IMF DEBT TALKS IMF: Argentine team expected to hold loan talks in mid-March Today 18:22 Economy Minister Martín Guzmán will visit Washington in mid-March, confirms IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS INDEC estimates economy contracted 10% in 2020 Today 17:35 Bureau’s Monthly Estimator of Economic Activity (EMAE), published Wednesday, revealed the economy fell by 2.2% in December.
Global Pandemic Ticket to ride: Vaccine passports divide world Today 15:27 Vaccine passports: the new normal or drivers of inequality? While some countries and private sector entities believe they could be a ticket to return to pre-pandemic activities, others claim they could be divisive and discriminatory.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS Argentina’s economy recovery slowed to a crawl in December Yesterdat 17:52 Economic growth month-over-month slowed to a crawl of 0.9% growth in December, down from 1.4% in November.
K-Money trail Lázaro Báez sentenced to 12 years in jail for money-laundering Yesterdat 17:49 Businessman Lázaro Báez, at the centre of a corruption probe involving ex-presidents Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Néstor Kirchner, was sentenced to 12 years in jail Wednesday on money-laundering charges
CRISIS IN VENEZUELA Venezuela expels EU ambassador over fresh sanctions Yesterdat 16:38 Venezuela on Wednesday expelled the European Union's ambassador to Caracas in response to new sanctions, giving the Portuguese envoy 72 hours to leave the country and raising the bloc's renewed ire.
Coronavirus Pandemic Government rolls out five-stage plan to vaccinate teachers Yesterdat 16:36 Government announces that it will vaccinate teachers with the one million Sinopharm doses that are due to arrive from China on Friday. First round of vaccines will be given to over 450,000 teachers working in pre-school, special needs and primary schools.
'BOMBA ARGENTINA' Report: 'Argentine Firecracker' Fanne Foxe dead at 84 Yesterdat 16:35 Fanne Foxe, an exotic dancer known as the "Argentine Firecracker" who was at the centre of one of the US capital's most notorious sex scandals, has died aged 84.
TRANS RIGHTS Brazil trans twins undergo gender confirmation surgery together Yesterdat 11:14 Growing up as identical twins, Mayla and Sofia always did everything together, and their decision to undergo sex reassignment surgery is no exception. Now, they have made the transition they long dreamed of together, in what their doctor calls a first.
Bloomberg World Bank: Women on average have just 76% of men’s legal rights worldwide Yesterdat 09:00 World Bank warns coronavirus pandemic is reinforcing gender inequality in many countries, with women on average having roughly three-quarters of the legal rights of men.
HUMAN RIGHTS Germany convicts Syrian in landmark torture trial Yesterdat 08:52 German court convicts former Syrian intelligence service agent for complicity in crimes against humanity, in the first court case worldwide over state-sponsored torture by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.
Guayaquil At least 62 inmates dead in Ecuador prison riots 23-02-2021 21:52 At least 62 inmates died Tuesday and several were injured in riots blamed on gang rivalry at three jails in Ecuador's overcrowded prison system, authorities said.
International football Australia, Qatar pull out of 2021 Copa América 23-02-2021 21:01 Australia and Qatar have pulled out of the 2021 Copa América starting in June, South American football's governing body CONMEBOL confirms.
Alberto in Mexico Fernández, López Obrador demand fairer access to Covid-19 vaccines 23-02-2021 16:49 Alberto Fernández and Andrés Manuel López Obrador call for fairer distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in Latin America and across the world, with both in agreement that rich nations are monopolising jabs.
Global pandemic Waiving IP rights will not boost vaccine production, says pharma group 23-02-2021 15:00 Exempting Covid-19 vaccines from intellectual property rights will not speed up production or distribution of the jabs, a pharmaceutical industry association argued Tuesday.
'VIP vaccination' scandal President fights back as 'VIP vaccine' scandal grows 23-02-2021 14:09 Peronist leader says that while he rejects the “irregular” vaccinations, it had already cost the resignation of his health minister Ginés González García and did not amount to a crime.
