NEW YORK -- Argentina is a country under siege. The attackers, however, are not foreign armies. They are corrupt and incompetent politicians, who are responsible for the dire state the country is in. The resignation of four presidents -- three of them interim caretakers -- in less than two weeks is proof of the seriousness of the situation.
The election of President Eduardo Duhalde offers some hope for improving the situation. It is now up to him -- who also is not blameless -- to rise to the occasion and take the drastic steps that are necessary to avoid total chaos.
Why is Argentina, one of Latin America's most resource-rich countries with a highly educated middle class, in such dire straits? The answer lies in party politics.