Leon Panetta, the CIA and Argentina

In a news conference earlier this week, CIA director Leon Panetta told of meeting "someone from Latin America" who had told him of "some serious problems ... that involve economic instability." He later identified those countries as Argentina, Venezuela, and Ecuador (Moffett, Mat. "Argentina Raps U.S. Over Critical Words," Wall Street Journal, February 28, 2009. )."

At the direction of the president of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana blasted Panetta ("Argentina expresa profundo malestar por declaraciones de director de la CIA," La Nacion, February 26, 2009.).

Hemos tomado conocimiento con sorpresa y con profundo molestar de las declaraciones efectuadas por Leon Panetta, director de la Agencia Central de Inteligencia, la tristemente célebre CIA, de los Estados Unidos, en donde se refiere a aspectos de la situación y evolución económica de nuestro país...[Eso es] una inaceptable injerencia en los asuntos internos del país, mucho más proviniendo de una agencia que tiene una triste historia de interferencia en los asuntos internos de países de la región" latinoamericana.

I could not find a translation of this quote online, but with a little help from an online translator, and my knowledge of Spanish, I came up with the following translation.

We have been surprised and deeply disturbed surprise by the statements of Leon Panetta, director of the Central Agency of Intelligence, the tragically famous CIA, of the United States, where he refers to aspects of the situation and economic evolution of our country…This is an unacceptable interference in the internal matters of our country, stemming from an agency that has a sad history of interference in the internal matters of countries in the region.

In his denunciation of Panetta's statement, Taiana called for a meeting with U.S. ambassador, Earl Anthony Wayne. The meeting was described as cordial. The above cited Wall Street Journal article quoted Argentine analyst Federico Thomsen who said,

Mr. Taiana's complaints were largely directed at a domestic, political audience, but that Mrs. Kirchner likely isn't interested in roiling the waters with President Barack Obama.

The incident is reminiscent of a more significant and longer running battle between the United States and the Argentine government headed by Juan Peron. In an election cycle ending with the election of Peron, the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Spruille Braden, openly campaigned against Peron, and issued a report known as the Blue Book which, among other things, accused Peron of fascist ties.

Peron responded by issuing the Blue and White Book, the title coming from the colors of the Argentine flag. Peron campaigned on the slogan, "Braden or Peron" riding it to electoral victory.