BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina’s new president reacted furiously Thursday to accusations by U.S. prosecutors that an intercepted suitcase full of cash from Venezuela was meant to finance her election campaign, calling the charge “garbage in international politics.”
Aides to President Cristina Fernandez accused Washington of using a “vile trick” to smear her government for its close ties to Venezuela’s leftist leader, Hugo Chavez.
Fernandez denounced the U.S. criminal complaint but did not address the substance of the charges — that Chavez was trying to illegally fund her campaign. Instead, she signaled she intended to draw even closer to Chavez.
Four men have been charged in Miami with acting as agents of Venezuela’s government and failing to register in the U.S. as such. Prosecutors say they were orchestrating a Chavez-backed coverup after the undeclared cash was seized by Argentine customs.
