News of latin america

William Maloney, chief economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank.

Latin America’s fiscal policies risk inflation, World Bank says

Yesterday 18:25 Fiscal imbalances could threaten Latin America’s success in taming inflation, warns top World Bank economist.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

US$5-billion delivery app Rappi sweeps Latin America

Yesterday 15:13 Delivery app Rappi has transformed the e-commerce landscape with lightning-fast deliveries, positioning itself as a US$5.25-billion market leader across Latin America.

President Arce Inaugurates Bolivian State Oil Company's New Biodiesel Plant

ENERGY & GAS

Bolivia natural gas shortage sends economy teetering

Yesterday 13:57 Bolivia's once powerful natural gas industry is now on the verge of collapse as a result of a lack of investment and maintenance. The fall of the state-supported industry has sent shockwaves through Bolivia's economy.

FINANCE & BUSINESS

MercadoLibre posts record Argentina sales amid consumer rebound

Yesterday 13:27 MercadoLibre says it’s seeing signs of a consumption rebound in Argentina after a difficult start to the year.

Elon Musk (left) and Alexandre de Moraes.

SOCIAL MEDIA CLASH

Musk’s X pays millions to Brazil in fines, but funds were sent to wrong account

07-10-2024 12:39 Elon Musk’s X social network pays millions of dollars in fines to Brazil for failing to comply with a series of court orders – but the funds were sent to the wrong account and had to be immediately redirected.

A man walks by on his bicycle in front of the San Miguel Arcangel Cathedral in the historic center of Tegucigalpa.

Arrest in Honduras

Honduras arrests environmentalist's suspected murderer

07-10-2024 11:52 Juan López was shot dead on September 14, and the day before his death he called a press conference for the resignation of the Tocoa mayor who was caught on video negotiating with drug traffickers.

Lithium fields that are mined to provide much desired materials to produce batteries.

Economy

Rio Tinto makes approach to buy lithium producer Arcadium

07-10-2024 07:57 Rio Tinto group, world’s second-largest miner, makes preliminary move to acquire Arcadium Lithium, producers with operations in Argentina, China, Canada and Australia.

A soy harvest at a farm near Senador Guiomard, Acre state, Brazil.

AGRICULTURE & ECONOMY

Global food prices risk spiking on worst-ever drought in Brazil

06-10-2024 09:47 The worst drought in Brazil’s history is jeopardising coffee, sugar and soybean crops. Dead vegetation is giving way to fires, sending greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and disappearing more of the Amazon rainforest.

River Plate's Monumental stadium in Núñez, Buenos Aires City.

COPA LIBERTADORES

River's Monumental stadium to host Copa Libertadores 2024 final

05-10-2024 09:02 Iconic stadium in Buenos Aires selected as venue for Copa Libertadores final, the region's most important club football competition.

OPINION & ANALYSIS

The real Nayib Bukele – and his relationship with Javier Milei

04-10-2024 11:09 Despite this week’s attempts to play up ties between their two nations, there are remarkable differences between the presidents of El Salvador and Argentina.

by Eduardo Reina

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Macron says free-trade deal with Mercosur is unfair for local farmers

02-10-2024 16:48 French President Emmanuel Macron again criticises Mercosur-European Union free-trade deal with, saying accord would put European companies and agricultural workers at a disadvantage.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron sit down for a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin on October 2, 2024.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Germany's Scholz urges swift conclusion to EU-Mercosur trade deal

02-10-2024 12:11 "The Mercosur agreement is groundbreaking for diversifying and strengthening the resilience of our economy," states German chancellor as he appeals for a swift conclusion to long-stalled trade deal.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Scholz makes fresh plea for speedy conclusion to Mercosur talks

02-10-2024 11:55 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes a fresh appeal for a swift conclusion to talks over "groundbreaking" EU-Merocosur trade deal.

South America Solar Ecplise

Solar eclipse to create rare 'ring of fire' over South America

02-10-2024 11:34 South American and other Southern Hemisphere countries will bear witness to an annual solar eclipse that will create a rare “ring of fire”.

Mexico's new President Claudia Sheinbaum delivers a speech after receiving a ceremonial staff from indigenous peoples at the Zocalo Square in Mexico City on October 1, 2024.

NEW GOVERNMENT IN MEXICO

Claudia Sheinbaum takes office as Mexico's first woman president

01-10-2024 21:55 Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in Tuesday as Mexico's first female president, replacing her popular predecessor and close ally Andrés Manuel López Obrador as head of state in the world's most populous Spanish-speaking nation.

Argentina's President Javier Milei gestures next to El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele on the balcony of the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires on September 30, 2024.

