Latest news of Buenos Aires Times

An image of a vertebrae from the Ninjatitan zapatai, accompanied by an artistic reproduction of a titanosaur, drawn by artist Jorge González.

Titanosaur found in Patagonia may be oldest yet, says study

Today 11:10 A colossal dinosaur dug up in the south of the country could be the oldest titanosaur ever found, scientists said Sunday.

Mock body bags displayed by demonstrators are seen in front of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, on February 27, 2021, during a protest against the government of President Alberto Fernández over the VIP vaccination scandal.

VIP VACCINE SCANDAL

Thousands take to streets to protest 'VIP vaccinations' scandal

Yesterdat 08:59 Anti-government demonstrators rally in cities across the country in protest at the 'VIP vaccines' scandal; President Fernández condemns small group of protesters who attach mock body bags to the gates of the Casa Rosada.

Elsa Nélida Alonso, of Cañuelas, was the 1,000,000th person to receive a vaccine against Covid-19 in Argentina.

Coronavirus pandemic

90-year-old becomes one millionth to be vaccinated in Argentina

Yesterdat 08:17 Elsa Nélida Alonso becomes the 1,000,000th person to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in Argentina, receiving her jab at the Hospital de Cuenca Alta Néstor Kirchner SAMIC in Cañuelas from nurse María de los Ángeles Martínez.

A girl along with other people participates in a religious event in memory of two young women murdered days ago in the town of La Mision in the state of Portuguesa, Venezuela on February 27, 2021.

GENDER VIOLENCE

Venezuelans protest femicide after three women murdered in a week

Yesterdat 07:41 Hundreds of Venezuelans protested Saturday following the murders of three young women last week, in a rally against femicide in the troubled nation.

VIP VACCINATIONS

Latin America’s vaccine scandal claims third health minister

Yesterdat 07:09 Ecuador health minister resigned Friday, becoming the third top Latin American health official forced out in two weeks as outrage grows over the ability of the region’s richest and most powerful to obtain vaccinations before the rest of the population.

Pope Francis gestures as he speaks from the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's Square on February 21, 2021 during the weekly Angelus prayer in The Vatican.

Argentine pontiff

Pope Francis expects to spend his final days in Rome, says new book

Yesterdat 07:01 Asked how he sees his final days, 84-year-old Argentine pontiff tells Nelson Castro: "I will be pope, either active or emeritus, and in Rome. I will not return to Argentina."

The day after tomorrow President Alberto Fernández will be opening the ordinary sessions of Congress with a state-of-the-nation address, traditionally the formal start of the political year after the summer holidays, and yet the usual buzz of anticipation over this calendar milestone is conspicuous by its absence.

EDITORIAL

Message in a syringe

27-02-2021 08:59 With President Alberto Fernández set to open the ordinary sessions of Congress with a state-of-the-nation address, the usual buzz of anticipation is conspicuous by its absence.

From left to right: Lopez Obrador and Fernandez in Mexico.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP

What we learn this week: February 20-27

27-02-2021 08:53 Our pick of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

CITY GOVERNMENT

Prosecutor to probe City Hall over ‘privatisation’ of vaccine campaign

27-02-2021 08:46 Prosecutor Stornelli seeks probe against City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Health Minister Fernán Quirós. Opposition dismisses claims, says City Hall is “transparent.”

The paradox of corruption is that it is such an ingrained everyday phenomenon at many levels that it explodes into big news relatively infrequently.

AND THAT REMINDS ME...

The craft of graft

27-02-2021 08:42 The paradox of corruption is that it is such an ingrained everyday phenomenon at many levels that it explodes into big news relatively infrequently.

by Michael Soltys

Some Kirchnerites have also taken to playing the race card, a common practice in the US and, to a growing extent, the UK, but not that frequent in this part of the world.

AS I SEE IT

Kirchnerites find the race card tempting

27-02-2021 08:36 For the Kirchnerites, “identity politics” has many attractions.

by James Neilson

Lázaro Baez, iconic Kirchnerite businessman.

CORRUPTION & THE COURTS

Lázaro Báez gets 12 years, but no immediate return to jail

27-02-2021 08:28 Iconic Kirchnerite businessman sentenced to more than a decade behind bars for money-laundering an estimated US$55 million between 2010 and 2013.

MERCOSUR BLOC

Brazil again pushes for loosening of Mercosur trade deal rules

27-02-2021 08:21 Bolsonaro set to visit Buenos Aires for trade bloc’s next summit; Brazilian foreign minister accuses ‘interest groups’ using the environment as ‘pretext’ to block ratification of EU-Mercosur deal.

