ARGENTINA- President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has made her first public speech in six weeks, ending a long silence that led to questions about her health following brain surgery.

While addressing the people through a live telecast, Mrs. Fernandez announced a plan to help unemployed young people, while lashing out at Argentina’s media over speculations about her health.

Ms Fernandez had an operation on 8 October to remove a blood clot from her brain and returned to work on 18 November.

But she had not spoken in public since a high-profile ceremony in Buenos Aires on 10 December

"They wanted to create the impression among the Argentine people that I couldn't do it anymore.

"The truth is I had some problems, but I would like to see who, facing the same problems, would have continued to govern for 40 million Argentines.

"I hope nobody criticizes this nationally televised address after demanding my presence so much." She said.

She also used the opportunity to defend the economic progress of her administration, while refuting claims from the opposition that the country’s economy has crumbled.

"What annoys them [the opposition] is Argentina's full employment, is the [growing] share of the GDP going to wages and salaries" she said.

Ms Fernandez said that the shift in favour of Argentina's working class began in 2003, when her husband, Nestor Kirchner, was elected president.

Mr Kirchner was succeeded by his wife in 2007 and died of a sudden heart attack in 2010.