DEATH OF DIEGO MARADONA Prosecutors convene medical board to rule on Maradona's death 23-02-2021 13:17 Prosecutors to convene a medical board on March 8 to decide whether or not Diego Armando Maradona received proper medical treatment before his death.
Global pandemic Vaccine delays threaten economies hardest hit by pandemic 23-02-2021 12:24 Latin America and the Caribbean, the region where the coronavirus caused the worst economic destruction and more than a quarter of the world’s deaths, is now falling victim to a slow inoculation campaign.
VIP VACCINE SCANDAL Government releases list of vaccine recipients as scandal grows 22-02-2021 23:38 Pressure grows on Alberto Fernández administration over ‘VIP vaccination’ scandal. Casa Rosada releases a list of Peronist leaders, officials and their family members who received Sputnik jab.
COVID-19 VACCINES Vizzotti: 1 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine due ‘in next few days’ 22-02-2021 21:39 Argentina hopes to receive one million doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine against Covid-19 "in the next few days," Health Minister Carla Vizzotti said Monday.
BRAZILIAN FIRM Oil giant Petrobras sheds US$19 billion in value over two days 22-02-2021 20:45 A sell-off in Brazil’s state-controlled oil firm Petrobras picked up on Monday after a group of analysts downgraded the stock within 24 hours, following Jair Bolsonaro's decision to replace the company’s chief executive officer.
VIP VACCINE SCANDAL Survey: 61% distrust government’s Covid-19 vaccination plan 22-02-2021 17:15 Following the controversial "VIP Vaccination" scandal that surfaced at the tail-end of last week, a new Management & Fit survey finds that six out of ten people lack confidence in government's vaccine plan.
ALBERTO IN MEXICO President arrives in Mexico for talks on business, vaccines 22-02-2021 14:05 Alberto Fernández landed in Mexico City today for an official visit geared towards “strengthening commercial ties” between two countries. President set to meet Mexican counterpart Andrés Manuel López Obrador, billionaire businessman Carlos Slim and visit an AstraZeneca vaccine laboratory.
Global pandemic All over by summer? UK eyes return to normal by end of June 22-02-2021 13:50 British PM Boris Johnson outlines a "gradual and cautious" approach to lifting curbs in England, starting with the return of students to schools from March 8, and non-essential retail from April 12.
VIP VACCINE SCANDAL Fernández slams 'unforgivable' vaccine line-jump scandal 22-02-2021 13:09 President Alberto Fernández, delivering his first comments on the so-called 'VIP vaccination' scandal, said Sunday that the actions of his health minister had been "unforgivable."
FOOTBALL – PREMIER LEAGUE Bielsa says Leeds should wait before extending his contract 22-02-2021 13:01 Marcelo Bielsa says it would be better for Leeds United to wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to extend his contract.
Ecuador election 2021 Arauz, Lasso advance to Ecuador presidential run-off 22-02-2021 12:30 Leftist economist Andrés Arauz will face conservative Guillermo Lasso in the upcoming second round of Ecuador's presidential election, officials confirmed Sunday. Third-place finisher, indigenous leader Yaku Pérez, vows to appeal.
VIP VACCINE SCANDAL Vizzotti sworn in as health minister amid 'VIP vaccine' scandal 21-02-2021 08:40 Carla Vizzotti sworn in as Argentina's new health minister, following the resignation of her predecessor Ginés González García.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Bolsonaro calls for more changes after general goes to Petrobras 21-02-2021 08:25 Brazil leader says that more changes are underway after naming a former general to head Petrobras. Experts say Bolsonaro has chosen "economic populism."
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Bolsonaro appoints Army reserve general to head Petrobras 21-02-2021 08:12 Brazil's far-right president appoints Army reserve general Joaquim Silva e Luna to lead state-owned energy giant Petrobras, after criticising several successive increases in the price of fuel.
THE WEEK What we learned this week: February 13 to 20 20-02-2021 08:27 The stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.
