Every Argentine political analyst--bar none--noted at some point that Cristina Kirchner would have a harder task that her husband did (it's easier to start at the bottom--no expectations) and would have a short honeymoon period. But this short? Just two days after her crowning, Cristina is already embroiled in a Watergatish scandal involving the $800,000 in cash (give or take a few pesos) that Venezuelan-American Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson was caught smuggling into Argentina on August 4. How is she embroiled? Well, the U.S. attorney's office alleges that the money was meant for Cristina's campaign (not that she needed it, considering the sad state of the opposition). She, admittedly, is not happy about the situation, calling it a U.S. government "garbage operation"; for his part, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, accused the U.S. government of engaging in a "political, psychological and media war against the progressive governments of the hemisphere."

I hope, being a journalist and all, that the unveiling of this scandal will be slow and satisfying. It will be fascinating to see the Argentine PR machinations (Kirchner's Chief of Staff Alberto Fernández is already calling it a U.S. intelligence operations), the U.S. government over-reaching (we're good at that), and the public reaction if the accusations turns out to be undeniably true. Will the people react in anger and hamstring the brand new presidential mandate? Or will it just be great with a shake of the head and a wan smile, politics as usual?

Here's an NYT story and the criminal complaint in both English and Spanish.

(Photo: AFP)