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FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5941
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCNMRC/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1718

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUENOS AIRES 002123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA TOM SHANNON, JOHN MAISTO, AND CHARLES SHAPIRO 
NSC FOR DAN FISK 
TREASURY FOR DAS NANCY LEE 
USCINCSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2016 

TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AR

SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: CLOSE KIRCHNER ASSOCIATE ON U.S. AND 

VENEZUELA RELATIONS AND DOMESTIC POLITICS 

 

REF: BUENOS AIRES 01901 

 

Classified By: CDA, a.i., Michael Matera, Reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 

 

¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: On September 11, Charge and Poloffs 

(notetakers) met with Congressman and longtime Kirchner 

associate Carlos Kunkel that included a wide-ranging 

discussion on bilateral relations, Venezuela and Argentine 

politics.  Kunkel noted that the GOA has many points of 

cooperation with the USG and said that Argentina appreciates 

the help the U.S. provided the country during the economic 

crisis.  Turning to Venezuela, Kunkel emphasized the economic 

nature of the GOA's relationship with the Chavez government. 

On domestic politics, Kunkel lamented the lack of a viable 

opposition in Argentina and defended the GOA's use of public 

works funds.  The meeting closed with the Charge providing 

Kunkel a copy of Ambassador Wayne's congressional testimony, 

and Kunkel expressing confidence that Ambassador Wayne would 

be a good Ambassador.  END SUMMARY. 

 

¶2.  (SBU) On September 11, Charge and Poloffs (notetakers) 

met with Congressman and longtime Kirchner associate Carlos 

Kunkel that included a wide-ranging discussion on bilateral 

relations, Venezuela and Argentine politics.  Carlos Kunkel 

has a close relationship with President Nestor Kirchner that 

stretches back more than 30 years.  Kunkel notes that he was 

Kirchner's first employer when Kirchner entered law school in 

La Plata in the early 1970s where Kunkel was an 

upperclassman.  Kunkel is associated with the more radical 

left-wing side of the Kirchner movement and was responsible 

for managing First Lady Cristina Kirchner's Senate campaign 

in Buenos Aires province during last October's elections. 

Kunkel began the discussion by welcoming the Charge back to 

Argentina and highlighting the importance of a good dialogue 

between the two governments, despite any differences that 

might exist.  Charge replied that the USG was very pleased 

with the fluid dialogue that existed with the GOA. 

 

¶3.  (SBU)  Kunkel noted that the GOA has many points of 

cooperation with the USG and Kunkel said that Argentina 

appreciates the help the U.S. provided the country during 

Argentina's economic crisis.  Kunkel said that the GOA has 

great respect for the U.S. and that ""you will not see 

officially-backed demonstrations in the street directed 

against the U.S.""  Kunkel said that he and his colleagues do 

not want to publicly comment on the bilateral relationship 

and prefer to leave those matters to the professionals in the 

Foreign Ministry.  Kunkel also noted that the U.S. naturally 

has a much larger role in the world than Argentina and that 

Argentina does not want to meddle in any other country's 

domestic affairs. 

 

¶4.  (SBU) Turning to Venezuela, Kunkel emphasized the 

economic nature of the GOA's relationship with the Chavez 

government.  ""If someone offers us a better price for our 

bonds, we will go with them, much the same as I imagine you 

would stop buying Venezuelan oil and go with another supplier 

if you could get a better price.""  Kunkel downplayed the 

ideological nature of the GOA-GOV relationship, saying that 

the Venezuelan style of democracy and politics is very 

different from that of Argentina.  Kunkel said that in 

particular, the use of political violence would never be 

accepted in Argentina.  ""We do not base our relations on 

ideology.  For example, we were among the first to support 

Uruguay's Tabare Vazquez when he was running for President, 

but when the controversy arose regarding the paper mills, we 

defended the rights of the affected residents against the 

Uruguayan government."" 

 

¶5.  (SBU) Moving to domestic politics, Kunkel lamented the 

lack of a viable opposition in Argentina.  ""It would be 

better if the 20-25 percent of the population that does not 

agree with us had leaders that actually represented them."" 

Kunkel said that opposition leaders like former President 

Raul Alfonsin and Republican Proposal (PRO) leader Ricardo 

Lopez Murphy lack public support.  ""In the last elections, 

Lopez Murphy came in fifth place in Buenos Aires province, 

 

BUENOS AIR 00002123  002 OF 002 

 

 

and yet he complains that President Kirchner does not consult 

with him.  Would Bush consult with someone who came in fifth 

in some U.S. state before he made a decision?""  Kunkel also 

said that Alfonsin has no right to accuse Kirchner of 

destroying the opposition Radical Civic Union (UCR). 

""Alfonsin has run the UCR for 30 years.  Under Alfonsin's 

leadership, the party went from winning 52 percent of the 

vote in 1983 to 2 percent of the vote in 2003, all before 

Kirchner came to office."" 

 

¶6.  (SBU) Kunkel defended the GOA's management of public 

works contracts, arguing that the funds are equitably 

distributed.  ""I was in Alfonsin's hometown of Chascomus the 

other day helping to inaugurate a large new public housing 

project.  The UCR mayor, who is not aligned with us, was 

taking credit for the whole project.  In fact, all of the 

funds came from the national government."" 

 

¶7.  (SBU) Turning to the subject of the arrival of Ambassador 

Wayne, Charge provided a copy of Ambassador Wayne's 

congressional testimony to Kunkel.  (Note: Carlos Kunkel was 

one of the main Kirchner allies who reacted negatively to 

reports of Ambassador Wayne's testimony during his 

congressional confirmation hearings, and Kunkel publicly 

accused Ambassador Wayne of defending former President Carlos 

Menem's policies, based on inaccurate local press reports of 

Wayne's testimony.  End Note.)  Kunkel said that he had no 

doubt that Ambassador Wayne would be a good Ambassador, and 

he looked forward to continued good relations with the U.S. 

Embassy. 

 

¶8.  (C) COMMENT: The meeting with Carlos Kunkel followed a 

familiar script used by all of Kirchner's officials -- speak 

nicely to U.S. diplomats in private while criticizing the 

U.S. or U.S. policy in public.  In Kunkel's case, it is even 

more difficult to believe.  Kunkel, an ex-Montonero, has been 

a prominent participant or organizer in nearly every leftist 

demonstration that has enjoyed tacit Casa Rosada support 

during the last three years, from the Counter-Summit at Mar 

del Plata last November, to the piquetero march against Juan 

Carlos Blumberg two weeks ago.  As Kunkel indicated, however, 

it is better to have a fluid dialogue, despite the 

disagreements, than to have disagreements with poor 

communication.  We will continue to engage Carlos Kunkel from 

time to time to ensure that his disagreements with the U.S. 

are voiced privately, and not to the Argentine press.  END 

COMMENT. 

 

 

MATERA 


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