Argentine leader condemns assassination attempt against vice president in speech at UN

By Bala Chambers

LONDON (AA) - Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez began his speech at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday by focusing on the issue of hate in democracies and directly addressing the recent assassination attempt against Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, which reverberated strongly both domestically and abroad.

Fernandez expressed his gratitude for the solidarity shown towards de Kirchner by the international community in the face of what he called "fascist violence" as he reflected on the dark chapter in Argentine history when a military dictatorship ruled the South American country.

He also called for the universal rejection of hatred, which he said has undermined public peace, paving the way for social unrest in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on de Kirchner.

Fernandez argued that in recent times, violent discourse globally has found "fertile ground," paving the way for "extreme polarization," as he called for citizens to reject the sowing of division by extremist groups.

On the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, he advocated a peaceful solution through dialogue.

The president also thanked the nations that supported Argentina in its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and called for a paradigm shift in the global financial architecture.

“We must abandon the economic and financial practices that the developed world demands of the world that tries to develop. Sustaining this will only increase poverty and marginality. If we don’t change, we won’t be able to build fairer and freer societies, more stable, committed to their institutions,” he said.

Fernandez went on to highlight how the "enormous inequalities" were made "transparent" during the coronavirus pandemic and the impact on supply chains and food security caused by the war in Ukraine.

He also underscored the defense of human rights in Argentina, noting how "the mothers and grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo taught us to persist and fight. They marked the way for us so that -- with political will and social consensus -- we could carry out a process of eradicating impunity based on memory, truth and justice.”

Fernandez also called for justice for those who have suffered from terrorist attacks in Argentina.

“We continue to fight against impunity, investigating the attacks we suffered in 1992 against the Israeli embassy and in 1994 against the AMIA headquarters, which claimed the lives of 107 people and wounded hundreds of others. We want those responsible for such heinous attacks to be identified, tried and eventually sentenced,” he said.

Fernandez also called for the lifting of the blockades on Cuba and Venezuela.

He also raised the issue of sovereignty, strongly reaffirming what he argued are Argentina's legitimate claims over the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, decrying the "colonial situation," and pushed for a negotiated "solution to the protracted dispute."

After his speech, Fernandez was due to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish President Pedro Sanchez.