Uruguay's president called Argentina's Cristina Kirchner an 'old hag'

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Famously candid Mr Mujica was unaware his microphone was switched on when he made the remark about the Argentine leader Cristina Kirchner, 60, moments before a press conference.



He was heard telling, Carlos Enciso, the governor of Uruguay’s Florida province: “That old hag’s worse than the cross-eyed one”.



The latter insult was in reference to Ms Kirchner’s late husband and former Argentinian president Nestor Kirchner.



Mr Mujica, 77, apparently went on undeterred: “Cross-eyes was more of a politician, she’s just stubborn.”

Referring to Ms Kirchner’s visit to Rome last month, when she presented the Argentinian Pope Francisco with a flask to drink traditional ‘mate’ tea, he then mocked: “She actually went to the Pope, who has lived 77 years, to explain what is tea and what is a thermal flask!”



Last night, angry Argentina’s foreign minister Hector Timerman made a formal protest to the Uruguayan government about Mr Mujica’s “outrageous” remarks about the country’s current and former presidents.



In a statement handed to Uruguayan Ambassador Guillermo Pomi, he stressed Argentina’s “profound unease with the terms” used by Mr Mujica.He said: “It is unacceptable the such outrageous comments, which offend the memory of a deceased person, who cannot defend himself, have been made by someone Kirchner considered her friend.”Relations between the two South American countries have deteriorated in recent years as Ms Kirchner has restricted imports and limited access to foreign currencies, measures which have hurt Uruguay’s exports and tourism industry.Nestor Kirchner accused Uruguay of “stabbing Argentina in the back” in 2007 after president Tabare Vazquez restarted operations at a pulp mill on a river bordering the two countries which Argentina had blockaded.

Mujica reportedly did not realise that the microphones were already on when he made the remarks

Cross-eyes was more of a politician, she's just stubborn Jose Mujica

In 2002 Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle accused Argentinians of being “a bunch of thieves”, a comment for which he later apologised during a trip to Buenos Aires. Mr Mujica, a former guerrilla who took office in 2010, last night insisted he hadn’t spoken publically about the Kirchners at the event in Uruguay and would not be offering clarifications.In recent times, relations between Britain and Argentina have once again deterioated over the continuing thorny issue of the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.



Earlier this year, Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Britain would fight to keep the Falklands despite Argentina ramping up the rhetoric against UK sovereignty.



The prime minister said the government’s resolve was “extremely strong” and stressed the islands’ military defences were sound, days after Argentine president Ms Kirchner accused Britain of colonialism.



The Argentine president claimed her country had been forcibly stripped of “Las Malvinas” in an open letter to Mr Cameron, which was printed as an advertisement in a national newspaper.



Mr Mujica, a former guerrilla who took office in 2010, last night insisted he hadn’t spoken publically about the Kirchners at the event in Uruguay and would not be offering clarifications.In recent times, relations between Britain and Argentina have once again deterioated over the continuing thorny issue of the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.Earlier this year, Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Britain would fight to keep the Falklands despite Argentina ramping up the rhetoric against UK sovereignty.The prime minister said the government’s resolve was “extremely strong” and stressed the islands’ military defences were sound, days after Argentine president Ms Kirchner accused Britain of colonialism.The Argentine president claimed her country had been forcibly stripped of “Las Malvinas” in an open letter to Mr Cameron, which was printed as an advertisement in a national newspaper.