Latest news of Buenos Aires Times

Fishing vessels illegally target marine mammals in South American waters

Yesterdat 12:00 Conservationists warn sea lions and elephant seals are being captured by foreign vessels in Argentine and Uruguayan waters. Experts call for urgent measures from authorities.

by Fermin Koop

San Juan’s vaccine hunt

One million doses of Sputnik V and 18 million euros

Yesterdat 00:44 A failed deal to purchase one million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine has helped lift the curtain that shields the murky world of secondary markets for Covid-19 shots.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

As I see it

A tragedy in the making

Yesterdat 00:41 The Peronists have little interest in confronting the unions. However, in view of what the country will be up against in the very near future, the more realistic among them must be having second thoughts.

by James Neilson

AND THAT REMINDS ME…

PASO, step by step

Yesterdat 00:39 Plenty of rhetoric about democratising political representation and restoring transparency to politics, but electoral miscalculation was the exclusive reason for the PASO primaries.

by Michael Soltys

A street vendor sells clothes alongside Avenida Corrientes in the Balvanera neighbourhood, on Thursday, July 22, 2021.

Bloomberg

Pandemic slashes pay for workers in Latin America’s black economy

Yesterdat 00:28 Latin America's job market is going deeper into the dark, with a surge of off-the-books employment trapping millions in an abyss of worse pay, unstable work and dependence on government aid.

President Alberto Fernández meets with newly sworn-in Peru leader Pedro Castillo.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

What we learned this week: July 24 to 31

Yesterdat 00:17 A selection of some of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

EDITORIAL

No winter lasts forever

Yesterdat 00:13 Political unity is one of the two key pillars for electoral success in Peronist eyes – the other is lavish public spending.

The number of firms, according to Ecolatina, is currently at the level of the first year of the first term of the Cristina Fernández de Kirchner presidency.

SMEs in Argentina

‘PyMEdemia’ – 20,000 SMEs closed, 100,000 jobs lost in 2020, says report

Yesterdat 00:07 New Ecolatina report says the number of small and medium sized companies in Argentina has dropped to 2008 levels in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO

Miguel Pichetto: ‘Argentina’s true debate is between capitalism and ideologies glorifying poverty’

30-07-2021 23:36 Former senator and vice-presidential candidate, who today serves as the nation’s auditor general, discusses Republican Peronism, the upcoming elections and “political discipline is essential.”

by Jorge Fontevecchia

Argentina's Olympic Games Men's Football team on Wednesday joined the long and growing list of competitors to fall short in Tokyo, as a plucky draw against Spain proved insufficient to qualify from Group C ahead of the Europeans and Egypt

OLYMPICS: TOKYO 2020 (in 2021)

So near and yet so far for Albiceleste in Tokyo

30-07-2021 22:17 The young talent in the next generation is out there, even if it was in short supply in Japan.

by Dan Edwards

Lacking a million Sputnik V vaccines, San Juan wants its 18 millions euros back

INVESTIGATION: VACCINES & INTERMEDIARIES

Lacking a million Sputnik V vaccines, San Juan wants its 18 million euros back

30-07-2021 22:13 Provincial government’s contract for shots, signed with German middlemen, has fallen through, adding to the claims of the national government against the Russian lab. Now San Juan wants its money back.

by Brenda Funes

Edenor's offices in Chacarita, Buenos Aires.

Bloomberg

Argentina’s Edenor Wins Creditor Support to Avoid Early Payout

30-07-2021 21:06 Bondholders accepted company’s cash offer to waive bond clause. Creditors to receive one-time payout of $20 per $1000 in notes.

Hospital de Niños Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires.

Coronavirus pandemic

Delta fears grip Argentina, prompting authorities into action

30-07-2021 19:33 More than 300 people in Buenos Aires City, Córdoba Province forced into isolation after at least 19 people test positive for Delta strain. President goes into preventative isolation after returning from overseas trip.

Handout picture released by the Peruvian Presidency of Peruvian President Pedro Castillo attending a military parade commemorating the country’s Independence Day, in Lima on July 30, 2021.

New era in Peru?

Peru's currency plummets amid political uncertainty

30-07-2021 17:29 Peru's currency fell to a record low against the US dollar on Friday as the Lima stock exchange dropped more than six percent amid uncertainty over the next finance minister.

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.

