DALLAS (special envoy).- Highway 75 is one of the most important routes in Dallas, often clogged with cars during rush hour. Amid the traffic, taking the left exit toward North Dallas is like entering an oasis, immersing yourself in an area of tree-lined streets, immaculate gardens, and stately mansions. On a corner sits the residence of a neighbor who for three years was one of the most influential figures in Argentine politics: Marc Stanley, former U.S. ambassador to Buenos Aires.
Stanley hosted a barbecue at his home this Saturday at noon, with the thermometer above 35 degrees Celsius. Attentive to details, he emphasized it was an asado, not a barbecue. He shared his fanaticism for Lionel Messi and said he would be in the stands at Dallas Stadium to watch Argentina vs. Austria.
During his three years in Buenos Aires, he lived through the transition from Alberto Fernández and Cristina Kirchner to Javier Milei. He maintains that «the Argentine president still hasn’t fulfilled some things he promised regarding the economy, but he is very optimistic about the country’s future.» About the former vice president, who is under house arrest, he recalls they had «good dialogue.»
The meat was served Texas-style, with mac and cheese, coleslaw, beans, and barbecue sauce. There was Texas beer, California wine, and even Fernet with Coke. Argentine and U.S. flags hung along the pool fence.
Several Argentine residents attended, including the owner of the La Boca Gelato ice cream shop and his granddaughter’s Spanish teacher. Also present were influential Argentine businessmen who came to cheer on the national team. Notable was Noah Mamet, former ambassador between 2015 and 2017, who posed smiling next to Stanley.
Stanley claims he was the first ambassador to visit all Argentine provinces, and one surprised him above all: San Juan, for its potential with copper, wine, and its charms.
When the guests left, Stanley sat down to talk about his tenure, Messi, and Argentine politics.
-It’s something very special. I was living in Argentina when we won the 2022 World Cup, and I remember being very excited. Now I’m lucky that the national team is playing two games in my city.
-It’s hard to go from being an ambassador to being nothing. I’m setting up two boards of directors, writing a book about my first two years in Argentina, and helping candidates in the United States.
-Did your perspective change after living three years in Argentina? -I think I’m still the same. Traveling through the 23 provinces was incredible. I’ve traveled all over the world, but I’ve never experienced anything like Argentina.
-Río Negro, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego, Formosa. The one that surprised me the most was San Juan, because I didn’t expect to see a place on the verge of experiencing a boom like Neuquén with Vaca Muerta.
-You lived through the transition between Alberto Fernández and Javier Milei. Did you see any similarity with the U.S.? -I tried not to focus on politics. In 60 years, no one will remember Stanley, Biden, Milei, or Trump. My job was to strengthen the bilateral relationship. There are no differences between Democrats and Republicans regarding Argentina. We all want to be friends. There may now be differences in Trump’s willingness to lend money.
-You met with Cristina Kirchner, now imprisoned. What do you think? -I enjoyed my meetings with her, with the opposition, and with everyone. My job was not to interfere.
-Milei is a very good friend of the United States. We enjoyed working with him. He had mentioned things about the economy that have not yet been confirmed. But I remain optimistic: with oil, gas, copper, lithium, agriculture, and livestock, Argentina can only go up.
-In this new Trump-Milei era, you should seize the opportunity. -I am proud to have helped the Armed Forces with the sale of 24 F-16s, four P-3s, and the C-130 Hercules. We also worked on labor, education, and health issues. Argentina became the first country in Latin America to appoint a special envoy against anti-Semitism.
Para mí este yankee Stanley es un caradura, se hace el amigo de Messi mientras defiende al imperio. ¿Ilusionado con Argentina? Mentira, esto huele a vendepatria como Milei que promete y no cumple. Yo creo que ojalá se vayan todos al carajo, la patria no se vende carajo.
para mi este yankee stanley se cree vivo x q se saca una foto con messi pero tira palito a milei dejate de joder argentina no necesita consejos de empleados del imperio messi es nuestro no te lo apropie gil vuelvanse a su casa