THE GUARDIAN: Secret cable sent to US embassy in Argentina asks diplomats to find out how president handles stress
Hillary Clinton has questioned the mental health of Cristina Kirchner and asked US diplomats to investigate whether the Argentinian president is taking medication to help her "calm down".
The US secretary of state painted Kirchner as a volatile and emotional leader who suffered from "nerves and anxiety", according to a secret cable sent to the US embassy in Buenos Aires.
Clinton asked diplomats a series of questions in December last year which could infuriate Kirchner and sabotage a recent rapprochement between Argentina and America.
In a section headed "mental state and health" she asked how the first lady-turned president was managing "her nerves and anxiety" in a blunt tone which suggested US concerns.
"How does stress affect her behaviour toward advisers and/or her decision-making? What steps does Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner or her advisers/handlers take in helping her deal with stress? Is she taking any medications?
"Under what circumstances is she best able to handle stresses? How do Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's emotions affect her decision-making and how does she calm down when distressed?"
The cable appeared to have been prompted by diplomatic spats which, according to the US embassy, showed Kirchner's government "to be extremely thin-skinned and intolerant of perceived criticism". >>> Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent | Monday, November 29, 2010
