Carlos Menem Quotes

Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was president of Argentina from 8 July 1989 to 10 December 1999. He has been a Senator for La Rioja Province since 10 December 2005.

Born in Anillaco, Menem became a Peronist during a visit to Buenos Aires. He led the party in his home province of La Rioja, and was elected governor in 1973. He was deposed and detained during the 1976 Argentine coup d'état, and was elected governor again in 1983. He defeated the Buenos Aires governor Antonio Cafiero in the primary elections for the 1989 presidential elections, which he won. Hyperinflation forced outgoing president Raúl Alfonsín to resign early, shortening the presidential transition.

Menem supported the Washington Consensus, and tackled inflation with the Convertibility plan in 1991. The plan was complemented by a series of privatizations, and was a success. Argentina re-established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom, suspended since the 1982 Falklands War, and developed special relations with the United States. The country suffered two terrorist attacks. The Peronist victory in the 1993 midterm elections allowed him to force Alfonsín to sign the Pact of Olivos for the 1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution. This amendment allowed Menem to run for re-election in 1995, which he won. A new economic crisis began, and the opposing parties formed a political coalition that won the 1997 midterm elections and the 1999 presidential election.

Menem ran for the presidency again in 2003, but faced with a likely defeat in a ballotage against Néstor Kirchner, he chose to pull out of the ballotage, effectively handing the presidency to Kirchner. He was elected senator for La Rioja in 2005. At 89, he is currently the oldest living former Argentine president. Wikipedia  

✵ 2. July 1930
Carlos Menem photo
Carlos Menem: 24   quotes 2   likes

Famous Carlos Menem Quotes

“English: "Brothers of my motherland"”

Usual way of beginning his speeches.
Attributed

“(when asked whether he planned to resign from the ballotage) "Tan sólo un borracho puede hacer tales afirmaciones"”

English: "Only a drukard can make such statements".
Said one day before getting off the presidential elections on May 13th, 2003

“English: "There will always be the poor among you."”

"Siempre habrá pobres entre ustedes."
Biblical reference.
Attributed

“English: "Through and despite everything, we're still going"”

"Pese a todo y contra todo, seguimos remando"
Said one day before getting off the presidential elections on May 13th, 2003

“English: "Before the watch of God and the testimony of History, I want to proclaim: Argentina, get up and walk!"”

"Ante la mirada de Dios y el testimonio de la Historia, yo quiero proclamar: ¡Argentina, levántate y anda!"
El presidente Menem hace un llamamiento a la unidad para sacar a Argentina de su "crisis terminal" http://elpais.com/diario/1989/07/09/internacional/615938409_850215.html.
Biblical reference.

“English: "We are going to win without question."”

Said on April 28th, 2003, after winning the first election round

Carlos Menem Quotes

“English: "To all of them I say that I take you in my heart, I won't put my arms down, and you can have complete assurance I won't abandon political fight, why has been and is the reason for my life."”

"A todos ellos les digo que los llevo en mi corazón, que no bajaré los brazos y que pueden tener la absoluta seguridad que no abandonaré la lucha política, que ha sido y es la razón de mi vida."
From a message broadcast on May 14th, in which he explains the reasons of his resign from participating on the May 18th ballotage

“English: "Let's triumph, let's triumph, let's triumph"”

"A triunfar, a triunfar, a triunfar"
Said on the night of 1995's elections.
Attributed

“English: "… the transformation of the educational system which is already ongoing. All prima— precary schools will be eliminated."”

"… la transformación del sistema educativo que ya está en marcha. Se eliminarán totalmente las escuelas prima— precarias."
Actos fallidos de Políticos en YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkuoHwqcldA.

“English: "I entered through the big door and left through the big door."”

"Entré por la puerta grande y salí por la puerta grande"
Attributed

“English: "We're going to a second round and we will win on the second round"”

"Vamos a segunda vuelta y vamos a ganar en segunda vuelta"
Said on April 28th, 2003, after winning the first election round

“The productive revolution.”

Clarín del Domingo 9 de Agosto de 1998: Menem defendió el modelo y habló de revolución productiva http://www.clarin.com/diario/1998/08/09/o-00401d.htm.

“Power is not an inheritable good.”

Página 12: La parábola de El Jefe http://www.pagina12.com.ar/imprimir/diario/elpais/1-19395-2003-04-27.html.

“English: "Why am I going to call Kirchner if he lost?"”

"¿Por qué lo voy a llamar a Kirchner si perdió?"
Said on April 28th, 2003, after winning the first election round

“English: "All of us, to a lesser or greater extent, are responsible and coparticipants of this Argentine failure and together, only together, will we be the makers of a deep change and a positive transformation."”

"Todos, en mayor o menor medida, somos responsables y copartícipes de este fracaso argentino y entre todos, sólo entre todos, seremos artífices de un cambio a fondo y de una transformación positiva."
El presidente Menem hace un llamamiento a la unidad para sacar a Argentina de su "crisis terminal" http://elpais.com/diario/1989/07/09/internacional/615938409_850215.html.

“English: "A [railroad] branch that goes on strike is a branch that closes down."”

"Ramal que para, ramal que cierra."
Ramal que cierra, pueblo que muere http://edant.clarin.com/diario/1997/05/25/i-01602e.htm.

“English: "The second round will be a formality, nothing more."”

"La segunda vuelta será un paso formal, nada más."
Said on April 28th, 2003, after winning the first election round

“Página 12 newspaper, May 1995..”

"Ganamos por demolición"
English: "We won by demolition" / "We demolished the opposition".

“English: "We're [doing] bad, but going well."”

"Estamos mal, pero vamos bien."
Estamos mal...¿vamos bien? http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=61436.

“English: "To those who are speaking about me getting off the elections, I say: Don't even think about it, you don't know the fiber one is made of"”

"A los que vienen hablando de que me voy a bajar de la candidatura, yo les digo: Ni lo piensen, no saben de la fibra de la que está hecho uno"
Said one day before getting off the presidential elections on May 13th, 2003

“English: "Follow me, I won't let you down."”

"Síganme, no los voy a defraudar."
1989 campaign slogan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZSsHbk5JLk.

“English: "My go-to book is the complete works of Socrates"”

"Mi libro de cabecera son las obras completas de Sócrates"
The well-known philosopher never published any written works.
Attributed

“Por los niños pobres que tienen hambre. Por los niños ricos que tienen tristeza.”

Menem lo dijo (en diez años) http://edant.clarin.com/diario/1999/08/22/t-00601d.htm.

English: "For the poor children who are hungry. For the rich children who are sad."

Note: 1989 campaign slogan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=422CwkIqqpQ

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