International Relations

President Milei hosts El Salvador leader Bukele at Casa Rosada

30-09-2024 17:26 President hosts Nayib Bukele at Casa Rosada for talks on energy, trade and security, among other topics.

This aerial view shows smoke billowing from a forest fire affecting the Brasília National Park in Brasília on September 16, 2024. Brazil is suffering the effects of a multiplication of fires from north to south in the midst of an extreme drought linked to climate change. Smoke clouds cover a large part of the territory of Latin America's largest country—"up to 80%” last week—according to Karla Longo, a researcher at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

ENVIRONMENT

Brazilians choke as fire smoke blankets 80% of country

30-09-2024 16:44 Brazil is suffering the effects of a multiplication of fires from north to south in the midst of an extreme drought linked to climate change.

Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab speaks during a press conference at the Public Prosecutor's Office in Caracas on September 30, 2024.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

Venezuela seeks arrest of Argentine judge who ordered plane seizure

30-09-2024 15:45 Venezuela says it will seek the arrest of the Argentine judge who authorised the seizure of a cargo plane in Buenos Aires two years ago.

Migrants get ready to get off the boat on arrival at the Temporary Reception Centre for Migrants in Lajas Blancas, in the jungle province of Darien, 250 km east of Panama City, Panama, on September 26, 2024.

Crisis in Venezuela

No choice: Braving the Darien jungle to flee Maduro's Venezuela

30-09-2024 11:28 Many migrants see no choice but to flee Venezuela in the wake of President Nicolás Maduro’s re-election, embarking on an perilous crossing of the Darien jungle in a desperate bid to reach the United States.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado holds a Venezuelan national flag as she gestures from atop a truck during a demonstration to protest over the presidential election results, in Caracas on August 3, 2024.

Crisis in Venezuela

Venezuela opposition leader Machado wins top European rights prize

30-09-2024 11:04 Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado wins Council of Europe's Vaclav Havel rights prize; Award comes less than a day after her security chief was arrested for the second time this year.

POLLING

President's popularity drops – how he ranks against regional leaders

27-09-2024 16:30 Milei’s image falling: in three months, it went down 9.3% in ranking of South American presidents; New CB Consultora poll put Argentina’s President sixth in list of regional leaders.

Wildfires are seen in San Marcos Sierra, Córdoba province, on September 23, 2024.

The Week in Review

Stories that caught our eye: September 20 to 27

27-09-2024 12:43 A selection of stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

Women hold a sign claiming justice during a rally to demand the release of youngsters captured during protests after the disputed July 31 presidential election at the Public Prosecutor's Office in Caracas on September 26, 2024.

Crisis in Venezuela

US, Argentina, allies urges pressure on Venezuela's Maduro

26-09-2024 19:42 US Secretary of State called for pressure on Venezuela’s President Maduro to dialogue with opposition Edmundo González Urrutia after disputed presidential election.

Politics & Economy

Leftist Uruguay presidential candidate pledges to achieve primary fiscal surplus

25-09-2024 18:12 Uruguay’s leading presidential candidate, Yamandu Orsi of the opposition Frente Amplio coalition, says he will aim for primary fiscal surplus by the end of his term if he wins the October election.

Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's president, during a press conference at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Brazil, Spain struggle to shake criticism as Maduro enablers

25-09-2024 18:06 At a recent United Nations gathering, Brazilian President Lula and Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez faced scrutiny for their ambiguous stance on Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela.

EU-MERCOSUR AGREEMENT

President Milei talks Mercosur trade deal with EU's Ursula von der Leyen

25-09-2024 15:09 Argentina's head of state meets with President of the European Commission after his presentation at the UN General Assembly, with Ursula von der Leyen stressing "deep bonds and strong values."

Otilia Ante, mother of retired Colombian military officer Alexander Ante, prays next to a makeshift altar at her home in Popayan, Cauca department, Colombia, on September 12, 2024.

WAR IN UKRAINE

How two Colombians wound up in a Russian prison after fighting in Ukraine

25-09-2024 12:02 Retired Colombian military officers José Medina and Alexander Ante vanished on July 18 in Venezuela, just before their connecting flight to Bogotá. The next time they were seen a video released by Russia's FSB security service.

Supporters of former Bolivian President Evo Morales wait for his arrival during a rally against President Luis Arce in La Paz on September 23, 2024.

Protests in Bolivia

Ex-president Morales issues Arce 24-hour ultimatum to shake up cabinet

24-09-2024 17:54 Former president Evo Morales advanced on Monday towards La Paz with thousands of followers, part of a tense protest that began a week ago against the government of Luis Arce, his former ally.

