Russia And Argentina’s South Atlantic Energy Gambit

... was a complicated and mendacious scheme, a throwback to the old school statism of populist leader General Juan Peron. Old school Peronists called such actions the work of a vendepatria, one who sells out the national patrimony. It involved the Spanish energy firm Repsol, and the ultimate betrayal of one of Argentina’s most influential business families who were the largest financial supporters of President Cristina Kirchner and her late husband President Nestor Kirchner who held the office from 2003 to 2007. The “renationalization” and the recent reselling of the reclaimed assets to the American company Chevron for around $1.2 billion was positioned ...