The Kirchners had been relaxing at their family home near the southern town of El Calafate when he suffered chest pains and was taken to a clinic.
Kirchner’s official doctor, Luis Buonomo, said the former leader, 60, had a cardiac arrest and “passed away.”
He was to receive state honors before a burial, with his body to be displayed Thursday in the presidential palace in Buenos Aires,
Christian Louboutin Sandals, labor minister Carlos Tomada said.
The flag outside the palace was lowered to half-mast Wednesday, and a message left by somebody on the gates read: “Courage, Madame President.”
Kirchner, a millionaire with a personal fortune of some 11 million dollars, was president of Argentina from 2003 until 2007, when his wife was elected to succeed him. Since May, he had been serving as head of the Union of South American Nations.
Kirchner had suffered cardiac problems in the past, and had two operations this cheap
coach handbags year to unblock arteries.
His health problems ??and his loss in legislative elections in June 2009 that also ended his ruling party’s majority in Congress ??had led to widespread speculation that he was preparing to run again for the presidency in 2011.
Observers speculated Kirchner’s sudden death could throw the reigning president off course.
“Up to now,
Kids' Jordan Shoes, she’s had the role of prime minister,
Gucci Purses, putting into words and images??a political and economic construction that was basically built by her husband,” an editorialist for the daily La Nacion, Carlos Pagni, wrote.
“Where will she find her inspiration now?” he asked.
But others predicted she would rise to the challenge.
Julio Cobos, Cristina Kirchner’s vice-president turned political rival, said he was confident she “has the necessary force and authority to govern” even as she mourns.
Nestor Kirchner’s predecessor, Eduardo Duhalde, called on all Argentines to support the president.
Tributes and expressions of shock also arrived from around the world.
US President Barack Obama stressed Kirchner’s “significant role in the political life of Argentina,” while Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero expressed his “deep shock” and told Cristina Kirchner that “the love of the Spanish people will be with you at this time of deep sorrow.”
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wrote on his Twitter account “What pain! What a loss for Argentina and our Americas!” and declared three days of mourning in his own country.
The country ??which had been observing a holiday Wednesday for a national census ??reacted with shock to the news.
A senator for the capital Buenos Aires, Eric Calcagno,
Basketball Shoes, said on his Twitter account “The country is suffering its worst loss since the beginning of democracy. There are no words.”
“Our grief is immense,Exclusive-rization along the sum individual who matching pattern that speciality uses having a once additional and exquisite pattern vigour making the
gucci handbags become a entire once entire additional making people respect. There be that the mansion is Gucci shoes adult buck shoe 2010 becomes the once additional design star in order method makes.” a ruling party lawmaker close to the Kirchners, Juan Carlos Dante Gullo,
Christian Louboutin Boots, said.
Estela Carlotto,
Manolo Blahnik Sandals, leader of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, which fought for light to be shed on deaths committed during Argentina’s 1976-1983 military dictatorship, said Kirchner ??who helped their cause ??had been “indispensable.”
“I don’t know what Cristina is going to do. Now she rules the country, but all alone,” she said.
A political analyst, Rosendo Fraga,,NFL Jerseys China , said President Cristina Kirchner had “a historic opportunity” to win support from all the country in her grief, instead of just the “faction” backing her.
Nestor Kirchner met Cristina, now 57,
Yves Saint Laurent Sandals, when they were both university law students. They have two children: Maximo, 32, and Florencia, 19., louis vuitton handbags ,
Headstrong and often irritable as president, Nestor Kirchner was best known as the figure who led Argentina as it was emerging from its 1999-2002 economic crisis which resulted in the largest sovereign debt default in history.
In 2006,
Ecco Sandals Shoes, he paid off his country’s outstanding 9.5-billion-dollar debt to the International Monetary Fund, and during his reign and that of his wife, Argentina saw strong growth, though its access to international capital markets remained crippled.