ENVIRONMENT

Soda Stereo rocker Charly Alberti named UN environment ambassador

24-09-2024 14:46 Musician Charly Alberti, drummer with the legendary Argentine band, signs up as regional ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

President Javier Milei and Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro.

COURTS & HUMAN RIGHTS

Court in Argentina orders Maduro's arrest for crimes against humanity

24-09-2024 08:45 In a historic ruling, Argentina's justice system requests arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and around 30 others for alleged crimes against humanity. Interpol red alert issued for his detention.

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY

Lula seeks to lead push for global AI rules during Brazil’s G20

23-09-2024 17:33 As the planet’s largest economies struggle to forge consensus on the future of artificial intelligence, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to ensure the developing world isn’t left out of the debate.

ROW WITH VENEZUELA

Venezuelan court issues arrest warrant for President Milei, top officials

23-09-2024 13:46 Venezuela's highest court approves warrant for the arrest of Argentina's President Javier Milei over alleged "theft" of plane seized in Buenos Aires.

Members of the FARC dissident group Segunda Marquetalia march on a farm in Llorente, a rural area of the port city of Tumaco, Nariño department, Colombia, on August 31, 2024.

Colombian Cartels

Colombia rebel group imposes control in restive coca zone

23-09-2024 11:31 Guerrillas from the FARC dissident group Segunda Marquetalia, currently engaged in complex peace negotiations with the Colombian government, have taken control of southwestern region of Nariño.

UNREST IN VENEZUELA

Argentina, six other nations ask UN to probe ‘serious rights violations’ in Venezuela

21-09-2024 07:28 United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres voiced concern to President Nicolás Maduro about alleged human rights violations in Venezuela on Friday in a telephone conversation.

Edmundo González Urrutia on the campaign trail.

CRISIS IN VENEZUELA

EU Parliament recognises Maduro rival as Venezuela president

19-09-2024 16:25 Edmundo González Urrutia wins more international support; María Corina Machado calls on Nicolás Maduro to accept terms of negotiation for "a democratic transition."

A cannabis farm in Willow Creek, California.

URUGUAYAN ECONOMY

Pot companies are fleeing Uruguay, first nation that legalised marijuana

19-09-2024 16:14 Uruguay led the international wave of legalising marijuana over ten years ago. However, the cost of production and lack of business today has many companies rethinking their decision and fleeing to take their business elsewhere.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Stock

HUMAN RIGHTS

UN mission says Venezuela repression was crime against humanity

19-09-2024 12:52 Venezuela committed a “crime against humanity” with its persecution of dissidents after July’s election, according to a United Nations report.

Aerial view of firefighters working on a fire outbreak in a rural area of Corumba, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil on June 26, 2024.

ENVIRONMENT

Fires in Brazil engulf two-thirds of the country in smoke

19-09-2024 10:31 Brazil is experiencing record-breaking wildfires as persistent drought affects the Amazon rainforest. Two-thirds of the country is under smoke, and fires are reported to have been set by farmers, known as slash-and-burn agriculture.

Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab speaks during a press conference at the Public Prosecutor's Office in Caracas on September 18, 2024.

ARGENTINA-VENEZUELA BILATERAL ROW

Venezuela seeks arrest of President Milei as bilateral ties hit new low

18-09-2024 20:39 Attorney general in Caracas says he will seek arrest of President Milei, Karina Milei and Patricia Bullrich over confiscation of Venezuelan cargo plane; Tarek William Saab accuses Argentina leaders of “genocide” in clampdown on protests in Buenos Aires.

COURTS

NGO, prosecutors in Argentina ask courts to order Maduro's arrest

18-09-2024 15:23 Legal push in Argentina asking domestic courts to issue an international arrest warrant for Maduro, Cabello and around 30 others for crimes against humanity; Complaint is based on the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello holds a US made M4A1 rifle as he speaks during a session at the National Assembly in Caracas on September 17, 2024.

Crisis in Venezuela

Venezuela arrests fourth US citizen over alleged assassination 'plot'

18-09-2024 11:47 A fourth US citizens – who joins three compatriots, two Spaniards and a Czech in being held by Venezuela – has been arrested in Caracas over what Venezuela claims was a plot to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

Couples walk along the esplanade of the Bicentennial Park in the commune of Vitacura in Santiago on September 5, 2024.

CHILEAN SOCIETY

Chile's birth rate plummets as more women say no to motherhood

18-09-2024 11:32 In the past decade, births have fallen by 29% in Chile, which now makes it the country with the lowest birth rate in the Americas.

