Vice president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner delivered a speech today under the rain in front of thousands of people in Plaza de Mayo, a landmark site in Argentina’s political history. In her hour-long presentation, Kirchner, commonly known as CFK, spoke of the achievements she and her husband’s administrations accomplished, but offered no hint as to who the Frente de Todos (FdT) coalition candidate should be. 

President Alberto Fernández, who is estranged from Kirchner, did not attend, while Economy Minister and potential candidate Sergio Tomás Massa was present. Other important figures in attendance were Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo president, Estela Carlotto, Máximo Kirchner (a member of Congress as well as CFK’s son) and presidential hopefuls such as Chief of Staff Agustín Rossi and Interior Minister Eduardo de Pedro. 

Kirchner gave a few definitions about democracy in Argentina, the future of the country and her personal situation. She spoke about the need to link private and public sectors in order to secure economic growth, the importance of sovereignty and proper negotiations over resources like Vaca Muerta and lithium, as well as the need to revise Argentina’s foreign debt. 

Here are some of her most important definitions:

• The country cannot remain tied to its primary economic sector and its international prices, come rain or shine (…) it needs a qualitative leap, and to articulate the private and public sectors”
• “Raw materials are not enough for all 46 million of us. We need added value and technology in order to have quality jobs and good wages, which is what the country needs. This can be done because we did it for 12 and a half years. We also recovered Vaca Muerta thanks to the kukas.” (Kukas is a derogatory term sometimes used to reference her political followers)
• “We have to rethink our institutional design. The monarchical hindrance of people appointed for life that are never held accountable cannot continue. That is not republican. That is not a democracy. (…) The country needs to recover a Judicial Power that has evaporated among the tricks of a clique unworthy of Argentine history,” she said, in regards to the judiciary and the Supreme Court.
• “We have to renew [the democratic] pact. When I hear people say we have to do away with Peronism or Kirchnerism…please…if winning is enough, why do we have to exterminate each other? I say this as part of a generation that has been devoured,” she said in reference to the reestablishment of democracy in Argentina in 1983 and the promise to never let a dictatorship take over again.
• “Despite its mistakes and my differences with them, this government has been infinitely better than what a second term of Mauricio Macri would have been. I have no doubt about this.”
• “Whatever they do, whether they want to kill me or put me in jail, I belong to the people and I won’t move away from them.”

Earlier this month, CFK published an open letter confirming she will not run for the presidency or any other office in this year’s elections. 

“In light of this situation, it is essential -more than ever- to build a government program that will enamor Argentines again and convince them a better country is not only possible but also desirable. A government program that is necessary not only for Peronism, but for the democratic system as a whole,” said the letter. 

The gathering coincided with a new anniversary of the May Revolution, May 25, when the first national government was established in 1810 after the removal of the Spanish viceroyalty. It will also take place just a month before the deadline for parties and coalitions to present their list of candidates – scheduled for June 24. 

After the speech, it remains unclear whether FdeT will hold a primary election or if it will appoint an only candidate for the elections, which will take place October 22.