Obama’s Historic Visit to Argentina

President Obama followed his historic visit to Cuba with another one to Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 23, making it the first time a US president had visited Argentina since 2005. Obama, joins fellow political leaders Italian Prime minister Matteo Renzi and French President Francois Hollande in travelling to Argentina. The motivations for these visits can likely be attributed to the new election of President Macri.   Macri has expressed his aim to remedy the political and financial isolation Argentina experienced under its previous two Kirchner presidents. In fact, in his first few months in office, he has attempted to eliminate almost all of the Kirchner’s key policies. Italy, France, and the US have all responded favorably to Macri’s pro-business policies. According to BBC News, Macri hopes to cooperate with both Obama and the US as a whole in a wide range of areas, including trading and investment, renewable energy and climate change, and citizen security. President Obama’s recent visit included a meeting with Macri, a speech to young Argentines at a cultural center, and a state dinner.

In a New York Times article about the trip, however, there was reported fear among Argentines that the stronger business links between Argentina and the US could be indicative of the fact that Washington will have more control over the Argentine economy in the future. It remains to be seen if Argentina has completely left behind its “Kirchnerismo” and “Anti-American” stage; nevertheless, Obama’s visit symbolizes US support for President Macri and Argentina’s return the global economy.