Don't Cry For Me, Mrs. Kirchner
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Cristina Kirchner has been elected President of Argentina. She is the latest in a long line of strong female leaders in Latin America.
Mala Htun, Associate Professor of Political Science at the New School, Alberto Vourvoulias, Executive Editor at El Diario/La Prensa, and Isabel Vergara, Professor of Spanish at George Washington University, discuss Latin American politics and its impact on communities here in the United States.
Comments [4]
I'm seeing this as an auspicious sign that
The US will be the next major nation with a woman president, namely Hilary Clinton.
The election of Cristina Kirchner, like the potential election of Senator Clinton, also brings up a question about political dynasties. I'd be interested to hear what Latin American women have to say about keeping the government under the control of powerful, entrenched political families. Does it ensure experienced leadership, or does it make common people feel voiceless and powerless? I'm all for electing more women and minorities, but I'm not sure I'd want to do that at the expense of keeping the government open and accountable to regular citizens.
I have observed in my visits to Argentina, that because of the decades of political corruption, there is a general feeling that nothing will change. So even if a progressive is elected, they tend to feel that corruption will return.
Though I have not been there in a couple of years, I would bet that most Argentinians are skeptical of Fernandez de Kirschner. They are not blind to the fact that she avoided debating her opponents.
When all else fails, elect a woman to bail you out.
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