Strong cross between Santiago Cafiero and Jorge Lanata for the English pronunciation of the Chancellor

Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero and journalist Jorge Lanata starred in a strong controversy this Friday that included an English insult by the foreign minister towards the radio host Mitre.

To understand the root of the conflict, we must go back to the recent trip that Alberto Fernández's government minister made to the Middle East to seek investment. In this context, he was invited to an exhibition in Dubai where he gave a speech in English that was criticized on social networks for the difficulties the minister showed with pronunciation (video 1). Lanata addressed the laughing situation in his program and also highlighted the Chancellor's difficulties in expressing himself in English.

This Friday, Cafiero was consulted on the subject by journalist María O Donnell on Urbana Play radio. “I had a speech in Spanish and when I arrived they told me that there was no simultaneous translation and I did it in English because it was part of being humble; our diplomatic mission is not to please those who have broken the country with the pronunciation,” he replied.

The former Chief of Staff said he is comfortable with his level of English and uses the language in most meetings he participates in, without a translator. To demonstrate his knowledge, Cafiero made a joke and greeted his interlocutor in English at the end of the interview. And in that context he surprised with a slang insult: “Lanata said stupid things about me, i think Lanata is a dickhead” (in Spanish, Lanata said stupid things about me, I think Lanata is a jerk). The word “dickhead” has other meanings: jerk, imbecile and head of a penis.

As expected, Lanata picked up the glove. At 10 o'clock, in his usual show with Eduardo Feinmann - who ironically dressed as a military man because of the start of the war against inflation - he referred to Cafiero's sayings and redoubled his criticism.

“Cafiero speaks good English, but he pronounces horrible. And he has to speak perfect English and not just English: for example, he would have to speak French, which is the language of diplomacy,” he introduced. “I would have to speak Portuguese too and very well, not a little, perfect! Because he is the chancellor, not the minister of transport, he is a guy who communicates with others,” he continued.

And he developed: “While you were in the bookstore, you would have read books in English and heard pronunciations... And if not, you would have said no when they offered you the position, because if they offer me to take on the Atomic Energy Commission, I would say no because I don't understand a damn thing; you have to acknowledge their limitation.”

“I don't buyll you, Cafierito. You have no experience in international relations and on top of that you don't pronounce English well. Take a course, go to Icana, I don't know what to tell you, but you can't be in the place you are because you don't rise to the occasion, it's a shame”, he completed.

The singer Alejandro Lerner also joined the controversy and read a poem titled “cabeza de poronga” for the closing of the radio show.

KEEP READING: