Alberto Fernández’s election is not a fait accompli. Although it is clear that to ensure his victory in the first round he needs “non-Kirchner” votes, the followers of the former president are also watching him closely. Although he is under the sway of the Kirchnerists, the former Chief of Cabinet must juggle his supposedly moderate outlook, with the backing of the political space that ran him for president.

There are those who say that there are already sparks between Albertismo and hard Kirchnerism, and that Cristina has tasked the deputy Eduardo “Wado” de Pedro with following him closely. The legislator is present quite often in meetings where Kirchner would not be entirely welcome.

Although they receive favorable treatment on economic issues, especially due to the poor economic performance under Mauricio Macri’s management, international issues, and especially the Venezuelan disaster, have caused headaches for Alberto. In the Kirchnerist space there are defenders of Chavismo (who already look at Fernández with distrust), but the electorate that he must appeal to does not waver in their condemnation: Nicolás Maduro is a brutal dictator who must immediately fall, by whatever means that may be.

In that context, every time the candidate for president of the Frente de Todos gives his opinion on Venezuela, he angers everyone and fails to satisfy anyone. On the one hand they accuse him of being anti-Chavez and on the other, paradoxically, of Maduro’s accomplice.

Faced with questions from Luis Majul, who interviewed Fernandez after calling on the public to vote for Macri, Fernández did nothing but increase doubts from some elements, and earn more repudiation from anti-Kirchner voter. Every time the issue of Venezuela comes up, he has the same problem:

“Dictatorships usually have an undemocratic origin and this is not the case in Venezuela. But many times, democracies, due to abuses of those who govern, become authoritarian. It is what I say is happening in Venezuela.”

Fernandez recognizes the deaths at the hands of Chavismo and the persecutions of the “authoritarian government”, but refused to contemplate a military intervention promoted by the United States. He said his concern is more genuine than that of Macri, who has, “used the problem to his advantage in the campaign,” but refused to call the regime dictatorial because of his training as a lawyer. In short, his statements generated outrage on both sides of “the equation.”

The public appearance of the candidate for president, who beat Macri by 15 points in the primaries on August 11, was the first interview he gave after a massive act of support for the president in Plaza de Mayo.