City Hall is looking to seduce and attract ‘digital nomads’ to the capital.

THE WAY WE WORK

City Hall keen to attract digital nomads to Buenos Aires

27-02-2021 08:13 The coronavirus pandemic has sparked a rise in so-called ‘digital nomads’ across the world – and the City Government has unveiled a new initiative to tempt them to Buenos Aires.

by Emma Ridden

REMEMBERING MARIO BUNGE

Difficult but necessary

27-02-2021 08:06 To write about Mario Bunge today, one year after his death on February 24, 2020, at the age of 100, is for me on the one hand difficult, but on the other necessary.

Argentinos and Vélez locked horns in the first domestic match screened on the TV Pública.

FUTBOL PARA TODOS

Echoes of the past as football returns to TV Pública

27-02-2021 07:58 Last night Argentinos and Vélez locked horns in the first domestic match screened on the TV Pública for almost four years, a throwback to the ‘Fútbol para Todos’ era which appeared to have gone forever.

by Dan Edwards

The Internet is at its most basic element a human network, maintained by machines but structured and utilised by and for humans.

SEARCH FOR A DIGITAL MANIFESTO

News in the age of the Internet

27-02-2021 07:51 At stake is the health of our information ecosystem, and therefore the robustness of democracy. This is the time for everyone with a vested interest in a strong field of journalistic production to act.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

US pharma giant accused of “bullying” Latin American governments in Covid vaccine negotiations, even asking Argentina and Brazil to put up sovereign assets as guarantees against any future legal costs.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

‘Held to ransom’: Pfizer demands governments gamble with state assets to secure vaccine deal

27-02-2021 07:41 US pharma giant accused of “bullying” Latin American governments in Covid vaccine negotiations, even asking Argentina and Brazil to put up sovereign assets as guarantees against any future legal costs.

by MADLEN DAVIES, IVÁN RUIZ, JILL LANGOIS & ROSA FURNEAUX, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Who will save Argentina from this huge vaccine scandal?

THE WEEK

There's no jab against ego tripping

27-02-2021 07:29 Cutting corners, contacting cronies for dodgy favours and jumping lines is almost a national sport in Argentina.

by Martín Gambarotta

MEET THE (NEW) MINISTER

Carla Vizzotti takes up reins of Health Ministry

27-02-2021 07:21 Former health access secretary, 48, is a vaccine specialist best known for being the public face of the government’s daily coronavirus briefings.

New health minister enters quarantine after positive test; Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero also in isolation.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Health Minister Vizzotti into isolation after testing positive for coronavirus

27-02-2021 07:12 The diagnosis could complicate things severely for the government, given the newly appointed minister’s role and how many other officials she has been in contact with of late.

Ginés Gonzalez García, former Health Minister.

VIP VACCINE SCANDAL

Government struggles to contain ‘VIP vaccine’ scandal

27-02-2021 07:06 Opposition leaders pile on pressure over “vaccinations of privilege,” accusing ruling Peronist coalition of seeking to “vaccinate a Kirchnerite oligarchy.”

Customers queue outside a branch of Banco Provincia.

IMF DEBT RESTRUCTURING

Government considers using new IMF reserves for loan payment

26-02-2021 16:58 Argentina is considering using new reserves to be issued by the International Monetary Fund to make a payment due to the lender in September, according to a person with direct knowledge.

A health worker holds a box with five doses of the Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19, before vaccination health and education workers in a school in Bernal on February 18, 2021.

Coronavirus vaccines

Laboratory agrees deal to produce Sputnik V vaccine in Argentina

26-02-2021 14:08 Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine to be produced and manufactured in Argentina by local firm Laboratorios Richmond.

US President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on February 26, 2021. President Biden travels to Texas to visit a food bank and emergency operations center after a winter storm left millions without electricity and clean water for days.US President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on February 26, 2021. President Biden travels to Texas to visit a food bank and emergency operations center after a winter storm left millions without electricity and clean water for days.

AIRSTRIKES IN SYRIA

Biden launches first military action, striking Syria militias

26-02-2021 13:22 US carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria on sites connected to Iranian-backed groups believed to be involved in recent attacks in Iraq, first overt use of military force under President Joe Biden.

FOOTBALL

Marseille await Sampaoli in hope of turning around troubled season

26-02-2021 13:13 Sampaoli, fiery 60-year-old Argentine who coached his country at the 2018 World Cup and this week announced his departure from Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro, set to take charge of French side.

