VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1090 1321949
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121949Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4522
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 5527
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 5330
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0910
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 4136
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 5544
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 5126
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ADVOCATE EXPELLED 
FROM RULING PARTY 
 
REF: 05 BUENOS AIRES 02303 
 
1)   (SBU) Peronist national congresswoman Maria del Carmen 
Alarcon -- the leading defender of the agricultural sector in 
the national Congress-- was expelled from the ruling Victory 
Front (FPV) congressional bloc and asked to resign the 
presidency of the Agricultural Committee in the Lower House 
on May 10 by FPV leaders because of her strong criticism of 
the GOA's agricultural policies.  Alarcon also heads the 
agricultural lobby Grupo Pampa Sur together with 
ex-Congressman Miguel Saredi (For more on Grupo Pampa Sur, 
see Reftel).  Alarcon is a second-term Lower House member 
that first entered Congress in 1999 as a protege of former 
Santa Fe Governor and current National Senator Carlos 
Reutemann.  Casa Rosada pollster Enrique Zuleta Puceiro told 
Poloff on May 11 that FPV bloc leader, Agustin Rossi, 
strongly advocated Alarcon's expulsion to President Kirchner 
because he views Reutemann and Alarcon as rivals within the 
Peronist Party (PJ) in Santa Fe. 
 
2)  (SBU) The political opposition -- including the 
Duhaldistas that have remained outside of the FPV, Elisa 
Carrio's Affirmation for an Egalitarian Republic (ARI) and 
Republican Proposal (PRO) leader Mauricio Macri -- criticized 
the action against Alarcon.  Senator Hilda "Chiche" Gonzalez 
de Duhalde attacked the ruling party's "authoritarianism" and 
the National Justice bloc that she is a part of expressed 
strong support for Alarcon.  Alarcon said she would not 
resign the Agriculture Committee presidency -- forcing the 
FPV to vote to remove her -- and would form her own 
one-person bloc in Congress.  (Comment: The FPV leadership 
will easily be able to garner the necessary votes to remove 
her from the committee presidency.  End Comment.) 
 
3)  (SBU) Comment: Maria del Carmen Alarcon has been the 
leading congressional member in recent years who has 
championed the rights of the agricultural community.  The 
move against Alarcon is clearly designed to send the message 
that the Kirchner administration will not tolerate criticism 
of its controversial agricultural policies from within the 
ruling party.  Alarcon chose to defend the interests of her 
province and that of her voters rather than give her 
unwavering support for the GOA's policies.  Alarcon's 
punishment is yet another example of President Kirchner's 
control over his supporters in the Argentine Congress.  As 
Kirchner continues to exert greater control over his 
congressional bloc through actions like this, he in the 
process weakens the independence and power of the Argentine 
Congress.  End Comment. 
 
GUTIERREZ