Is the end of Kirchnerism near?

The recognized pink tide, which drove the Socialism of the XXI Century in Latin America, has lost several of its most important "founders": Hugo Chávez, Lula da Silva, Rafael Correa, Evo Morales, etc. However, the only visible face still in power today is that of the current Argentine vice president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

The former president partially regained her power in 2019, when Alberto Fernández, a Peronist who at the time had been opposed to Kirschnerism, was launched as vice-presidential candidate for 12 continuous years. Its practicality in politics has kept it current in the Argentine electoral landscape.

But the recent results of the PASO elections revealed fatigue of the Argentineans with reference to the Government of Fernández and CFK. The Juntos Por El Cambio party, a movement of former president Mauricio Macri, achieved greater support than the Peronism represented by the Frente de Todos.

This shows the tedium that has left a year and a half of pandemic, restrictions, quarantines, and economic crisis. But in addition, it is evidence of the little power of conviction that the former president maintains. In the elections this Sunday, September 12, the ruling party lost the same elections that at the time were the tip to win the presidency from Mauricio Macri.

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The movement of the former president of the country and Boca Juniors, achieved 40.16% of the votes at the national level, compared to 30.93% of the ruling party. Also achieving symbolic victories in the City of Buenos Aires and large populated centers in central Argentina. This outlines that the opposition movement will take the majority of the 127 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (half of the body) and 24 in the Senate (a third of the total seats).

This is the prelude to the future elections in November and is also seen as a referendum of the support or rejection of the Argentines with their president. Mauricio Macri himself experienced it firsthand and also marked the beginning of the end of his administration.

The 68-year-old politician had 12 years of wear and tear while she held the main position, in addition to the years of her ex-husband and political godfather and adding the major corruption cases faced by relatives and close friends of the K.

The K scandals

The 12 years that Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner were in power together did not go unnoticed. They were accompanied by a series of corruption scandals that to this day tarnish the couple's work and their political legacy. From a cover-up complaint to the AMIA attack, the death of the prosecutor, the alleged money laundering in 'Hotesur', the possible bribes on the roads in Santa Cruz, the "corruption notebooks", among several others.

Precisely, the Peronist anti-Kirchnerism was the one that gave Alberto Fernández the possibility of defeating the ex-president within the Peronist forces. From now on, a divided popular power was shown, between those loyal to the Kirchners and those who were estranged.

The wear and tear are evident, this seems to be the beginning of the end of Kirchenirsmo, which will have to find new faces, which will reawaken the illusion within Peronism, but away from the figure of the former presidents.

However, if Kirchnerism has made something clear, it is that it is capable of adapting. When the most important Latin American woman politician in recent years is thought to have come to an end, she reinvents herself and manages to place her electoral power in the vice presidency and still maintain some control behind the scenes.