Handout file photo taken on June 24, 2019 and released by the National Copper Corporation of Chile (CODELCO) showing the construction of the underground operations of the Chuquicamata mine in Calama, Chile. The price of copper doubled on February, 2021 compared to March, 2020 and reached its highest price in a decade due to China's purchases, a situation which opens a "unique" opportunity for the economy of Chile, the main producer of the mineral, experts pointed out to AFP.

MINING

China's appetite for copper provides Chile with opportunity

26-02-2021 13:08 With the price of copper reaching a 10-year high thanks in no small part to China's insatiable appetite, Chile faces a "unique" opportunity, according to experts.

Officials applaud after the arrival of an Aerolíneas Argentinas plane carrying more than 900,000 doses of the Chinese laboratory Sinopharm's coronavirus vaccine, at Ezeiza international airport.

Coronavirus pandemic

Shipment of 900,000 Sinopharm vaccine doses arrives in Argentina

26-02-2021 01:35 Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero, Health Minister Carla Vizzotti, Foreign Minister Felipe Solá and China's Ambassador to Argentina Zou Xiaol were on runway to witness vaccine flight’s arrival.

Bloomberg

Central Bank extends rules for companies to restructure dollar debt

26-02-2021 01:31 BRCA extends deadline for companies to restructure debt in dollars until December 31.

Economy Minister Martín Guzmán arrives at Argentine consulate in New York on January 28, 2020 for a meeting with IMF officials about the restructuring of Argentina's debt.

IMF DEBT TALKS

IMF: Argentine team expected to hold loan talks in mid-March

25-02-2021 18:22 Economy Minister Martín Guzmán will visit Washington in mid-March, confirms IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice.

Argentina’s coronavirus fight is taking a turn for the worse as the nation that implemented one of region's strictest lockdowns sees deaths surge anyway.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

INDEC estimates economy contracted 10% in 2020

25-02-2021 17:35 Bureau’s Monthly Estimator of Economic Activity (EMAE), published Wednesday, revealed the economy fell by 2.2% in December.

Israel recently took a step towards normalcy, re-opening a raft of businesses and services from pandemic lockdowns, but with some only available to fully vaccinated

Global Pandemic

Ticket to ride: Vaccine passports divide world

25-02-2021 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.

Closed businesses due to financial crisis.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Argentina’s economy recovery slowed to a crawl in December

24-02-2021 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

24-02-2021 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

Handout photo released by the Venezuelan Presidency showing President Nicolás Maduro, during a televised announcement in Caracas, on November 8, 2020.

CRISIS IN VENEZUELA

Venezuela expels EU ambassador over fresh sanctions

24-02-2021 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.

Students in a classroom wearing face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus Pandemic

Government rolls out five-stage plan to vaccinate teachers

24-02-2021 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

24-02-2021 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.

Mayla Rezende (left) and Sofia Albuquerck (right).

TRANS RIGHTS

Brazil trans twins undergo gender confirmation surgery together

24-02-2021 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.

In 100 economies worldwide, there are no laws mandating that men and women receive equal pay for the same job.

Bloomberg

World Bank: Women on average have just 76% of men’s legal rights worldwide

24-02-2021 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.

Syrian defendant Eyad al-Gharib, accused of crimes against humanity in the first trial of its kind to emerge from the Syrian conflict, hides his face as he arrives to hear the verdict in the court room on February 24, 2021 in Koblenz, western Germany.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Germany convicts Syrian in landmark torture trial

24-02-2021 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.

Sports journalists Andrea Guerrero from Colombia and Juan José Buscaglia from Argentina present the draw of the Copa América 2020 football tournament at the Convention Centre in Cartagena, Colombia, on December 3, 2019. The Copa América 2020 football tournament will be hosted jointly by Argentina and Colombia next year, from June 12 to July 12. Asian champions Qatar and previous winner Australia will participate as invited guest teams.

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.

President Alberto Fernández met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrado at the National Palace.

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.

A paramedic displays a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine before being administered at the Qalandia checkpoint on the crossing between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, on February 23, 2021.

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.

President Alberto Fernández, pictured with his Mexican counterpart Andrés Manuel López Obrador, at a press conference in Mexico City on Tuesday, February 23, 2021..

'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.

Diego Maradona, pictured a few weeks before his death.

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.

Delays in deliveries have sent countries that relied heavily on particular vaccines, such as Mexico and Colombia, running to ink last-minute contracts with competitors. Argentina is trying to produce more locally.

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.

Gines González García, pictured in a file photograph.

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.

