Noriega's visit to Argentina, his first trip since assuming his current post, comes at an important time for Buenos Aires as it attempts to deal with a number of thorny issues. These include the faltering negotiations with the IMF over a forthcoming debt restructuring deal, the contentious moves to prosecute former members of the Argentine military, and the internal crisis prompted by the public row between Kirchner and his vice-president, Daniel Scioli.
Unfortunately for Kirchner, Noriega did not offer anything in the way of substantive assistance regarding the IMF deal. Although this is probably Kirchner's biggest problem at the moment, and it is where the US can do most to help Buenos Aires, Noriega said that Washington was not prepared to intervene on Argentina's behalf. His assertion that the US wanted a three-year deal which would lead to structural reforms and would stimulate growth was hardly news.
But then Noriega was not in Buenos Aires to rescue Kirchner. Rather, his visit was part of the US's ongoing process of sounding the president out - a policy initiated a month ago by Bush. Instead of getting bogged down with specifics, Noriega preferred to talk in general terms about the war on terrorism, human rights, and regional economic cooperation. That said, the US is known to be very keen on Argentina and the IMF reaching a deal, and there is still reason to believe that Washington might pull through for Buenos Aires if the current difficulties cannot be overcome bilaterally.
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