VACCINE DIPLOMACY

Russia’s global vaccine ambitions stumble during supply shortage

30-07-2021 17:09 The Kremlin’s ambitions to win soft-power dividends around the world from Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine are being hampered by delays in delivering Sputnik V to foreign buyers clamouring for supplies.

Global pandemic

Biden steps up efforts to fight virus surge fuelled by Delta variant

30-07-2021 02:27 Biden steps up actions to combat the spread of Covid-19's surging Delta variant, asking every US federal worker to either declare they are fully vaccinated or wear masks and be tested.

People wait to receive their first dose of the Sputnik-V vaccine against Covid-19 in Mexico City, on July 27, 2021.

Global pandemic

Mexico Covid deaths 35% more than reported, says statistics agency

29-07-2021 22:19 Mexico recorded more than 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus in 2020 – 35% more than originally reported by the government, the national statistics institute said Thursday.

Guido Bellido (left) raises his fist next to Peru's President Pedro Castillo (right) at Pampa de la Quinua in Ayacucho, southern Peru, on July 29, 2021, after being sworn-in as prime minister.

New era in Peru

Peru's Castillo chooses leftist party colleague as prime minister

29-07-2021 18:54 New leader chooses 41-year-old left-winger Guido Bellido – who first became a lawmaker just six days ago – to be Peru's new prime minister.

Left to right: Daniel Arroyo, Victoria Tolosa Paz and Agustín Rossi.

PASO PRIMARIES / MIDTERMS

Fernández tells ministers running for office to resign posts

29-07-2021 18:18 President Alberto Fernández tells Cabinet ministers and government officials that the "ethical" choice is for PASO candidates to resign, as they will not be able to fully concentrate on their jobs while campaigning.

A CONMEBOL sign at the headquarters offices in Asunción, Paraguay.

FOOTBALL

CONMEBOL proposes VAR time-outs and team reviews

29-07-2021 17:33 South American football's governing body wants to introduce time-outs for VAR checks and allow teams to request reviews of refereeing decisions, a top official told AFP.

Low water levels in the Rio Grande River during a drought at the Furnas Reservoir in Furnas, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.

Bloomberg

Water crisis threatens grain, iron transport on key Brazil river

29-07-2021 16:12 Brazil issued a provisional measure to authorise exceptional and temporary efforts to optimize the use of hydro-energy resources and secure energy supply as country faces one of its worst water crisis.

Alberto Fernández (left) and Sofía Pacchi (right).

LEAKED DOCUMENTS

Ex-model’s visits to presidential residence prompts legal complaint

29-07-2021 12:07 President Alberto Fernández in hot water after leaked documents show former model Sofía Pacchi visited Olivos presidential residence more than 60 times during Covid-19 pandemic, including times when country was under strict lockdown.

A man is inoculated with the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Paso de Carrasco, Canelones department, Uruguay on May 26, 2021. Uruguay surpassed 4,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday and remains as the country with the highest relative rate of deaths due to the virus in the last 14 days, according to AFP figures.

Global pandemic

Four billion anti-Covid vaccine shots now injected worldwide

29-07-2021 11:28 Although more than four billion doses of anti-Covid vaccines have been administered around the world, poorer countries are still struggling to secure precious shots.

Argentina occupies 15th place among the 135 countries whose statistics were covered by this survey with sky-high tariffs.

NEW REPORT

WTO: Argentina among top 15 countries with most import barriers

28-07-2021 22:00 New WTO and UNCTAD technical report warns country is among those which slap the most levies on the entry of products, with Brazil next in 16th position.

Argentina's Central Bank, in Buenos Aires City.

Bloomberg

Government speeds up money printing ahead of election

28-07-2021 17:00 Central Bank was printing money for the Treasury at the fastest pace so far this year in July.

Peru's new President Pedro Castillo is sworn-in by Congress President María del Carmen Alva during his inauguration ceremony at the National Congress in Lima, on July 28, 2021.

NEW PRESIDENT IN PERU

Castillo sworn in as Peru president, vows new constitution

28-07-2021 16:33 Pedro Castillo was sworn in as Peru's fifth president in three years Wednesday on the 200th anniversary of the country's independence, promising an end to corruption and a new constitution.

People wait to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in Buenos Aires.

