ARGENTINA

Scotsman: Leader's bold reforms surprise Argentines
HIS campaign pledge was clear: combat the corrupt political elite and
vested interests that grew rich as the nation plummeted into economic
collapse. But few Argentines expected Nestor Kirchner, the president,
to keep his promise - saying one thing and doing another is a well-worn
tradition in the country’s politics. A month after assuming office, the
sceptics are having to eat their words. Mr Kirchner has unleashed a
flurry of measures to renovate the nation’s
discredited institutions, has taken an aggressive stance on human
rights and has begun rolling back an era of economic liberalisation with
stronger state intervention.