This handout picture released by Venezuela´s Interior and Justice Ministry shows Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello giving a press conference on September 14, 2024 in Caracas.

Crisis in Venezuela

Washington, Madrid, Prague seek info on nationals held in Venezuela

17-09-2024 16:42 Three US citizens, two Spaniards, and a Czech citizen have been detained in Venezuela on suspicion of plotting to destabilise the country. Nations demand information about detained citizens.

Tension in Bolivia

Bolivia’s President Luis Arce charts exit from financial crisis

17-09-2024 15:17 Bolivian President Luis Arce vows to prioritise fuel imports and debt payments as he navigates the dollar shortage that has taken the nation on the brink of chaos.

Tension in Bolivia

Bolivia President Arce accuses Morales of planning 'coup’

16-09-2024 11:48 Former Bolivian president Evo Morales increases tension in Bolivia by announcing intention to run for highest office again, despite a ban against him. While current president Luis Arce accuses Morales of planning a"coup."

CRISIS IN VENEZUELA

Five foreigners held over alleged plot to 'destabilise' Venezuela

15-09-2024 08:55 Three US citizens, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen have been detained in Venezuela on suspicion of plotting to destabilise the country, announces Maduro administration.

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Spanish Prime Minister's office La Moncloa on September 12, 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez meets with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid.

CRISIS IN VENEZUELA

Venezuela threatens to cut ties with Spain after González Urrutia recognition

12-09-2024 17:29 Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez meets Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia in Madrid as Caracas threatens to cut ties; Argentina warns human rights situation “deteriorating at alarming rate” at United Nations forum.

FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY

Bukele to visit Argentina this month to meet with Milei

12-09-2024 16:51 El Salvador leader will visit his Argentine counterpart in Buenos Aires later this month.

BILATERAL SPAT

Maduro asks Maradona’s spirit to haunt Milei

12-09-2024 14:36 "Diego, can I ask you something? Scare Milei by pulling him by his legs in his sleep,” jokes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during "anti-fascist" Congress in Caracas.

Cocaine backpackers – Four backpackers arrested in Salta were found carrying cocaine.

DRUG-TRAFFICKING

‘Mochileros de la cocaína’ – Rising numbers of drug ‘mule’ backpackers

12-09-2024 13:00 Farm hands, manual labourers and local guides in the north of Argentina are being coopted by criminal organisations for the overland transfer of drugs across the frontier with Bolivia, crossing mountains and valleys without caring about the weather or the visibility.

by Leonardo Nieva

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (L) meets with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia (C) and his daughter Carolina González at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid.

Crisis in Venezuela

Spanish PM meets exiled Venezuelan opposition candidate amid tensions

12-09-2024 11:10 Edmundo González Urrutia has not spoken publicly since he arrived in Madrid seeking political asylum, but on Thursday he met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as tensions mounted with Caracas.

DRUG-TRAFFICKING

Cocaine ‘mules’ arrested in Jujuy with capsules hidden in bodies

12-09-2024 00:54 Bolivian nationals were transporting 323 capsules of cocaine hidden on their person, reports authorities.

ANALYSIS

Alberto Fujimori, emblem of '90s absolutism and corruption

12-09-2024 00:46 Late Peru leader was applauded for recovering Peru's lost economy, but his crimes – of which there are dozens – overshadowed his achievements.

by Darío Silva D'Andrea

Argentina's then-president Carlos Menem poses for a photograph with Peru's then-president Alberto Fujimori.

PERU EX-PRESIDENT

Peru's deeply divisive former leader dead at 86

12-09-2024 00:26 Polarising ex-Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori has died aged 86 in the nation's capital Lima, family reports.

Alberto Fujimori, centre, exits in a car the Barbadillo prison after being released in Lima, Peru.

OBITUARY

Alberto Fujimori, authoritarian behind Peru rebound, dies at 86

11-09-2024 22:15 Former president of Peru oversaw the defeat of Maoist terrorists, tamed hyperinflation and continued to loom large over national politics after being imprisoned for his role in killings by death squads.

Colombia's midfielder James Rodríguez celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Colombia and Argentina, at the Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, on September 10, 2024.

WORLD CUP QUALIFERS

Colombia avenge Copa América loss with victory over Argentina

10-09-2024 19:52 World champions Argentina suffer second defeat of CONMEBOL qualifiers for 2026 World Cup with a James Rodríguez penalty condemning them to a 2-1 loss to Colombia.