Coronavirus pandemic

City Hall issues porteños with Covid vaccine certificates via WhatsApp

28-07-2021 15:07 City Hall is now issuing vaccinated residents with a Covid-19 certificate via WhatsApp, giving porteños a digital record of their Covid-19 tests and vaccine shots.

Bronze medallists from Argentina stand on the podium during the victory ceremony after the men's final rugby sevens match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Stadium in Tokyo on July 28, 2021.

TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS

Argentina’s Rugby Sevens team seals bronze with win over Britain

28-07-2021 12:13 First medal of the Olympics for Argentina, as Pumas seal third place in Tokyo 2020 Rugby Sevens event.

Images from Gaiman and its surroundings.

COMMUNITY

Descendants of Welsh settlers mark 156 years in Patagonia

27-07-2021 22:14 In Gaiman, descendants of the first Welsh setters in Patagonia prepare to celebrate 156 years since the arrival of their ancestors on the shores of the Golfo Nuevo.

In this file photo taken on August 08, 2017, handout picture released by the Centro Gestion Chinchorro of mummies in Chinchorro, northern Chile. The Chinchorro Culture in the Arica and Parinacota Region was placed in the 2021 list of world heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Heritage Committee during its 44th session, taking place in Fuzhou, China from July 16 to 31, 2021.

UNESCO's World Heritage List

Chile's ancient mummies, Peruvian observatory added to UN heritage list

27-07-2021 17:28 Chile's Chinchorro mummies, oldest in the world to have been purposefully preserved by humans, and a 2,300-year-old solar observatory in Peru added to UNESCO's World Heritage List on Tuesday.

International Monetary Fund

IMF improves Argentina's 2021 growth forecast to 6.4%

27-07-2021 17:06 Argentina's economy will grow 6.4% in 2021, predicts International Monetary Fund, citing higher export prices and improved vaccination rate.

Peruvian president-elect

President Fernández heads to Peru for Pedro Castillo’s inauguration

27-07-2021 14:23 President Alberto Fernández will fly to Lima on Tuesday ahead of Pedro Castillo's inauguration as Peru's new leader.

Argentina's players celebrate winning the men's quarter-final rugby sevens match between South Africa and Argentina during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Stadium in Tokyo on July 27, 2021.

OLYMPICS

Moneta brace fires Pumas past Springboks into Fiji sevens semi-final

27-07-2021 11:37 Speedster Marco Moneta fired five-man Argentina to a nail-biting 19-14 victory over South Africa on Tuesday to set up a rugby sevens semi-final against defending Olympic champions Fiji.

Covid-19 vaccines

Government signs deal with Pfizer for 20 million Covid-19 vaccines

27-07-2021 09:52 After months of negotiations, Health Minister Carla Vizzotti confirms Argentina has signed deal with US pharma giant Pfizer for 20 million Covid-19 vaccines.

Argentina’s 2021 electoral season got officially underway this weekend as the nation’s political parties finalised their line-ups for the upcoming PASO primaries.

MIDTERMS 2021 / PASO PRIMARIES

PASO candidates named as 2021 election race begins

26-07-2021 19:00 Ruling Peronist coalition opts for a unified slate in most key districts; Opposition lines up Diego Santilli v Facundo Manes in Buenos Aires Province and María Eugenia Vidal's list will face others headed by Ricardo López Murphy and Adolfo Rubinstein in Federal Capital.

by James Grainger

Lucas Saucedo surprises María Belén Pérez Maurice with a marriage proposal live on TV.

OLYMPICS

Argentine fencer accepts marriage proposal in front of TV cameras

26-07-2021 13:32 Fencer María Belén Pérez Maurice accepts marriage proposal from long-term partner and coach Lucas Saucedo, live in front of the TV cameras at the Olympics.

In this photo taken on July 09, 2021, a VN-4 armoured vehicle of a special unit of the national police drives along one of the main streets of the Cota 905 neighbourhood after three days of clashes with alleged members of a criminal gang, in Caracas on July 9, 2021.

FEATURE

Life in the crossfire of Venezuela's slums

26-07-2021 13:20 Confrontations between criminal gangs and security forces in some poor neighbourhoods of the Venezuelan capital have left locals fearing for their lives.

Buenos Aires, pictured during the coronavirus pandemic.

Bloomberg

Argentina’s pension fund piles on company bonds as locals baulk

26-07-2021 09:56 ANSES buys long-term corporate debt with eye on infrastructure; Public fund must invest US$2 billion by end of 2023.

