Argentina's president reshuffles cabinet after political crisis
Argentina's president Alberto Fernández announced a new cabinet on Friday in a bid to smother a political crisis that pitted him bitterly against his vice president this week after an electoral defeat in legislative primaries.
The reshuffle came one day after Vice President Cristina Kirchner wrote Fernández to demand one, deepening the crisis gripping the ruling coalition after their poor showing in mid-term primaries - in which the Front for All trailed the right-wing Together alliance by 9%.
Juan Manzur, the pragmatic Governor of Tucumán Province, will take over as Chief of Staff from Santiago Cafiero - who will in turn become Foreign Minister.
Outgoing Foreign Minister Felipe Solá, in Mexico for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit, was unceremoniously dropped ahead of the event, which begins on Saturday.
Four other ministers (out of 20) as well as the presidential spokesman, were also replaced - though Economy Minister Martín Guzmán and Production Minister Matías Kulfas were confirmed.
Due to the crisis, Fernández canceled his visit to Mexico for the CELAC summit and won't attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.
At: https://www.wionews.com/world/argentinas-president-reshuffles-cabinet-after-political-crisis-413962
Argentine President Alberto Fernández walks in the Casa Rosada after a difficult week precipitated by last Sunday's unexpected loss in congressional mid-term primaries to the right-wing opposition.
Fernández's allies, who attribute the setback to lower turnout from the Peronists' working class base, agree that his center-left coalition doesn't need a cabinet reshuffle as much as a policy one.
Fernández is expected to announce a more vigorous social and labor policy in the coming days - including a possible return of Emergency Family Income payments, which helped mitigate the effects of the 2020 lockdown on the poor.
