My name is Laureano Ralon; I’m an Argentinean citizen and a recent
BA graduate from Simon Fraser University’s School of
Communication. I would like to submit an article for publication,
entitled “The K style: Echoes of Trudeaumania”, which describes the
amazing popularity of recently elected Argentinean President Nestor
Kirchner – a phenomenon equivalent to an Argentinean
Trudeaumania.
Please let me know if you find this piece suitable for publication. I will
be happy to make any changes.
sincerely,
Laureano Ralon
“The K style: Echoes of Trudeaumania”
by Laureano Ralon
In Argentina, the 1990’s are a dead issue. The election of former
regional governor Nestor Carlos Kirchner as President of Argentina
earlier this year effectively brought down the curtain on ten years of
Neo-liberalism in the land of Tango. Prior to the campaign, Kirchner,
a left-wing Peronist, was relatively unknown outside of his home
province of Patagonia. Last May, he was declared the winner by
default in the country’s presidential contest after Carlos Menem
withdrew from the race. Although Kirchner was technically elected by
a mere 23 per cent of the electorate, his popularity has, in less than
two months, catapulted to an impressive 85 per cent, according to
recent polls. His unique approach to politics – pragmatic and reform-
oriented – quickly became known as the “K Style”. Wherever he
goes, the new President causes a sort of generalized euphoria, a
phenomenon equivalent to an Argentinean “Trudeaumania”.
It seems Kirchner has softened even the government’s fiercest
adversaries. Estela Carlotto, a respected Argentinean human rights
activist and President of the organization Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo,
is known for her quest for justice and has forcefully opposed every
government in power since 1976. “I would dare to say that in this
country things are starting to change,” she declared recently, in a
remarkable change of heart. Needless to say that Kirchner’s
progressive discourse mesmerizes left-wing intellectuals and
working class alike; however, he makes it very clear that, even
though a revolution is necessary, it’s only for the sake of turning
Argentina into a “normal country”, one that is properly inserted in the
world and not isolated from it. As a matter of fact, his popularity
seems to have transcended frontiers: in just three months, this
determined Patagonian has gathered support from such dissimilar
figures as President George W. Bush, Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez, Brazilian President Ingacio Lula da Silva and Cuban
dictator Fidel Castro. He was even invited by Tony Blair to participate
in the Progressive Governance Summit, which was held in the UK
last month.
What’s the explanation for this unprecedented popularity?
In a sharp veer away from the prototypical, corrupt Latin American
politic, President Kirchner has displayed such gracious features as
honesty, fairness and a passion for doing. From the beginning, he
has committed to maintaining a sound correlation between what he
prescribes and what his government subsequently does – something
quite rare in Argentinean politics since Juan Per
