Cristina Kirchner

On Sunday, idly flicking through a copy of the Economist on a long train journey, I was mildly amused to find that the magazine had devoted one of its five leaders to Argentina's food taxes—hardly the most pressing of topics, I thought.

Yet it's been pressing enough to force Argentina's newish president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, to cancel a scheduled visit to London for the snappily titled Progressive Governance conference, taking place tomorrow. (She was also due to speak at the LSE this evening.) A rise in tax on soya has led to a national farmers' strike, involving mass demonstrations and road blockades—and to Kirchner's biggest crisis since taking office late last year.

Cristina Kirchner has blazed a trail Hillary Clinton hopes to follow—succeeding her husband as national president. Yet, says William Gill in a web exclusive for Prospect, there is little sign so far that Cristina aimed for office for any reason other than to satisfy her extraordinary ambition. Do let us know what you think below.