Argentina-The Fox in the chicken pen.

ARGENTINA.

NEW HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUTURE.

The head of the Department of Agriculture Secretariat ONCCA, has been appointed as the head of AFIP, which is the Argentine office of taxation. Ricardo Echegaray, was the man in the drivers seat when the farmers dispute came to a head in July of last year, when the Senate rejected the governments new proposed taxes.

The farm leaders groups headed by Uduardo Buzzi, came out on Argentine television and radio and said, " This is like putting the fox in charge of the chicken pen, there is no doubt farmers are going to be penalized even more by taxes".

The president who is married to former president Nestor Kirchner, has appointed her husband to take part in the affairs of AFIP, who have just gained control of US$39 billion in private pension funds, from overseas banks.

Buzzi went on to say in an interview with the Buenos Aires Herald, "This move by the Kirchner’s can only be explained as a strategy to demonize and stigmatize farmers to reap political benefit". The other main farm leaders are supporting the allegations of Buzzi.

Meanwhile another major farm leader Alfredo de Anglei, who was an important player in the recent farm dispute, is believed to be running for a seat in Congress.

Former Formula 1 motor racing world champion Carlos Reutemann, has declared that he will run for president in 2010. Reutemann was formerly the governor of the province of Santa Fe, a very large beef and grain state of Argentina.

Little will be done more than rhetoric until the holidays are over in February, the new head of Oncca will be announced on Monday.

The man who is allegedly orchestrating the farmers moves, is former president Eduardo Duhalde, who after getting Nestor Kirchner elected as president was sidelined by his prodigy.