Lula heads emotional tribute to Nestor Kirchner in summit

[Judi Lynn]

Lula heads emotional tribute to Nestor Kirchner in summit
Dec 4, 2010, 15:44 GMT

Mar del Plata, Argentina

- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led Saturday an emotional tribute to former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, who died on October 27.

'I say this with an open heart: I don't know if anyone without the bravery, the courage of Nestor Kirchner could have made Argentina recover as fast as he did, facing the markets, the IMF, European analysts,' Lula said. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the twentieth Iberian-American Summit in the Argentine city of Mar del Plata, which brought together Latin American leaders with those of Spain, Portugal and Andorra.

~snip~
Spain's King Juan Carlos also paid his respects to the late Argentine leader who was president from 2003 to 2007.

'Kirchner holds a privileged position in the history of Argentina and of Iberian-America. As president he put an emphasis on recovery, he promoted the creation of a fairer region with greater solidarity,' he said.


More:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1603431.php/Lula-heads-emotional-tribute-to-Nestor-Kirchner-in-summit

[social_critic]

1. They did forget the corruption, though

The Kirchner administration was well known for its corruption. I think he did a lot of good things, but the corruption is a minus. My judgement? Neutral.

[Judi Lynn]

4. What about the government which imprisoned Nestor Kirchner, and tortured him?

I guess you haven't felt there was much wrong with that one, or the government of Carlos Saul Menem, who gave complete sweeping amnesty to all the criminals against humanity who took part in imprisoning, torturing, and murdering the people of Argentina they believed to be unsupportive of there raving, shrieking hell.

Ah, Menem, close family friend of George H. W. Bush, who ####ed up Argentina so badly he drove it directly into the ditch, nearly destroyed it, privatized their water to the point they were paying horrendous amounts of money while only able to get thick, brownish liquid from their kitchen faucets.

Yeah, I can really see how you'd want to take everyone's time attempting to inform us on your opinion of Nestor Kirchner, whom they people of Argentina appreciated greatly for his service to his country.

[social_critic]

6. What about it?

I was discussing Kirchner. I used to live in Argentina, so I know a little bit about their ups and downs.

And yes, I'd like to take my time expressing my opinion, if you don't mind. I think Kirchner soiled his record by allowing heavy duty corruption. And Cristina is doing it now.

I'd like to remind you that in 2006, Fidel gave a speech in which he wondered "How come I'm the only one who criticizes the way things are around here"? (I'm paraphrasing because I loaned by book with that speech and I can't get it back).

I like to point out the weakness I see, rather than try to cover it up. And I love to disagree precisely because I lived in Cuba and I found I could never get anything changed in a society where real criticism was seen as treason. Fidel, you see, can intellectually understand that lack of criticism is killing his work, but at the same time his nature leads him to destroy those who do oppose him. So he's caught in a bind. Raul is a lot better, but he'll never really get much done, he's too old.

And if we allow others to emerge without any criticism, and only fill their ears with glowing remarks and personality worship, then we create nothing but arrogant mistake prone leaders.

So go and chew this over, and do understand I have been at this a lot longer than you have.

[bemildred]

2. One of the good guys, RIP. nt

[Peace Patriot]

3. How come some people never talk about the filthy corruption and mass murder of RIGHTWING rulers...

...in Latin America? Horrible murders and tortures, horrible corruption, the rich elite prospering from all the bloodshed, the poor terrorized and impoverished. Add in the IMF, the World Bank and U.S. "free trade for the rich"--further 'gifts' of the RIGHTWING to Latin American countries--crushed economies, utterly looted economies and peoples--and you have the full BLANKED-OUT picture.

That's your rightwing in Latin America. Its apologists here at DU never mention the hell-hole that Latin American societies have had to crawl out of. But a little bit of corruption--um, never documented, merely alleged--in a RESTORED DEMOCRACY--where everybody now has the right to live, where everybody has the right to speak and advocate for themselves, to vote, to elect good leaders, where everybody has a say in government and government feels obliged to serve everyone's interests and the interests of the country, where people no longer live in terror.. hey, kids (hint, hint, wink, wink) 'honor to someone who helped accomplish this should be smeared over a bit with the word (hint, hint, wink, wink, rumor, rumor) "corruption." He-he.'

:puke:

[social_critic]

5. We do discuss corruption everywhere

It's just that we only see glowing comments about "properly approved" left wingers in here. So of course if you want to point out how good they are, then I feel we should mention how corrupt they can be. I say "properly approved" because I noticed a tendency to paint certain types who align with Chavez and Castro on the side of goodness, and carve up or ignore everybody else. I am just trying to balance things out. Myself, I like Lula and Bachelet, for example. I also like the new Chilean president, he's a bit pompous, and too rich for my taste, but he's not an evil doer as far as I can tell.