La representación de los jóvenes en la retórica presidencial de Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

Abstract

This chapter is part of a research project on the discursive mechanisms used by former President Néstor Kirchner, President Cristina Fernández and members of the political group called La Cámpora to construct the political identity of the young activist. I will focus on the speech of the Argentinean President Cristina Fernández, broadcasted on national television just a few days after the death of Néstor Kirchner (1 November 2010). The objective of the analysis is to determine which images of addressee are constructed in the text. In this short speech, the youth is represented as a privileged addressee. As a matter of fact the speech has three explicit addressees: 1) the Argentineans in general, 2) Men and women that held demonstrations of affection for the former president and 3) Young people that marched to Government House. The latter is already included in the first two and, therefore, its distinction reveals a political purpose that came up months before when former President Kirchner called on the youth to political activism. In this speech there is a comparison between the 70’s generation and the current generation, using a mediator –Néstor Kirchner– as the paradigmatic figure of an activist. However, while Perón abandoned the youth, Kirchner summoned them up.