The communist governor Axel Kicillof is facing harsh criticism in recent hours from leftist sectors after an awkward exchange with a journalist in New York, where he avoided answering a question about his position on Palestine and the war in the Gaza Strip.
The episode occurred yesterday during the ultra-Kirchnerist governor's trip to the United States, as part of an event held at the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University.
The leftist journalist Silvina Sterin Pensel unexpectedly approached Kicillof and posed a comparison with the electoral defeat of former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the United States.
According to her, the Democratic leader lost the elections for not defending Palestine and condemning the alleged "genocide by Israel in Gaza". From that reference, she asked the Buenos Aires governor what his own stance was.
“You are sometimes told that you are lukewarm on this issue, and I wanted to ask you directly,” the reporter said, hoping Kicillof would express support for Palestinian terrorism and opposition to Israel.
Kicillof dodges the question
However, the Kirchnerist leader bizarrely dodged the question and asked to stop the recording. “Hold on a second, I'll answer you, but wait a second,” he said while trying to leave. He then added: “I have the press outside, wait a second.”
The journalist insisted and asked him to express “what comes from your heart.” However, the governor did not take a position on the issue raised and continued trying to end the dialogue. In the midst of the awkward situation, he even responded with laughter: “I don’t know what happened to Kamala Harris.”