DEBT RESTRUCTURING Bondholders: ‘Argentina desperately needs agreement with the IMF’ 20-02-2021 08:18 Private bondholders group, who previously agreed to restructuring, accuse government of dragging its feet in talks with IMF to “continue its unsustainable policies even longer."
HUMAN RIGHTS ESMA IV trial: Eight new convictions for crimes against humanity 20-02-2021 08:13 Sentences handed down to eight individuals in ESMA IV trial for crimes against humanity, including illegal deprivation of liberty, torture, homicide and sexual assault. by James Grainger
OBITUARY:CARLOS SAÚL MENEM (1930-2021) Carlos Menem: Peronist, president, playboy 20-02-2021 08:07 Late former governor, senator and president – who led the nation for a decade between 1989 and 1999, the longest period of a democratic leader in modern-day Argentina – dies aged 90 at a hospital in Buenos Aires. by Michael Soltys
CARLOS MENEM (1930-2021) The first post-modern president 20-02-2021 07:56 Menem was the emblem of Argentina’s eternal aspiration to be a First World cosmopolitan society. by Gustavo González
CARLOS MENEM (1930-2021) Choose your own Menem 20-02-2021 07:46 As from Menem, public officials who got rich on the job began to be the rule rather than the exception. by Javier Calvo
AND THAT REMINDS ME... Charlie was my darling 20-02-2021 07:40 A selection of purely personal memories and perceptions of Carlos Menem, including some that differ from conventional wisdom. by Michael Soltys
AS I SEE IT A most unlikely reformer 20-02-2021 07:31 Carlos Menem may have been the king of kitsch, but he was also something else. by James Neilson
ARGENTINE FOOTBALL Emotions run high on opening weekend of season 20-02-2021 07:24 Ricardo Zielinski was one of 10 new coaches on display on the opening weekend, and each fared mixed fortunes. by Dan Edwards
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL Covid-ravaged Argentina slump to defeat in SheBelieves Cup 20-02-2021 07:19 Albiceleste women’s side loses 4-1 to Brazil in opener. Preparations for the game were rocked just hours before kick off after four players tested positive for Covid-19.
POLITICAL ECONOMY The anchor: Guzmán’s second mistake? 20-02-2021 07:12 The Fernández administration has doubled down on an economic strategy that appears aimed at winning this year’s midterm elections. Whether or not Economy Minister Martín Guzmán agrees with the plan is debatable. by Agustino Fontevecchia
THE WEEK IN ARGENTINA Menem moments 20-02-2021 07:02 Carlos Menem dominated Argentine politics for a decade. And his death, for a moment, meant he was all over the news once more. by Martín Gambarotta
EDITORIAL Menem: A man of his times – and ours 20-02-2021 06:08 Despite his passing, Carlos Menem’s spirit remains very much around, in both the current government and the country as a whole.
SHALE Argentina’s shale ambitions hang in the balance 20-02-2021 05:59 YPFF needs to find more than US$1 billion to spur drilling at Vaca Muerta. At stake is not only the company’s growth strategy, but the future of the shale play itself.
GLOBAL PANDEMIC Wealthy nations up Covax funding amid ‘vaccine hoarding’ claims 20-02-2021 05:54 G7 commits 7.5 billion euros to Covax scheme, just two days after UN warned of global vaccine equities.
COVID-19 VACCINES Vaccination campaign begins to reach Argentina’s elderly 20-02-2021 05:38 Vaccines start to be given to citizens aged over 70, as government's mass inoculation scheme aganst novel coronavirus enters new phase.
VIP VACCINE SCANDAL VIP vaccine scandal: President asks health minister to resign 19-02-2021 20:56 President Alberto Fernández asks Health Minister Ginés González García to resign post amid claims government supporters exploited contacts to jump vaccination queue.
COVID-19 VACCINES BioNTech-Pfizer say vaccine can stand warmer temperatures 19-02-2021 14:32 Tests on BioNTech-Pfizer shot have shown that the vaccine can stand warmer temperatures than initially thought, potentially simplifying the jab's cold-chain logistics.
