The ‘Ley de Ficha Limpia’ (‘Clean Record’ bill) intends to bar from elections those candidates who have been sentenced for corruption up to a second tier in court. If it were approved, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (among others) wouldn’t be able to run. But, due to lack of quorum, the meeting to discuss it was deferred. Fishy, isn’t it? I mean, if you apply for a job, I guess your employer might run a background check on you, in case you have a criminal record. It’s only fair. So why are certain politicians against it? Do they have a guilty conscience (“cola de paja” we’d say in Argentina)? Otherwise, it would make no sense. They should bear in mind that they are all our public servants, and we – the people – are their bosses. Therefore, we have the right to know if they are decent or not, although this might sound like a rhetorical question.

Buenos Aires Times, Nov 24, 2024