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 Punctuated by photographs on her Facebook page of the two-term
leader sitting on presidential plane Tango 01 with her Toy Poodle
Lolita, Fernandez said the perk will be shared by travelers on
Aerolineas Argentinas, the country's main carrier, starting in mid
January. [http://tinyurl.com/mj7mn6t]
"Careful! I said only small pets," the post says. "Don't try to
board with a 50 kilo mastiff. Lolita only weighs two kilos."
Hand-held pooches ranging from Shih Tzu's to Pugs are a common sight
at outdoor cafes and on the wide avenues of Buenos Aires, which is
known as the Paris of South America for its European layout and
architecture.
 Lapdogs are a status symbol in Argentina, dressed sometimes in
fitted sweaters emblazoned with colors of their owners' favorite
soccer club. Fernandez's dog post got more than 36,000 'likes'.
What Argentines are less keen on, and what got no mention in
Fernandez's message, was the country's double-digit inflation and
contracting gross domestic product.
Her successor will inherit a pet-friendly airline policy but an
economy left in deep trouble by repeated sovereign debt defaults and
heavy-handed trade and currency controls.
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As an afterthought, Fernandez said central bank cash reserves rose
2.7 percent in 2014, which could keep her from being forced into an
unpalatable deal with hedge funds suing over defaulted bonds.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot, we've come to $31.4 billion in central
bank reserves," the post says.
The next president will be elected in October, so Lolita better make
the most of the time she has left to enjoy the spacious Tango 01.
Fernandez is constitutionally barred from seeking a third
consecutive term.
(Edited by Richard Lough and Andrew Hay)
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