Trump vetoes Carter tribute in Argentina

[tenorly]

Argentine President Mauricio Macri reverted a decision to award former U.S. President Jimmy Carter the Order of the Liberator General San Martín — the maximum distinction the country can give to a foreign personality.

The reversal followed pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration, CNN reported this week.

The official tribute, which had already been published in the foreign ministry's Official Gazette, was cancelled after receiving a specific request by the U.S. government, which suggested it would be better to delay it.

Carter was to be given the award for his work in promoting human rights during Argentina’s last military dictatorship, in power between 1976 and 1983.

After being informed about the decision, the Argentine Foreign Ministry again requested that President Macri give the award in spite of Trump’s opposition since it had already been made official, according to an anonymous foreign ministry official consulted by CNN’s David Cox.

Former Argentine Ambassador to the United States Martín Lousteau, had proposed awarding Carter the honor. Lousteau resigned on April 3 following controversy over a proposed $2 billion U.S. arms purchase requested by the Macri administration without Argentine congressional approval.

President Carter, who made human rights a centerpiece of his foreign policy, actively pressed the Argentine dictatorship at the time to cease its policy of forced disappearances - which according to an official, 1984 report slowed from 3,600 in 1976 to just 46 in 1980.

"Jimmy Carter," the Buenos Aires Herald noted during his first visit to Buenos Aires in 1984, "did more than any group anywhere for the cause of human rights in Argentina."

Carter has been widely lauded for his decision to create an Under-Secretary for Human Rights at the State Department (led by the late Patricia Derian), for the creation of the Carter Center in 1982, and his efforts in the defense of human rights and democracies throughout Latin America and elsewhere.

At: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/225424/trump-vetoes-carter-tribute-

[Sculpin Beauregard]

1. It figures. We can't have a humanitarian president upstaging a president that is a fucking criminal.

[tenorly]

3. I hope and trust the Argentines will disregard this infantile demand of his.

It remains to be seen though, given that the current Argentine president is a neocon and a repeated apologist of the last dictatorship. He and Trump are personal friends, moreover.

Will Macri do the right thing here? We'll see.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Oh, my God.This is an unforgivably filthy act by Trump. Shockingly dirty. No gentleman would do it.

Jimmy Carter was the ONLY US President who worked against outright vicious, sadistic predators who went far into the dark side to abuse their political opponents.

Clearly, that was just fine with right-wing monsters: only civilized people resisted.

Tenorly, this is one of the most grotesque, cheap acts any President could imagine doing. It's the worst.

Thank you, so much.

One more reason to want Trump to leave.

[tenorly]

5. Absolutely. Let's see if Macri can rise to the occasion and ignore Trump on this.

That, after all, is what Macri's own foreign ministry is urging him to do.

My guess is that Cheeto's trying to placate RW Cuban exiles, who aren't too happy with him right now.

I'll certainly let you know if the Argentine press mentions any progress on Carter's distinction, Judi. Unbelievable.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. I completely agree and this latest action from Trump is seriously deplorable

President Carter worked before, during and after his term in office for human rights throughout the world - and through the Carter Center, he hasn't stopped yet.

[tenorly]

7. Right. I hope Macri can find it in himself to stand up to Trump - for once in his life.

My suspicion is that, besides pressure from the right-wing Cuban exile crowd (as well as right-wing Colombians, who have waged a dirty war of their own and want to avoid any allusions to it), news that Carter was trying to restart talks with North Korea may have had a hand in this.

Cheeto, it should be noted, has gorged himself on defense stocks lately - and he very much wants war in North Korea.