It really is big news for Argentina. Jorge Bergoglio is very well known in a country where the proclamations of the Church and Bergoglio himself had for years been mistreated and neglected by the Kirchners.
He is "the true leader of the opposition," Nestor Kirchner said some years ago when Bergoglio made claims against his government. His wife and Argentine's current president was also not "warm" with the old Cardinal -- now proclaimed the new Pope.
It was well known that Bergoglio and the local Argentine Church have been producing documents discussing the official statistics and asking for better social programs, considering that in the government of Argentina, there is still enormous corruption and signs of intolerance with the media or other political leaders when political suggestions of change are made.
The relationship was crisp, distant and sensitive with Bergoglio and the Argentine government until yesterday when he was elected Pope. It was not only the executive branch of the government, but congressmen allied with the Kirchners that used to avoid meetings or discussions with the very well-known Buenos Aires Cardinal in public, during these last few years.
The Kirchners always have been very reactive to critics. Nowadays in Argentina, it is very common to see any politician or journalist being considered a strong enemy if any "discrepancy" is shown. Bergoglio was on that list for near a decade. With President Kirchner, Bergoglio also dealt with lighting bolts and firecrackers, but at least she gave him an audience in the "Casa Rosada." The Cardinal was opposed to the "civil union of people of the same sex" and was again strongly criticized by the Kirchners' circle. He also maintained a different view of the social programs brought forth by the government.
Bergoglio, during the last few months, was always involved in social action. He was very worried with the insecurity in the streets, the increasing crime, the necessity of working with the poor families and looking for solutions to their social problems -- for Argentina's middle and lower class is affected by a severe inflation that has been camouflaged for years by Kirchner's government.