The Liniers Cattle Market is moving to Cañuelas, Buenos Aires Province, after more than a century in Mataderos.

PHOTO FEATURE

Liniers cattle market: last memory of a rural Buenos Aires

26-07-2021 08:00 Liniers cattle market prepares to close its doors, ahead of move to Cañuelas, after more than a century in Mataderos.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador speaks during his daily morning press conference in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua State, Mexico.

REGIONAL DIPLOMACY

Mexican president proposes replacing OAS with new institution

25-07-2021 09:11 Andrés Manuel López Obrador proposes replacing the Washington-based Organization of American States with what he called a more independent institution.

politics

Sputniks, dollars and justice: three things we’re missing

24-07-2021 00:38 Over the past few weeks, the so-called “pax cambiaria,” or exchange rate stability, that allowed for a very sluggish decline in inflation and a timid recovery in economic activity has been disturbed by turbulence.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

As I see it

Taking sides in the new cold war

24-07-2021 00:35 Joe Biden wants his country to lead a coalition of the willing to help him wage what, he hopes, will remain a cold war against China, Russia and other autocracies.

by James Neilson

The successive fates of the austral and convertibility would suggest that Argentina’s currency is like Icarus – the closer it flies to the sun, the harder the economy crashes.

AND THAT REMINDS ME…

Mightier than the dollar

24-07-2021 00:34 The successive fates of the austral and convertibility would suggest that Argentina’s currency is like Icarus – the closer it flies to the sun, the harder the economy crashes.

by Michael Soltys

From right to left: Mauricio Macri, Mariano Macri, Franco Macri.

INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO

Mariano Macri: ‘Unmasking Mauricio is fundamental for me’

24-07-2021 00:14 Mariano Macri, the younger brother of former president Mauricio Macri, on their father Franco, SOCMA and why “politics and business life are not compatible.”

by Jorge Fontevecchia

EDITORIAL

Of hats in the ring and Olympic rings

24-07-2021 00:00 Argentina’s dominant coalitions should not be complacent since they need to watch not only their backs but also their sides in the PASO primaries – in both political and geographical terms.

Argentina's athletes fly the flag at the Olympics in Tokyo.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

What we learned this week: July 17 to 24

23-07-2021 23:56 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

President Alberto Fernández and Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof watch a member of the public be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Coronavirus pandemic

More than half of population now vaccinated with one dose

23-07-2021 23:48 More than half of Argentina’s population has now been vaccinated against Covid-19, but the landmark was this week overshadowed by concerns over a lack of supply of Sputnik V vaccine shots.

Aerial view of a lagoon that turned pink due to a chemical used to help shrimp conservation in fishing factories near Trelew, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina, on July 23, 2021.

environment

Industrial waste turns Patagonian lake into pink lagoon

23-07-2021 21:05 Pollution of a Patagonian lake with a pink industrial fluid provokes alarm among local residents, as well as controversy among officials.

A calculator app on a phone and greenbacks.

exchange rate

Blue dollar rises to 185, highest price since October

23-07-2021 19:25 Argentina’s currency continues to depreciate in parallel exchange markets; Informal ‘blue’ dollar rate has risen by 17 pesos so far in July.

Covid-19 vaccines

Vaccination extended to minors aged between 12 and 17 with risk factors

23-07-2021 18:40 The Health Ministry announced Friday that its national Covid-19 vaccination programme is being extended to include minors aged 12 to 17 with existing risk factors.

New era in Peru

Victory confirmed, Pedro Castillo must now tackle a divided Peru

23-07-2021 18:05 Leftist union activist Pedro Castillo will take the reins of a deeply divided country after being declared Peru’s president-elect.

Incoming Central Bank chief Miguel Angel Pesce.

Bloomberg

Not even 50% inflation will make Argentina boost interest rates

23-07-2021 16:47 Central Bank rules out increasing interest rates for the foreseeable future, even as currency pressures mount and annual inflation climbs above 50%.

Leftist school teacher Pedro Castillo speaks to supporters from the balcony of the Peru Libre party headquarters in Lima, following the official proclamation of him as Peru’s president-elect on July 19, 2021.

