Gas and graft

摘要

Campaigning for Argentina's presidency in 2003, Nestor Kirchner promised voters that he would "renew the political culture", cleansing it of corruption. The first three years of his term were free of big scandals. But just six months before a presidential election in which he may seek a second term, his government's reputation for honest dealing is facing its first serious test, as details trickle out about a state-administered pipeline project sullied by front companies, fake billing and suspicions of bribes. Investigations have not unearthed any evidence of wrongdoing by government officials, and the sums involved are fairly small. But opponents claim that the rot goes deeper.