A nurse prepares a dose of the vaccine developed by Sinopharm of China against Covid-19 during a health workers vaccination campaign amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, in Ate, a district in Lima, on February 19, 2021.

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.

The Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday, February 19, 2021.

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.

President Alberto Fernández, former Health Minister Ginés González García and his replacement Carla Vizzotti.

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 Fernández arrives in Mexico on Monday 22 February, 2021, for an official visit.

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.

Argentina's "new" health minister returns for a third term

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."

Marcelo Bielsa watches on from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on February 19, 2021.

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.

Ecuadorean Presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso.

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.

Handout photo released by the Presidency shows Alberto Fernández swearing in his new Health Minister Carla Vizzotti at the Olvios presidential residence on February 20, 2021. Vizzotti, formerly Health Access Secretary, replaces Ginés González García.

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."

Joaquim Silva e Luna, pictured in a file photo.

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.

Anti-gender-violence activists held a protest outside Congress in Santiago del Estero, decrying recent femicides.

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.

Martín Guzmán needs to find a solution to the debt crisis.

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

Menem was roundly denounced as a “neoliberal,” whose alleged addiction to monetarism made him determined to impoverish honest working folk and reward speculators.

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

Aldosivi and Godoy Cruz clash at the Estadio “José María Minella,” in the opening round of Zona A of the Copa de la Liga Profesional.

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

Adriana #14 of Brazil celebrates her goal against Romina Nunez #18 of Argentina during the SheBelieves Cup at Exploria Stadium on February 18, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.

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

To his foes at least, Menem was Thatcherism with sideburns. Throw in some Ferraris and photo-ops with The Rolling Stones for good measure.

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

From left to right: Mauricio Macri, Eduardo Duhalde, Carlos Menem, Franco Macri.

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.

State oil and gas company YPF is cutting spending to shore up its balance sheet as debt payments come to the fore amid the collapse of the oil market.

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.

An elderly woman walks accompanied by a health worker after receiving a dose of the Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19, in a temporary vaccination centre at a public school in Ezeiza, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

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.

View of a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19.

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.

A smartphone displays route information from the App for ride-sharing cab service Uber in London.

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.

Protesters march with a picture of Spanish rapper Pablo Hasel reading

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.

The “special contribution” will trigger an “exodus of investments, because it punishes the local investor when the foreign investor is not covered by this norm.

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.

Fabian Kon, chief executive officer of Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires SA, speaks during the LatinFinance Argentina Financial Summit in Buenos Aires, on Thursday, May 11, 2017.

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.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner arrives at the Comodoro Py federal courthouse in Buenos Aires, Monday, December 2, 2019.

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.

Antarctica, Earth's southernmost continent.

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.

This photo shows the first images from NASA’s Perseverance rover as it landed on the surface of Mars on February 18, 2021.

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.

The Province of Buenos Aires has began vaccinating senior citizens.

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.

Venezuelan airport workers place in a refrigerated truck packages containing 100,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the COVID-19 virus at the Simon Bolivar international airport in La Guaria, Venezuela on February 13, 2021.

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.

India's Ambassador in Argentina Dinesh Bhatia (left) stands next to Health minister Ginés González García as he speaks after the arrival of doses of Covishield, the Indian-made Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, at Ezeiza International Airport, on February 17, 2021.

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.

Schools in Buenos Aires City reopened this Wednesday after nearly a full year of closure.

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.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu gives a elbow bump to the 4,000,000th person to be vaccinated at Leumit Health Care Services vaccination facility in Jerusalem on February 16, 2021.

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.

Shoppers at a supermarket in Buenos Aires.

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.

A worker moves a shipping container carrying doses of Covishield, the Indian-made Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, on February 17, 2021.

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.

The United Nations on February 17, 2021 led calls for a coordinated global effort to vaccinate against Covid-19, warning that gaping inequities in initial efforts put the whole planet at risk.

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.

Ecuadorean presidential candidate Yaku Pérez.

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.

Director General of IAEA Rafael Grossi sits for an interview with AP

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.

Signage stands outside the state-owned Agropatria agricultural supply store in the town of Turen, Portuguesa state, Venezuela, on Saturday, November 11, 2017. In western Portuguesa state, which was the nation's breadbasket, hundreds of arable acres were lost after seeds didn't arrive until the rainy season. As Venezuelans in cities scavenge for food, once-fertile farmlands are barren as well.

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's body lies in state at Congress.

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.

Health workers wait to administer doses of Coronavac vaccine to elderly patients at a drive-thru vaccination point at the Sambadrome Rio Carnival venue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on February 13, 2021.

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.