New era in Peru

Pedro Castillo must appease markets to rescue Peru’s economy

23-07-2021 16:15 New leader insists he wants to form a government picked from a broad spectrum. He'll need support as he tries to address a deep economic crisis in a country battered by the coronavirus epidemic.

FOOTBALL: Copa Libertadores

Another chaotic Copa Libertadores clash? Normal service has been resumed.

23-07-2021 16:12 Boca’s brawl in Brazil stole headlines across the continent this week...

by Dan Edwards

Mauricio Pochettino takes a PSG training session.

FRENCH FOOTBALL

Pochettino pens new PSG deal despite tricky start to reign

23-07-2021 16:01 Argentine coach pens a one-year extension to his contract to stay with the French giants until 2023 despite a below-par start to his reign.

Former vice-president Amado Boudou, pictured during a Zoom videoconference call.

CORRUPTION & THE COURTS

Former vice-president Amado Boudou granted parole

23-07-2021 15:33 Argentina’s former vice-president, jailed for crimes related to the irregular acquisition of a major money-printing firm, granted parole after serving two-thirds of his 70-month prison sentence.

Protests in Cuba

US sanctions Cuba for repressing protests, Biden warns more to come

23-07-2021 02:58 US President Joe Biden warns sanctions on Cuba's defence minister and a special forces unit are "just the beginning" of punitive measures against Havana.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a press conferece at the Vila Nova Star Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, on July 18, 2021.

BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO

Echoing Trump, Bolsonaro attacks voting system ahead of elections

23-07-2021 02:51 President Jair Bolsonaro has ramped up his attacks on Brazil's long-established electronic voting system, suggesting he is bracing for defeat in elections next year – and to fight back, analysts say.

Buenos Aires City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta shares a laugh with Deputy Mayor Diego Santilli, during the latter's official launch of his candidacy for deputy in Buenos Aires Province.

PASO PRIMARIES: JUNTOS POR EL CAMBIO

Diego Santilli launches run for deputy in Buenos Aires Province

23-07-2021 01:42 Deputy Mayor presents resignation to City Hall in order to run as an opposition candidate for deputy in Buenos Aires Province. Heading PRO's list in upcoming PASO primaries, he will face a UCR slate topped by Facundo Manes.

Healthcare professionals wait to perform Covid-19 tests on arriving travellers at Ezeiza International Airport.

Coronavirus pandemic

Health Ministry: Argentina has recorded 29 cases of Delta variant to date

22-07-2021 22:54 All but one of the 29 individuals who have tested positive for the Delta variant of Covid-19 on national soil had a recent history of international travel. The other case is someone with an "epidemiological link to a traveller," according to officials.

Foreign Minister Felipe Solá (File photo).

Mercosur in crisis

Felipe Solá: Brazil's 'hostile attitude has killed debate within Mercosur'

22-07-2021 22:01 Argentina’s foreign minister slams Brazilian government during visit to Rio to mark 30th anniversary of nuclear accord between two nations.

Health Minister Carla Vizzotti and Presidential advisor Cecilia Nicolini.

Covid-19 vaccines

Government complains to Russia over Sputnik vaccine delivery delays

22-07-2021 16:29 Argentina complains to Russia about delays in delivering second doses of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in a letter warning of breach of contract repercussions.

In this file photo taken on April 15, 2021, a health worker shows vials of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19, at a vaccination centre at the Tecnopolis park in Villa Martelli, Buenos Aires Province.

Bloomberg

Argentina chides Russia as vaccine delays hurt government

22-07-2021 16:04 Argentina's government complains to Russia over delays in delivering its Sputnik V vaccine, saying the lack of supplies has left country in a “very critical situation.”

Government House in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province.

Bloomberg

Creditors now split over Buenos Aires Province's restructuring offer

22-07-2021 15:54 Buenos Aires Province's creditors are now divided over a US$7.1-billion debt restructuring proposal, signalling that Argentina’s largest province still has work to do to emerge from default.

Brazilian transgender Rochelly Rangel, 34, poses for a picture at the Boleia Bar, where she works as a waitress, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 15, 2021. After 15 years looking for a job with a formal contract, Rangel has landed not one, but two jobs after attending an extension project of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) focused on training transgender people and transvestites in the bar and restaurant business. She explained "I work in a women's bar, where I'm an attendant. I know what a struggle it was to get here, we need a formal non-heteronormative job market".

