by the government of Mauricio Macri, with the debt contracted with the IMF as a special factor. Former Buenos Aires governor María Eugenia Vidal took that fragment to fight back.
"$105,000,000,000. That's what increased Argentina's debt in Alberto's four years as president. If we also take into account the liabilities of the Central Bank (among them, the Leliqs), the amount increases to USD 150 BILLION," began the deputy.
⚠️ $105,000,000,000.
That's what increased Argentina's debt in Alberto's four years as president.
If we also take into account the liabilities of the Central Bank (including the Leliqs), the amount increases to USD 150 BILLION.
👉 To give you an idea,...
— María Eugenia Vidal (@mariuvidal) December 8, 2023
So she did draw her comparison with the 2015-2019 period, in which she was in the Province of Buenos Aires and Mauricio Macri at the head of the Casa Rosada.
"To give you an idea, it is THREE TIMES more than the loan that the IMF gave to Macri in 2018," he said.
And he gave a critical assessment of the four years of the Frente de Todos, now the Union for the Fatherland: "They accused us of indebting the country, but in these four years they tripled the rate of indebtedness. Kirchnerism not only leaves a country sunk in poverty and with the worst inflation in the last 30 years: it also leaves a bankrupt country."
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Alberto Fernandez said goodbye on national television.
Another of the first to come out to question Alberto Fernández was Mario Negri.
"The president who with a tweet called for the impeachment of the Supreme Court of Justice says that he "defended the institutions." The president who leaves half the country in poverty, says that he 'inherited a catastrophe,'" the former radical congressman reacted live.
And he said: "Alberto Fernández was not up to the task. There's no doubt about it."
The one who was suggestive was Manuel Adorni, spokesman for the Presidency of Javier Milei. As Fernandez continued to review his administration, he left a wordless tweet: "?"
"End of all ends," he continued in another message. "I need to tweet. End," he added two minutes later, with the shot that he has been using in his social media posts and that he changed just for the photo of the transfer with Gabriela Cerruti (then he wrote "A new stage begins in Argentina. Home").
"Not even oblivion" and institutional violence: other criticisms of Alberto Fernández's speech
Tougher was Alejandro Finocchiaro. "Alberto Fernández, history is not going to grant you even oblivion...", rounded off the deputy in a few characters.
Maximiliano Ferraro expressed himself along the same lines. "The worst President and Government. Nothing more to add," said the national deputy and president of the Civic Coalition, a critic of the alliance that a sector of Together for Change forged with Javier Milei.
Two issues Fernández emphasized were the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and institutional violence. On this last point, the outgoing President assured: "Those who wanted to express their complaints in the public space were able to do so. Our security forces have never been accused of institutional violence."
At the time, Congresswoman Karina Banfi – who renewed her position in the lower house of Congress – objected to his words.
When we convened the Covid vaccine laboratories in the National Congress, we learned that Argentina could have received Pfizer at least 6 months before Sputnik arrived. How many lives would have been saved?
That @alferdez doesn't tell you.
— Karina Banfi 💚 (@KBanfi) December 8, 2023
"Alberto Fernández says that the security forces were never accused of institutional violence. 23 murders in quarantine for not carrying the certificate of circulation have been charged to police officers," said Banfi, who also sowed doubts about the acquisition of the vaccines.
In addition, he extended his criticism to the Secretary of Human Rights: "Pietragalla never supported the families of the victims. He never sought justice."
A president who did not live up to what the country needed ends his term.
Kirchnerism leaves us almost half of the population in poverty and the worst inflation in the last 30 years. There is no justification whatsoever for so much damage.
— Maricel Etchecoin (@metchecoin) December 8, 2023
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