At the Casa Rosada

I came across this gathering of supporters of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner near the Casa Rosada Executive Mansion yesterday as they patiently waited to join her inside for a ceremony. I was struck by the variety of shirts being worn.

I was aware of her left/liberal and populist leanings, but didn’t realize the breadth of that support in this polarized country. Even that support isn’t all inclusive however; there are pro-Kirchner and anti-Kirchner factions in several parties.

Nationwide her approval ratings have dipped under 40%; in November upwards of half a million people took to the streets to voice their disapproval, the largest anti-government protest here in a decade. Inflation pushing 25% and widespread corruption are the chief points of discontent.

There’s a pretty good intro to what defines Kirchnerism, the political philosophy of the current president and her late husband Néstor, on Wikipedia here. And for stroll down memory lane, here’s a bit culled from the Wikileaks document dump where U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wonders about CFK’s mental health.

I’m sure Cristina scolded them for leaving such a mess.

More photos on my flickr stream here.

Buenos Aires, 28-Jan-2012