BUENOS AIRES—First lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was set to swap jobs with her husband on Monday and take office as Argentina's first elected female president in a rare transfer of power between spouses.
Fernandez, a senator and lawyer, won an Oct. 28 election promising to continue the policies of popular President Nestor Kirchner, who has presided over a dramatic economic recovery in South America's second-biggest economy.
But Fernandez faces challenges as she opens a new chapter for Argentina's most powerful political couple since Juan and Eva Peron.
The Kirchners have been dubbed the Clintons of the South by some analysts in a comparison with former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton.
A forceful orator and glamorous dresser, Fernandez confronts high crime, stubborn inflation and energy shortages threatening to slow the country's biggest economic expansion in a century—nearly five straight years of growth of more than 8 percent.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner crowns a lifetime in politics by swearing in as Argentina's first elected woman president Monday, taking over from her husband, Nestor Kirchner.
Here are some key facts about Fernandez, who is also called Kirchner or just Cristina.
* Fernandez has been politically active since she was a teenager when she was involved in the Peronist youth movement that fought to bring populist former President Juan Peron back to Argentina from exile.
* She and her husband, Nestor Kirchner, met in law school and have a long-time political partnership. She has been a provincial and national lawmaker since 1989, and he was a provincial governor before his 2003-2007 presidential term.
* She is 54 years old and the couple has two children, a 30-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter.
* Fernandez is often compared to another famous Argentine first lady, Eva Peron, even though "Evita" died before Fernandez was born. Evita never ran for office but she had a lot of influence on her husband and ran a powerful foundation with projects for workers and the poor.
* Many are struck by the parallels between Fernandez and U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton: both are lawyers and senators and married to former governors who became presidents.
* Fernandez won a clear victory with 45 percent of the vote on Oct. 28, largely due the popularity of her husband, whose four-year term has seen huge economic growth.
* Fernandez passionately defends her flashy dress sense, heavy make-up and eye-catching accessories such as wide belts, pink fans and red berets.
Leaders from across Latin America, several European countries and the International Monetary Fund were expected to attend Monday's inauguration, which has been marked by a flurry of diplomatic efforts to win the release of hostages held by leftist rebels in Colombia.
Economic Model
In a gala pre-inaugural dinner on Sunday, Kirchner called for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to release former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who was kidnapped in 2002.
The call by Kirchner, who leaves office after four-and-half years, followed intensified diplomatic attempts to win Betancourt's release in recent weeks.
Several Latin American leaders appeared to be uniting to make a collective appeal for the hostages' release.
Many of the leftist Latin leaders on hand, including Bolivian President Evo Morales, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, praised Fernandez, who has been a key advisor to Kirchner.
"She's going to strengthen the process of change in the region," Chavez said.
A 54-year-old mother of two, Fernandez is keeping many of her husband's top aides and has vowed to deepen his economic model emphasizing budget and trade surpluses and a weak currency to stimulate exports.
Kirchner leaves office with high popularity ratings after taking office in 2003 with 22 percent of the vote, the lowest mandate in Argentine history.
He has never explained why he opted not to seek a second term and instead anointed his wife as his successor. Some analysts say the move is aimed at having the two rotate in the presidency.
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