PROFILE

Edmundo González Urrutia: from placeholder to opposition pointman

10-09-2024 09:40 Edmundo González Urrutia is a soft-spoken grandfather who spurns the spotlight. But Venezuela's political crisis has thrust him into the crosshairs of Nicolás Maduro's iron-fisted regime.

FREE SPEECH ROW?

Brazil's shutdown of X fans debate over free speech curbs

10-09-2024 09:20 Is Brazil court's shutdown of the X social network a drastic but necessary move in the global fight against disinformation, or just pure censorship?

crisis in Venezuela

Opposition leader María Corina Machado vows to stay in Venezuela

10-09-2024 09:05 Opposition leader María Corina Machado vows to remain in Venezuela after her colleague and ex-presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia took up asylum in Spain.

FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY

Argentina fears for its Embassy as Venezuela takes diplomatic jab at Brazil

09-09-2024 14:49 Argentina has warned Venezuela to respect diplomatic norms amid fears that Nicolás Maduro’s government may attempt to take over its Embassy in Caracas.

Supporters wrapped in Venezuelan flags gather upon the arrival of Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate for the Plataforma Unitaria Democrática party, Edmundo González Urrutia at Madrid's Torrejón de Ardoz military airport on September 8, 2024.

Crisis in Venezuela

Opposition leader González Urrutia flees Venezuela, seeking asylum in Spain

09-09-2024 12:43 After weeks of hiding, Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia heads into exile in Spain; Nicolás Maduro's rival vows to "continue the fight" for freedom and democracy after negotiated exit.

María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition’s leader, during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

Political crisis in Venezuela

Venezuela opposition wants candidate recognised as president-elect

06-09-2024 12:58 Marîa Corina Machado calls on nations across world to recognise candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as president-elect after disputed election.

Omar Paganini, Uruguay’s foreign minister, from left, Diana Mondino, Argentina’s foreign affairs minister, Rúben Ramírez Lezcano, Paraguay’s foreign affairs minister, Mauro Vieira, Brazil’s foreign affairs minister, and Celinda Sosa Lunda, Bolivia’s foreign affairs minister, stand for a group photo ahead of a Mercosur meeting in Asunción, Paraguay, on January 24, 2024.

MERCOSUR TENSIONS

Mercosur-China trade talks must address imbalance, Paraguay says

06-09-2024 11:59 Mercosur would be willing to negotiate a trade agreement with China if it addresses the lopsided commerce between the two trading partners, says Paraguay.

Argentina players celebrate their victory at the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Chile at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on September 5, 2024.

WORLD CUP QUALIFERS

Argentina cruise past Chile in World Cup qualifiers after homage to Di María

06-09-2024 11:44 Alexis Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez and Paulo Dybala were on target as Argentina banked a 3-0 win over Chile on Thursday.

Argentina's Foreign Minister Diana Mondino looks on during the first day of the Mercosur summit in Asuncion on July 7, 2024.

Mercosur trade bloc

Uruguay applauds Argentina’s shift of stance on Mercosur

05-09-2024 13:15 Argentina indicates it is willing to shift its stance on Mercosur trade bloc negotiations, drawing praise from Uruguay.

People surround lit candles forming the words 'Freedom and Peace' during a vigil called by the opposition demanding freedom for political prisoners arrested during protest following the contested re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, August 8, 2024.

Crisis in Venezuela

Human Rights Watch reports ‘widespread’ human rights violations’ in Venezuela

04-09-2024 12:49 Rights NGO highlights "widespread human rights violations" against protesters, bystanders, opponents and critics in Venezuela following the disputed re-election of President Nicolás Maduro.

HOLIDAY SEASON UPON US?

Christmas in October? Venezuela's Maduro moves holiday amid post-election turmoil

04-09-2024 12:06 Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declares he is moving Christmas to October 1 in hopes of boosting morale. Announcing this post-presidential election which the opposition claims he stole.

A view of the Parque Chulavista building, where the house of Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is located, in Caracas on September 3, 2024.

Crisis in Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition leader won’t request asylum despite risk of arrest

04-09-2024 11:02 Edmundo González Urrutia facing legal and political challenges after claiming he won Venezuela’s July presidential elections; Opposition leader has not sought asylum and remains in hiding, despite risk of arrest.

Foreign relations & diplomacy

Argentina joins condemnation of arrest warrant for Venezuela opposition candidate

03-09-2024 12:42 Argentina, United States, European Union and a host of Latin American nations condemn warrant issued by government-friendly prosecutors in Venezuela seeking arrest of opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia.

Tango World Championship 2024 at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires.

the week in review

Stories that caught our eye: August 23 to 30

30-08-2024 17:15 A selection of stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.