APPS & WORK UK top court shakes up gig economy with ruling against Uber 19-02-2021 14:19 UK's Supreme Court rules Uber drivers are entitled to breaks, holiday pay and minimum wage, in what has been described as "another nail in the coffin" for the gig economy.
EUROPEAN POLITICS Strains test Spain's leftist coalition government 19-02-2021 13:53 Tensions once again surface between Socialists and Podemos, sparked by protests against the arrest of famous rapper Pablo Hasel for controversial tweets.
Poverty and taxation Wealth tax: inequality solution for Latin America? 19-02-2021 12:52 The income chasm between the rich and poor in Latin America has led to efforts to tax the wealthy – though the reception has been uneven across various countries.
BLOOMBERG Banco Galicia CEO: Inflation will keep battering banking returns 19-02-2021 12:42 Argentine banks took a beating last year, and the nation’s biggest lender says the industry is at risk of a repeat performance.
COURTS CFK asks Supreme Court not to transfer illegal espionage case 19-02-2021 12:29 Vice-president's lawyer asks theSupreme Court to keep the illegal espionage case against the preceding Mauricio Macri administration in Lomas de Zamora, instead of the Federal Capital’s Comodoro Py courthouse.
ENVIRONMENT Scientists reveal impact of climate change on Antarctic phytoplankton 18-02-2021 23:52 Argentine scientists reveal that rising temperatures and diminished salinity have altered phytoplankton in the Antarctic.
NUCLEAR DEAL US says it’s willing to meet with Iran to restore nuclear deal 18-02-2021 23:34 Joe Biden's administration offers to attend talks with Iran led by European allies, reverses two largely symbolic steps against Tehran imposed by Donald Trump.
LIFE ON MARS? Touchdown: NASA's Perseverance rover ready to search for life on Mars 18-02-2021 23:22 After seven months in space, NASA's Perseverance rover lands on Mars, ready to embark on its mission to search for signs of past life.
COVID-19 VACCINES Buenos Aires Province begins vaccinating those aged 70+ 18-02-2021 13:58 Provincial government begins to give first shots of Sputnik V vaccine to citizens aged over 70, using schools and other sites as temporary vaccination centres.
Global Pandemic Venezuela to begin Covid immunisation programme with Sputnik V 18-02-2021 12:44 President Nicolás Maduro announces healthcare workers, legislators, members of the Armed Forces and authorities will start to receive Covid-19 vaccines, with mass immunisation campaign is planned for April.
Covid-19 vaccine Shipment of 580,000 vaccine doses arrives from India 17-02-2021 15:26 A shipment of 580,000 Covid-19 vaccines from India's Serum Institute arrives in Argentina to bolster government's immunisation campaign.
BACK TO SCHOOL Schools in Argentina finally re-open doors to students 17-02-2021 14:54 Schoolchildren from five of Argentina's 24 regional districts returned to classrooms on Wednesday for the first time in almost a year, as the country began a gradual restart of face-to-face classes.
Global pandemic Israel's 'green badge' plan to open services to vaccinated stirs concern 17-02-2021 14:36 Israel unveils "green badge" plan to re-open services to those fully inoculated, stirring controversy about unequal access for those who opt out of the jabs.
PRICE CONTROLS Government to investigate food companies amid price clampdown 17-02-2021 14:28 Production & Development Ministry plans to investigate several food companies for not “increasing production to its highest level of installed capacity” and ensuring proper delivery.
Coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 shots on the market or in development 17-02-2021 13:56 With several Covid-19 vaccines either being rolled out or under trial, here is a rundown of the various stages of their development.
Global pandemic UN urges global Covid vaccine plan, warns of dangerous inequity 17-02-2021 13:42 Secretary-General António Guterres sounds alarm that just 10 nations have administered 75% of Covid-19 vaccine doses so far – and 130 countries have had none at all.
Ecuador election 2021 Ecuador suspends recount in presidential election 17-02-2021 13:36 Ecuador's National Electoral Council suspends recount in first round of the presidential election requested by left-wing indigenous candidate Yaku Pérez, who has alleged fraud denied him a place in the run-off.
