President-elect Biden phones Argentine President Alberto Fernandez: "I want a strong relationship"
President-elect Joe Biden shared a phone conversation this morning with Argentine President Alberto Fernández - who since his election last year has struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic, its economic effects, and a debt crisis inherited from right-wing predecessor Mauricio Macri.
The call was the first between Biden and Fernández, who again congratulated the President-elect - adding that “your victory means a great opportunity to create a better bond, and for the United States to renew its relationship with Latin America.”
Biden, in turn, told Fernández that “the continent has great potential, with a solid democracy, and we have a broad agenda to work on from Canada to Argentina.”
“I want to have a strong relationship with the continent,” said Biden.
An alternative
“These have been difficult years for Latin America,” Fernández noted. “We wanted things to change and we see in you an alternative.”
Biden's defeat of President Donald Trump was hailed around the world as a hope for a more pragmatic U.S. foreign policy.
Argentine Foreign Minister Felipe Solá noted that the call “was scheduled to last 10 minutes and lasted 35 minutes, so obviously (Biden) was comfortable.”
Solá said that Fernández asked Biden “for the cooperation and goodwill of the director representing the U.S. at the IMF, because we are not currently having much luck with the current director (Trump appointee Mark Rosen).”
Argentina's currently renegotiating a $45 billion IMF debt - taken on by Macri ahead of his failed 2019 re-election effort in what Fernández has described as “the world's largest campaign contribution ever.”
Biden, Solá added, “said he would endeavor to settle the financial problems of Latin America, and recognized Argentina as a very important country” with great human and natural resources.
At: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.pagina12.com.ar/309058-alberto-fernandez-y-joe-biden-mantuvieron-una-comunicacion-t
Argentine President Alberto Fernández smiles during today's phone call with President-elect Joe Biden.
Biden, who shares the Catholic faith with Fernández as well as a friendship with the Argentine-born Pope Francis, stressed that the continent must be helped in its economic recovery.
“We have a lot ahead to do in the region,” Fernández concurred. “This is the most unequal continent in the world, it must be developed economically and socially balanced.”
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No doubt at all, not one bit, that Biden meant every word, too. Two really fine people. Best wishes for both.
OMG, thank you, sandensea. 
The fact that Biden and Fernández share a dislike of trickle-down economics and financial debt bubbles - as well as their catholic faith and world view in general - is very encouraging.
All the more so because Argentina's right wing is very much like the GOP in that regard - and just as given to forum shopping and calling on foreign interference to try to overturn elections that didn't go their way.
Which is an improvement, as they used to resort to coups.
Frankly the Argentine right sees the U.S. as little more than an unfair parent, that can be easily manipulated into settling a sibling dispute in your favor - just by saying the right words.
It would be hard for any U.S. president to understand Argentine politics without having these dynamics in mind.
On another note, I wanted to compliment your very thorough and insightful reading into a video of Maradona mourners I posted the other day. It's amazing how much you read into it - and accurately so - considering there were no subtitles.
Goes to show some people don't really need translations. Kudos to you, Judi.
Hope you had a pleasant Thanksgiving. 
Kissinger stayed very close at hand, sending his affirmations of support to the military dictatorship as they set about developing their power over the people who protested, dissented, publicly condemned the kidnapping, torture, murder. He suggested the need to move quickly before the US Congress could become too aware of what was happening there, and put the brakes on military and financial support to the fascists running the show.
The right-wing of the US gov't has always been gung-ho for suppression and total domination of those who are powerless, poor, struggling. It's so hard to understand why anyone would choose to harm the helpless, isn't it?
It was interesting getting the chance to look through the window to people in the streets and learn how universally Maradona was loved, cherished, respected. It appeared they all perceived how his life had been formed, his hard beginning, his struggles, and they seemed to empathize with him throughout. Very beautiful, actually. He did bring people together because he worked so intensely, throwing his entire life into the effort.
Thanksgiving seems to come at a time people's spirits need a change of pace. This year was so special, being able to hope the nightmare is nearly over, knock on wood! First good Thanksgiving since 2016! Hope your Thanksgiving caught you at a really good time!