LATIN AMERICA

Trans workers breaking barriers in Brazil

22-07-2021 09:58 A growing number of training programmes aimed specifically at transgender people are helping workers break through barriers in Brazil.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

INDEC: Economic activity in May fell 2% from previous month

21-07-2021 22:00 Argentina's economy grew 13.6% in May year-on-year, but declined 2% on the previous month, reports INDEC.

View of the bus of the Argentine football team Boca Juniors, detained by the Brazilian military police after the brawls at the end of last night's Copa Libertadores match against Brazil's Atletico Mineiro in Belo Horizonte, on July 21, 2021. Players and staff of Boca Juniors left the Belo Horizonte police station at noon this Wednesday, where they spent the whole night to give a statement after the incidents that took place at the end of the match against Atletico Mineiro.

boca's brazil brawl

Boca Juniors players released by Brazilian police after attack

21-07-2021 21:35 Boca Juniors players and officials were released by Brazilian police on Wednesday after 12 hours being questioned following a brawl at the end of their clash with local side Atlético Mineiro.

President Alberto Fernández (centre), Interior Minister Eduardo de Pedro (right) and Women, Gender and Diversity Minister Elizabeth Gomez Alcorta (left) pose for a picture with non-binary people after presenting the new nomenclature for the National Identity Document (DNI) at Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, on July 21, 2021.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Argentina issues first non-binary national identification documents

21-07-2021 20:41 Argentina became the first country in Latin America to recognise non-binary gender identities in its national identification cards and passports on Wednesday.

Formal employment in the construction industry fell by 3.9 percent during 2019, a year in which there was a drop in that economic activity.

BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS

Economy posts sharpest decline in a year in May

21-07-2021 18:17 Argentina’s economy posted its worst decline in a year in May as the government implemented another strict lockdown and a temporary ban on beef exports cooled the business climate.

Supporters of the Peruvian left-wing presidential candidate for Peru Libre party, Pedro Castillo, protest in front of the National Jury of Elections building in Lima, on June 09, 2021.

Peru election 2021

Peru president-elect wants government of all political persuasions

21-07-2021 16:17 Peru's left-wing President-elect Pedro Castillo revealed on Tuesday he would be looking to form a pluralistic government in his first remarks to reporters since his election was confirmed.

View of Boca Juniors' bus, after the side's players were detained by the Brazilian military police after brawls at the end of the previous night's Copa Libertadores match against Brazil's Atlético Mineiro in Belo Horizonte, on July 21, 2021.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Boca players questioned by Brazilian police after Libertadores brawl

21-07-2021 15:28 Boca players and staff quizzed by police at visit Belo Horizonte police station after chaotic end to Tuesday night's Copa Libertadores last-16 clash against Atlético Mineiro.

The spokesman of the Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement (Movilh) Oscar Rementeria, 41, poses in Santiago on July 20, 2021. The Chilean Senate votes Wednesday a bill on equal marriage. JAVIER TORRES / AFP

LGBT+ RIGHTS

Chile senators approve gay marriage bill; one step left

21-07-2021 15:21 Senators in Chile passed a long-awaited bill Wednesday authorising same-sex marriage in what gay campaigners hope will be the penultimate step to its final approval.

The Salinas Grandes salt pan in the Andes Mountains.

Bloomberg

Toyota-Panasonic battery venture slashes costs to take on China

21-07-2021 14:53 Materials alone make up 60 percent of the cost of an EV battery and about half of that comes from resources like lithium and cobalt. Finding ways to reduce those expenses is proving increasingly important as surging demand for electric vehicles sends raw materials prices soaring.

Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof.

Bloomberg

Buenos Aires Province reaches debt accord with key holders

21-07-2021 11:52 Buenos Aires Province and creditors reach initial agreement to restructure US$7.1 billion of overseas debt, paving the way for region to emerge from default.

Marcos Galperín, co-founder and chief executive officer of MercadoLibre Inc., smiles during an interview in Buenos Aires.

Bloomberg

MercadoLibre, BigCommerce ally to boost US sales to Latin America

21-07-2021 10:46 MercadoLibre partners with Texas-based BigCommerce Holdings to give the online-shopping software-maker’s web merchants access to a new region.

Fruit and vegetables, pictured for sale at a shop in Buenos Aires.

PRICE RISES

Private firms predict inflation will exceed 48% this year

20-07-2021 19:46 Several inflation projections for this year now top 50% – way above the government's stated target of 29%.

