Kirchnerites show support for Vice-President Boudou

Boudou defended himself from the allegations yesterday and denounced what he called an “attack” against the “popular” will and institutions during a press conference held at the Senate.

Investigators raided an apartment owned by Vice President Amado Boudou on Wednesday as part of a court probe into possible influence peddling by the country's second-in-command. The investigation centers on whether Boudou helped printing company Ciccone Calcografica get out of bankruptcy in 2010 and later steered a contract to its new owners to print money.

Today, government officials and party colleagues voiced their support for the nation second in command. Cabinet chief Juan Manuel Abal Medina said “he was never going to given in control to businesses corporations and media groups,” as he stressed his suppor for Boudou.

Victory Front senator Aníbal Fernández twitted the “media operation against Boudou was shameful,” and urged the Vice-President to “resist”.

During an interview to the official news agency Telam, the head of Victory Front's bloc in the Lower House Agustín Rossi also expressed his support for the Vice-President. “He is the victim of corporate attack which objective is to delegitimize last October’s popular vote,” he said.

Lower House president Julián Domínguez stressed the accusations were an assault against democracy itself. “Throughout history the strategy of those who won’t accept the popular choices is to disqualify those chosen by the people’s vote in order to throw the administration and actions into a crisis,” Dominguéz said.

Buenos Aires Vice-governor Gabriel Mariotto also stepped into the spotlight to defend Boudou. He said the media charges were “an operation carried out by hegemonic groups.”

Congressman Dante Gullo said Boudou “responded properly” and said the allegations were fabricated by those who “want to attack the national institutions.”

Diana Conti, Aníbal Ibarra, José Ottavis, amongst other also went on the record to defend the Vice-President.

Boudou served as Argentina's economy minister for more than two years before he took office as vice president in December. He has denied any link to the printing company, which now operates under the name Compania de Valores Sudamericana (CVS).