The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this this morning Capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and his departure from the country. The news sparked different reactions in the Argentine leadership: while La Libertad Avanza and Pro celebrated the overthrow of the Chavista leader, Peronism rejected North American intervention in Latin America.
It is a reflection of a volatile relationship between Argentina and Venezuela, marked by the crisis between 2003 and 2015 ideological agreement between the Chavista regime and Kirchnerismwhich stalled with the arrival of Mauricio Macri and ended with the landing of Javier Milei at Casa Rosada.
August 2003 – Néstor Kirchner and Hugo Chávez seal their commitment by signing a joint manifesto
After taking office as president, Néstor Kirchner met with Hugo Chávez to “give a new dimension to bilateral relations” and support social justice policies in both countries. During the meeting, which made it possible to seal an ideological alliance that spanned the following decades, they also agreed to work together so that countries like Argentina could achieve their “economic solvency” and move towards the implementation of “Social development” programs..
November 2005 – “FTAA, screw it!” and a regional alliance against the United States
Five Latin American presidents rejected a Free trade agreement sponsored by former North American President George W. Bush. They did it during the IV. America Summit -which took place on November 4th and 5th 2005 in Mar del Plata- where the failure of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) proposed by the North American giant.
Opposition to the trade deal, which aimed to remove trade barriers and consolidate a free trade area, was led by former presidents Néstor Kirchner, Hugo Chávez and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil) and received the support of his colleagues Nicanor Duarte Frutos (Paraguay) and Tabaré Vázquez (Uruguay). “ALCA, ALCA, fuck it.”the former Venezuelan president shouted at a summit that sealed closer rapprochement between Chávez and the Argentine authorities, his allies anti-imperialist stance and resistance to the advance of the United States in the region.
July 2006 – “Bono del Sur”: Néstor Kirchner strengthens energy and financial cooperation with Chávez
After the debt market closed, the Argentine state found a strategic ally in former President Chávez, who served between 2005 and 2008 bought Argentine bonds. For example, the takeover took place in May 2005 Ground bonuses 2012 for $150 million.
This close financial connection was strengthened July 2006when Kirchner traveled to Venezuela and met with Chávez at the Miraflores Palace to sign the treaty Agreement establishing the Argentina-Venezuela strategic alliance. During this trip, the former Argentine president announced that both nations were working to introduce the Southern bonusa joint initiative to strengthen their economies, which they launched in December of that year for a total of $1 billion.
The summit also allowed us to strengthen the bond between Argentina and Venezuela on energy issues. The leaders celebrated the work and joint investments by the oil companies Enarsa (Argentina) and PDVSA (Venezuela).
In December 2005, both heads of state and government signed an agreement with Brazil on the construction of a gas pipeline.
August 2007 – Antonini Wilson’s controversial suitcase and election funding to CFK
The close connection between the Kirchner government and Chávez was not without scandals. Perhaps the most symbolic event occurred on August 4, 2007, when an “Argentine Presidency” plane arrived in the country. The Venezuelan businessman was among his passengers Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilsonwho entered Suitcase containing $800,000discovered during security checks at the airport.
The discovery of the money – which led to the opening of a judicial investigation – sparked a scandal in the country, especially after Antonini Wilson stated that the dollars he tried to enter Argentina were intended to be used to finance the presidential campaign of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who arrived at Casa Rosada in December 2007 and has since dedicated herself to strengthening the strategic alliance with the Chavista regime, even after Nicolás Maduro came to power that year 2013.
December 2011 – Cristina travels to Venezuela after the death of Néstor Kirchner and strengthens her bond with Chávez
The connection between Argentina and the Chavista regime continued even after the death of Néstor Kirchner on October 27, 2010. A year later, on December 1, 2011, his widow and former president Cristina Kirchner traveled to Venezuela to meet with Chávez, with whom he almost signed a contract Dozens of new trade, industrial, scientific, housing and educational cooperation agreements. The commercial connection had gained considerable momentum in the year 2004 with the signing of the Economic Complementation Agreement.
The meeting between both leaders also included the Inauguration of the “Néstor Kirchner” salon. at the headquarters of the Venezuelan government, a further expression of the close bond that the Kirchner couple have been able to maintain with Chávez since their arrival at Casa Rosada in 2003. The ceremony took place before the founding of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).
May 2013 – Nicolás Maduro, decorated by Cristina Kirchner at the Bicentennial Museum
Two months after the death of Chávez and the elevation of Nicolas Maduro At the head of Venezuela, the former president and graced the new head of state. Cristina Kirchner led a scene honoring Chávez’s successor at the Bicentennial Museum and presented him with the award during the ceremony Order of the Liberator General San Martínone of the highest honors of the Argentine state.
The distinction was abolished by decree just four years later, in 2017, during Mauricio Macri’s presidency and following complaints about human rights violations in Venezuela.
December 2015 – Maduro’s bad omen for Macri’s presidency and the break with Chavismo
Mauricio Macri’s inauguration in December 2015 marked a rupture in Argentina’s relations with Venezuela. The end of twelve continuous years of Kirchner’s term sparked criticism from Maduro, who, instead of congratulating the first elected president, predicted a bad government. He rejected the rise of a leadership he saw as “ultra-right, anti-Latin American and deeply anti-Bolivarian.”
“Macri is an elite citizen and the entire government he appointed is the crème de la crème of the elite. “I think it will end very badly for you, Mr. Macri.”assured the former Venezuelan president.
The difficult relationship between both leaders went back at least two years when Pro’s boss sent him one in February 2014 Letter questioning the escalation of violence in the Caribbean country. “It is obvious that you and I see different things. Where you see enemies who want to destroy you, I see angry Venezuelans,” said the then head of government of Buenos Aires.
March 2019 – Macri meets with Juan Guaidó, the main opponent of the Maduro regime, escalating the conflict with Chavismo
The former president of Cambiemos received on March 1, 2019 Juan GuaidoChairman of the National Assembly in Venezuela and main opponent of the Nicolás Maduro regime in these years, in Quinta de Olivos. This came as part of a regional trip by the Venezuelan leader to ensure this Support of the Lima Groupa multilateral forum founded in 2017 to find a solution to the Venezuelan crisis.
Macri was one of the main drivers of this group, ignoring the mandate of Nicolás Maduro in January 2019, when he began his second term in office in the middle of an election that he denounced as fraudulent. After arriving in the country Guaidó thanked the head of Pro for his support against the Chavista regime. “When everything looked bleak in Venezuela, the voices of many leaders were heard, including yours, Mr. President, helping us move forward,” he said.
March 2024 – Milei challenges Maduro and offers asylum to allies of María Corina Machado
The Argentine president who called the Chavista regime a “bloody dictatorship.” welcomed Venezuelan opposition leaders close to María Corina Machado, persecuted by the government of Nicolás Maduro at the Argentine embassy in Caracas. His arrival at diplomatic headquarters came amid a series of arrests ahead of the July 28 election that declared Maduro the winner for a third term.
Faced with the decision of the leader of La Libertad Avanza to protect the opponents who accompanied Machado and former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, the Maduro government began a Siege of diplomatic headquarters in which they stayed. Measures against the embassy included cutting off electricity and water supplies.
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