Sergio Chodos, Executive Director for the Southern Cone at the IMF.

INTERVIEW

Sergio Chodos: ‘The fundamental thing is to get out of excessive debt’

20-07-2021 17:03 IMF Executive Director of the Southern Cone was a key member of the committee accompanying Economy Minister Martín Guzmán at the recent G20 summit. “The meeting with Janet Yellen was very good,” he reveals, regarding the US Treasury Secretary.

by Leandro Dario

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, pose for a picture after an interview with AFP at the Hilton Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 19, 2021.

Nuclear tensions

Pause in Iran nuclear talks 'uncomfortable,' says IAEA chief Grossi

20-07-2021 11:45 Stalling of negotiations on Iranian nuclear programme until a new government takes office in Tehran puts the teams of inspectors in an "uncomfortable situation," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.

Leftist school teacher Pedro Castillo raises his arms from the balcony of the Peru Libre party headquarters in Lima, following the official proclamation of him as Peru’s president-elect on July 19, 2021. Leftist school teacher Pedro Castillo was proclaimed Peru's president-elect Monday, six weeks after a polarizing vote of which the results were delayed by claims of electoral fraud from his right-wing rival, Keiko Fujimori.

Peru election 2021

Profile: Pedro Castillo, Peru's next president

20-07-2021 11:15 Fifty-one-year-old far-left trade unionist Pedro Castillo was largely unknown in Peru until he led a national strike four years ago. Today, he is the country's next president.

Picture made available by the Peruvian national press agency Andina showing right-wing presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori speaking to the press at the Fuerza Popular party’s headquarters in Lima on July 19, 2021.

Peru election 2021

Third Peru presidential defeat is least of Keiko Fujimori's problems

20-07-2021 11:09 After falling at the final hurdle for the third time running, Keiko Fujimori stands to lose a lot more than just her dream job: she may also be deprived of her freedom.

Supporters of Pedro Castillo celebrate in downtown Lima following the official proclamation of him as Peru’s president-elect on July 19, 2021.

Peru election 2021

Castillo declared Peru's next president, Fujimori backs down

20-07-2021 10:53 Pedro Castillo finally confirmed as Peru's next president, six weeks after polarising vote. Rival right-winger Keiko Fujimori says she will recognise result "because it is required by the law and the constitution."

Buenos Aires City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta departs a press conference at a school in the capital, accompanied by members of his team, including City Education Minister Soledad Acuña.

Coronavirus pandemic

City Hall: Children will return to schools in August with normal timetables

19-07-2021 17:12 Buenos Aires City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta announces "gradual, careful and progressive" plan to return 700,000 students to in-person classes as schools.

In this file photo taken on August 28, 2016, an Israeli woman uses her iPhone in front of the building housing the Israeli NSO group, in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv.

spyware scandal

Reports: Private Israeli malware Pegasus used to spy on journalists, activists

19-07-2021 11:46 Activists, journalists and politicians around the world have been spied on using mobile phone malware developed by a private Israeli firm, reports said over the weekend.

On Cuba, Joe Biden said his administration is checking whether it can resume Internet service restricted by the regime, but he didn’t offer a more expansive plan to respond to some of the biggest street protests in years.

GEOPOLITICS

Latin America turmoil intrudes in Biden’s focus on China, Europe

19-07-2021 11:29 US President Joe Biden says his foreign policy focus is on China and frayed alliances in Asia and Europe. But his administration is finding it harder to avoid getting pulled into Latin America’s problems.

Pedestrians walk along Watling Street, on so-called 'Freedom Day', in the City of London, England, on Monday, July 19, 2021.

'FREEDOM DAY' IN ENGLAND

England lifts Covid curbs as scientists warn of surge in cases

19-07-2021 11:21 British government lifts pandemic restrictions on daily life in England, scrapping all social distancing rules in a step slammed by scientists and opposition parties as a dangerous leap into the unknown.

Argentina’s Health Ministry authorised the purchase of 10,000 polished wooden phalluses and other items for sex education purposes

SEX EDUCATION SPENDING

Health Ministry defends purchase of 10,000 wooden phalluses

19-07-2021 06:00 Health Ministry's approval of purchase of 10,000 polished wooden phalluses, condom dispensers and other items raises attention online. Items, estimated to cost more than 13 million pesos, will be used for sex education purposes.

