‘Alberto Fernández should know that when he speaks, he is representing all Argentines and not himself’

In what way is Alberto Fernández different and in what way the same as the man you knew as Cabinet chief?

I see him as very similar. I don’t notice much difference from the man I knew in a different role. Some errors are more natural than others. At that time he was a kind of Cabinet chief consigliere to cushion or modify the more tempestuous decisions of Néstor or Cristina Kirchner. The same thing now, except that instead of cushioning from below he is doing it from another place but his role remains the same. Today he should be taking the decisions.

Do you see Alberto Fernández as more like Fernando de la Rúa in recent weeks?

He’s very different, both in origin and personality. Fernando de la Rúa was always very circumspect when talking. He was different in not being up to tackling the crisis facing him for whatever reason, whether the impossible virulence of that crisis or his own characteristics.

Is it unfair to De la Rúa to compare him with Alberto Fernández?

The presidential bloopers are inexplicable because they are easy to correct, over and above the stress of the pandemic. It strikes my attention. He has a very big team at his disposal. Somebody should be weeding out these avoidable errors before they occur. Due to the magnitude of the presidential word, they generate unnecessary internal and external problems. Alberto Fernández should know that when he speaks, he is representing all Argentines and not himself.

Did you imagine him intellectually capable of committing those errors?

It’s difficult to know what’s going on. There’s something in that process which comes from the campaign. We like to think that presidents are human and that everybody is spontaneous when campaigning.they are human and spontaneous.

I’ve had posts of institutional responsibility where you have to curb your own freedom. A Central Bank governor who speaks without clear guidance and chooses not to read risks gratuitous financial market reactions. I was an ambassador [in Washington ]. Idon’ tlikewe ar ingsuits bu tIwasn’ t represen tingmyself.Wh en Ispoke,IknewIw as represen ting45mill ion people so I did not improvise.