Filmmakers, actors, writers, historians, philosophers, and journalists have signed a letter, publicly backing the reelection bid of incumbent Argentine President Mauricio Macri. A total of 150 Argentines, noted in cultural fields and with important influence at a national level, have ventured into the political realm, on the eve of closely contested national elections. For them, the country runs a great risk with the possibility of the return of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, even as vice president, and they explained their rationale for supporting Macri.
“Why We Are Voting for Together for Change” is the title of the document promoted by such figures as actor Luis Brandoni, historian Alberto Romero, filmmaker Juan José Campanella, writer Marcelo Birmajer, and essayist and poet Santiago Kovadloff, among others.
“We do so convinced that there is much to defend of what has been done thus far, which does not mean that the challenges before us are not enormous. We also believe that it would be a serious setback for the country to return to the past, to its previous ways and manners,” the document states in one of the paragraphs.
For the documents signers, these years of Macrismo meant a complicated road, and included several errors on the part of the administration. However, they believe that the Cambiemos movement invites us to build “a modern country, with solid institutions, respectful of public liberties and the rule of law.” The position that Argentina recovered in the world is another aspect that they consider fundamental to renew confidence in Mauricio Macri for four more years.
“The government of Mauricio Macri respected the division of powers and refrained from using the tools of the state for partisan purposes. An example of this was the management of public media outlets: before they were official government propaganda. Now they are at the service of all Argentines. We have progressed from national channels and programs that denigrated opponents, to a respectful relationship with pluralism and the privacy of citizens. This government put, in that sense, things in their place,” says the text.
Now, Argentina’s ruling party has cemented its own support in the cultural field, in the same way that Kirchnerism has its own “Open Letter.” Kirchner’s army of fanatical followers, which has had problems funding their movement since the Kirchners left power, is also asking people to vote for the Fernandez duo. Its latest communication was entitled “In difficult times, we trust in the principle of hope.”
“We know that there is much to do and improve. We should always be at the ready. In this government, with its successes and also with its mistakes, we find an interlocutor willing to listen, with the will to change the worst habits of the political history of our country,” emphasized the letter recognizing part of the stumbling blocks of the Macri era.
Macri has received a boost from a series of key endorsements from Argentine senators who previously opposed his administration. Elections will take place on October 27 of this year, and polling is showing a tight race. In the latest poll, taken two weeks ago, the Fernandez duo is leading Macri by the slightest of margins: 40.6% to 38.1%, meaning a second round showoff is highly likely.