Officials from AMIA and families of the victims of the terror attack, 27 years ago, hold an online commemorative event to reiterate their call for justice. Usual celebrations were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

AMIA BOMBING: 27 YEARS ON

Families reiterate call for justice on 27th anniversary of AMIA bombing

18-07-2021 15:38 Families of the victims of the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre renewed their demands for justice Sunday as they marked the 27th anniversary of the horror attack.

opinion and analysis

Geopolitics and the ideological populism of Macri and Cristina

17-07-2021 11:23 Beginning to leave the Macri-Cristina grieta in the rearview mirror is a necessary condition for progress.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

Cuba and the United States - Art by Joaquín Temes

As I see it

Cuba’s hard-right dictatorship

17-07-2021 11:12 For fanatics, the cause they are devoted to is infinitely more important than anything else, and there can be no doubt at all that, despite the evident failure of the revolution to deliver the promised goods, there are still plenty of fanatics in Cuba.

by James Neilson

AND THAT REMINDS ME…

Facundo Manes: A nerve specialist for a nervous country?

17-07-2021 11:09 Lots of excited talk about Facundo Manes as an electoral game-changer, but has he given any hint as to the concrete policy proposals the opposition should be offering?

by Michael Soltys

Knowledge Economy Undersecretary María Apólito.

INTERVIEW

María Apólito: ‘Argentina must export more intellectual property and patents'

17-07-2021 10:55 Argentina's software industry employs around 120,000 people. The government wants to raise that figure to half a million by 2030. Biotechnology and satellites targeted as other areas of high potential, says government’s Knowledge Economy Undersecretary María Apólito.

by Leandro Dario

A field, sown with soy, in Buenos Aires Province.

AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT

Is Argentina’s soy boom over?

17-07-2021 10:44 Driven by incentives and environmental concerns, farmers are choosing maize and wheat over what used to be Argentina’s star grain crop.

by Jorgelina Hiba, Diálogo Chino

Economist, ex-economy and foreign minister, lawmaker and former Central Bank chief Domingo Cavallo spoke to Perfil co-founder Jorge Fontevecchia in an exclusive interview.

INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO

Domingo Cavallo: ‘It'd be good if the government had a bad election’

17-07-2021 09:18 Economist, former government minister and ex-Central Bank chief warns that Argentina’s economy is “very badly oriented” and calls for a “major reorganisation.”

by Jorge Fontevecchia

INTERVIEW

María Eugenia Vidal: 'Today I feel I'm the candidate of the entire coalition'

17-07-2021 08:54 Ex-Buenos Aires Province governor discusses Juntos por el Cambio, unity and her decision to launch a congressional run in the nation's capital.

by Ezequiel Spillman

Copa América

Argentina overcome odds in Brazil – and inspire hope for future

17-07-2021 00:37 Victory over Brazil in the Maracanã represented a rare moment of joy in these troubled times – and the Albiceleste’s Copa América triumph will raise hopes ahead of Qatar 2022.

by Dan Edwards

Protesters rally outside the Cuban Embassy in Belgrano, Buenos Aires, earlier this week.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

What we learned this week: July 10 to 17

17-07-2021 00:28 A selection of stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

Workers bury a victim of Covid-19 at the Chacarita cemetery in Buenos Aires.

EDITORIAL

Horrors, errors and a hundred thousand lost

17-07-2021 00:24 Errors can always be corrected but the dead will not return.

'Boliviagate'

Mauricio Macri faces probe over alleged ammunition shipment to Bolivia

17-07-2021 00:13 Prosecutor Claudio Navas Rial opens investigation, following government complaint against a number of former Mauricio Macri administration officials.

Covid-19 vaccines

United States donates 3.5 million Moderna vaccines to Argentina

17-07-2021 00:01 United States confirms donation of 3.5 million Moderna vaccines to Argentina, with first shipment expected to arrive on Saturday.

Vice-President and Senate president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner addresses the court during a hearing on the Iran-Memorandum of Understanding case on July 16, 2021.

COURTS

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner demands dismissal of Iran MoU case

16-07-2021 23:51 Vice-President calls for trial against her on charges of covering up the involvement of Iranian leaders in the 1994 bomb destruction of the AMIA Jewish community centre to be quashed, branding it "a judicial and political scandal."