The scandal that ends the diplomatic mission of Luis María Kreckler as ambassador to China is almost an end that was expected because of how this story was “written” from the beginning.
In December 2019, for that position, Cristina Kirchner, first, and Alberto Fernández, later, had in mind who now they want to replace Kreckler: the political leader Sabino Vaca Narvaja, 45, who when Kreckler was appointed in December, they gave him a special post of Trade Representative of Argentina in Beijing.
Sabino is the uncle of the former president’s granddaughter and one of the sons of the founder of Montoneros, Fernando Vaca Narvaja. In other words, he is the brother of Camilo, former partner of Florencia Kirchner, parents of Helenita. Sabino reached his mission even before Kreckler.
In this war, Kreckler -also designated by Cristina- always had the upper hand; Furthermore, with the scandal, his diplomatic career may be over. Sabino does not have a diplomatic career, but he was always the favorite. It is very different in ways from Kreckler, and since they arrived in Beijing in the middle of the year, they were declared enemies. For the diplomat, the case got out of hand.
Thus the Government adds another mess to its convoluted handling of both internal and external politics.
The Kreckler scandal explode right now, in the middle of the delicate negotiations that the ambassador kept in Beijing for the acquisition of 30 million vaccines against the coronavirus throughout the year to the Sinopharm company, this newspaper from high sources was able to confirm.
This is a different negotiation from the one carried out by the Government for the purchase of vaccines from another Chinese laboratory, Sinovac, through Brazil.
The curious thing about the whole case is that the Government House wanted to involve Kreckler in “alleged” irregularities in the negotiations for the vaccine, an act that the Foreign Ministry denies, since they base the order of his transfer as the result of “improper” attitudes of career officials, such as “Filter” cables, or talk to the media.
The weaving and handling of the Rosada is not unknown. Foreign Minister Felipe Sola felt it firsthand after his eventful statement about Alberto Fernández’s conversation with Joseph Biden. And they are also known to the Minister of Health, Ginés González García, who is being played from behind by Vice Minister Carla Vizzotti, for example, in the negotiations for the Russian vaccine.
Kreckler is part of this fabric, but as a foreign service official, he is weaker. It must strictly obey the power of the day.
However, in silence, he did not hesitate to defend himself against rumors and speculations leaked to the media. And that’s how he silently showed his schedule of dance meetings, the ones that are true, so that the Minister of Health would have an announcement at his disposal in a matter of hours: 1 million doses available for January, or 11 million Sinopharm available for March, according to other sources.
The incredible thing about this whole story is that its ending is the closest thing to an entertaining chapter of the perversions shown in Game of Thrones than to the Machiavellian arts. Last December, something made CFK intuit that his “chicken” Vaca Narvaja it was green for one of the most important embassies, today perhaps the most important if you think about it in economic terms. Then he pulled Kreckler out of his sleeve, With whom the vice president has some degree of sympathy: he was his secretary of International Trade and later ambassador to Brazil, and it is even said that he thought of him as chancellor, deciding on the late Héctor Timerman. The two met when Kreckler was consul in Los Angeles.
Kreckler’s choice was the worst. First of all, because he is a diplomat trained for the Western world. Secondly, had a major health problem in the past and they sent him to one of the cities with the most pollution.
Kreckler, who always had quite autonomous management on some issues, it’s a career chart that sticks to the rule: strict task reporting, official leads. But he had a boss, Felipe Solá, with whom he got on very badly from the beginning.
Although the dome of the Chancellery deny it, today the authorities of that ministry do not consider that the cables are necessary, when they are in the long run the only test for eg Justice.
This is a delicate matter considering that the Government it still does not report how much was spent on the tons of medical supplies that have been purchased from China to fight the pandemic. And not to mention what the vaccines will cost now.