IRAN NUCLEAR DISPUTE UN nuclear watchdog proposes Iran visit as deadline looms 16-02-2021 18:18 IAEA chief Rafael Grossi offers to visit Iran to find a solution to a looming stand-off over inspections agreed under the 2015 nuclear deal.
BLOOMBERG Bankrupt Venezuela cedes control of companies 16-02-2021 18:14 Dozens of confiscated firms have been transferred – but not sold – to private operators in so-called strategic alliances.
Leopoldo Luque (1949-2021) World Cup winner Luque dies of heart attack after contracting Covid 16-02-2021 14:53 World Cup winner Leopoldo Jacinto Luque died on Monday of a heart attack while he was receiving treatment for Covid-19.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Bolsonaro further relaxes gun laws in Brazil 16-02-2021 14:49 Four decrees, issued late Friday, increase the number of firearms Brazilians can own from four to six – or up to 60, for those who practice recreational sport shooting – and authorise them to carry up to two guns in public.
CARLOS MENEM (1930-2021) Menem buried with military honours at ceremony in capital 16-02-2021 11:46 Former president Carlos Menem was laid to rest on Monday, granted military honours at a small ceremony on the outskirts of the capital.
Coronavirus Pandemic Vaccine shortage forces Rio to suspend Covid jabs 15-02-2021 16:44 Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro is forced to suspend its vaccination programme due to shortages, fuelling further frustrations with President Jair Bolsonaro's government.
Coronavirus Pandemic Two Peruvian top officials resign amid Covid-19 vaccine scandal 15-02-2021 16:15 Public resentment over officials receiving vaccinations — despite there being no date for a wider immunisation drive — has seen at least two government officials resign.
Death of ex-president Former president Carlos Menem passes away aged 90 14-02-2021 13:57 Peronist leader, who led the nation for a decade between 1989 and 1999, passes away at a hospital in Buenos Aires.
OBITUARY Menem, ex-president who led Argentina for 10 years, dies at 90 14-02-2021 13:17 Former president, whose economic policies quashed hyperinflation during the 1990s but sowed the seeds for what became the largest debt default in history, has died. He was 90.
EDITORIAL Dilemmas and defining factors 13-02-2021 10:36 Two entirely different news items at opposite ends of the past week might well be the shape of defining factors in this year’s elections.
THE LAST SEVEN DAYS What we learned this week: February 6 to 13 13-02-2021 10:32 Our pick of the stories from the last seven days in Argentina.
CONGRESS Congress approves bill blocking debt issuance without legislative approval 13-02-2021 10:26 New law will apply to any new debt agreements, including with the International Monetary Fund.
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA Massa seeks to lower income tax floor 13-02-2021 10:23 The government stands to lose some 40,000 billion pesos in revenue from these changes but hopes to recover much of this from the beneficiaries spending this extra money on items subject to IVA value-added taxation and other levies.
AGRICULTURE Tensions with producers lowered after talks with agricultural leaders 13-02-2021 10:19 President agrees not to set further quotas or hike taxes, provided agreement is reached to keep prices down.
ENVIRONMENT & AGRICULTURE Local municipalities embrace agroecology 13-02-2021 10:15 A network of municipalities are reimagining an agricultural production model based on industrial inputs, encouraging a new relationship between farming, food and nature. by Jorgelina Hiba
ENVIRONMENT & AGRICULTURE How Argentina’s land laws stifle sustainable agriculture 13-02-2021 10:10 Argentina’s unique land laws have meant increasingly concentrated land ownership and leasing to profit-oriented companies who care little for long-term sustainability. by Jorgelina Hiba
FEMICIDE Protesters demand action after brutal murder of teenager 13-02-2021 10:04 19-year-old Úrsula Bahillo found brutally stabbed to death. She had previously denounced her suspected killer, former boyfriend and Buenos Aires Province police officer Matías Ezequiel Martínez.
POLICING More than 550 police officers suspended over 2019 pay mutiny 13-02-2021 09:59 Further suspensions may follow, with a total of 1,800 cops under investigation for their role in last year’s controversial police pay mutiny that saw a group of officers encircle the Olivos presidential residence.
EDUCATION Students, teachers prepare to return to classrooms 13-02-2021 09:56 "Without health there is no present and without education there is no future," says President Fernández; Ademys union calls 72-hour strike.
JAILED SOCIAL LEADER Supreme Court upholds two-year prison sentence against Milagro Sala 13-02-2021 09:48 Jailed Tupac Amaru social activist Milagro Sala, considered a ‘political prisoner’ by most Kirchnerite figures, condemns the decision.
UNITED STATES Trump lawyers demand acquittal in impeachment trial 13-02-2021 09:43 Democratic impeachment managers rested their case Thursday after two days of hearings. Trump's lawyers wrapped up their case after just three hours.
ELECTION IN ECUADOR Two presidential candidates in Ecuador demand election recount 13-02-2021 09:38 Guillermo Lasso, a career banker who wants close ties with Washington, holds a razor-thin margin over Yaku Pérez, an environmentalist who opposes big mining projects.
FOOTBALL Uruguayan striker Santiago García’s death confirmed as suicide 13-02-2021 09:35 Godoy Cruz striker Santiago 'Morro' García was found dead last Saturday at his home; Courts confirm Uruguayan, a fan’s favourite, took his own life.
BOCA JUNIORS Boca and evergreen Tevez aim big, amid unwelcome distractions 13-02-2021 09:29 It would not be a Boca pre-season without at least a few rumours of both Tevez's dissatisfaction and general unrest in the club camp. by Dan Edwards
AND THAT REMINDS ME Suicide pacts are also consensus 13-02-2021 09:14 Consensus might sometimes push the right buttons but there is no guarantee and it is not a virtue in itself. by Michael Soltys
CIVIL SUIT Press freedom row erupts as journalist told to turn over audio recordings 13-02-2021 09:09 Author and journalist Santiago O’Donnell ordered to hand over recordings used to create his best-selling book Hermano, which features interviews with Mariano Macri, brother of former president Mauricio Macri. by Jennifer Heiman
ECONOMIC PLANS Guzmán: ‘Austerity is not the way to go’ 13-02-2021 09:01 At a talk hosted by Brown University, Argentina’s economy minister says the nation has a “thin corridor through which the economy has to transit,” as speculation grows over debt talks with the International Monetary Fund. by Jonah Shrock
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Argentina surpasses two million Covid-19 cases, 50,000 deaths 13-02-2021 08:55 Eleven months on from confirmation of the first case in the country, officials said Wednesday that more than two million people have tested positive for Covid-19.
AS I SEE IT Here we go again 13-02-2021 08:47 Meaningful reform will remain on the backburner until the votes have been counted. by James Neilson
ARGENTINE AMAUTERISM Guzmán’s first mistake 13-02-2021 08:40 The economy minister’s appeal stems from a technocratic approach to the field of public economics, coupled with a soft but convincing, almost stubborn, conviction in his plan. by Agustino Fontevecchia
femicide Violent murder of 18-year-old sparks indignation across Argentina 12-02-2021 02:30 Brutal stabbing of an 18-year-old woman by her policeman ex-boyfriend sparks anger and outrage across Argentina.
STATE ENERGY FIRM YPF avoids March default with 60% support for key bond swap 12-02-2021 01:11 YPF SA swaps almost 60% of a key bond due in March, saving the company millions of dollars in debt payments and avoiding a costly default next month.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS Inflation continues to rise: Prices were up 4% in January 12-02-2021 01:00 INDEC national statistics bureau says prices rose by 4% in January, equal to December's rate.
Social leader Supreme Court upholds two-year prison sentence against Milagro Sala 11-02-2021 23:11 Jailed Túpac Amaru social activist Milagro Sala, considered a ‘political prisoner’ by most Kirchnerite figures, condemns the decision.
Coronavirus Pandemic Pandemic has hit LatAm women's employment hard, says report 11-02-2021 16:43 According to a UN report published on Wednesday, the pandemic could set women back ten years in terms of employment rate.