VENEZUELA ELECTIONS 2024 Blacklisted and muzzled, Maduro’s top rival can’t be held down Today 11:25 María Corina Machado has built a powerful, energised citizen movement in Venezuela. How far it can ultimately go is up to Nicolás Maduro.
CRYPTOCURRENCIES Argentina is a record cryptocurrency adopter Yesterday 07:06 The country is trending in cryptocurrency savings as residents look to find ways to protect sayings and face inflation. The risks and how you can protect against them. by Gustavo Winkler
POLITICS Unstoppable Sturzenegger: his arrival in the Cabinet 23-07-2024 17:50 The brand-new Deregulation minister started crossing his peers over his intervention. He wants to release imports of the sector in Health, whereas minister Russo objects to it. In Labour, in turn, he intends for the Casa Rosada to crack down on the CGT General Workers’ Confederation, while secretary Cordero has been opening dialogues with the union. In the area of Education, he is working on an education reform without secretary Torrendell. In Economy he is in synch, though at Casa Rosada they believe there will be a tense calm provided there is no macroeconomic turbulence. by Juan Pablo Kavanagh
BEYOND THE HEADLINES Quasi-fiscal as Milei’s Quasimodo 23-07-2024 15:15 And those liabilities have come to infest the Central Bank via all those bonds issued over the years to shunt the Treasury’s fiscal deficit their way – the Lebacs, Letes, Lecaps, Leliqs, puts and all the rest of them. by Michael Soltys
ANALYSING ARGENTINA Milei’s useless fight against gravity 23-07-2024 15:05 Milei has two economic jobs: lowering inflation and getting the economy going. So far, he is halfway through the first goal and nowhere with the second. All eyes are on Economy Minister Luis Caputo, whose job will be on the line if this latest scheme fails. by Marcelo J. Garcia
POLITICS- ANALYSIS Treason and betrayal 23-07-2024 14:58 The Milei administration is stuck between a rock and a hard place. It needs to deliver economic results, fast. It risks seeing its public support begin to drop, which would reduce the government’s credibility and therefore erode their capacity to enact policy. by Agustino Fontevecchia
AS I SEE IT Trump has remade the GOP 23-07-2024 14:47 Many now think that Trump has put himself on course to win the November presidential election in the United States by a landslide. by James Neilson
Crème de la Crème My BA B-side 20-07-2024 18:36 Some of Buenos Aires’ hidden facets and best spots are unspoiled by tourism – here’s five of my favourites that won’t break the bank. by Vanessa Bell
POLITICS Milei focuses on legislative agenda, including Supreme Court Nominations 17-07-2024 12:54 Government preparing 'Ficha Limpia' (Clean Record) bill and another to lower age of criminal responsibility. by Ramón Indart
POVERTY IN THE CAPITAL Crisis creating 300 more homeless each month in Buenos Aires City 17-07-2024 06:57 The number of people sleeping rough in the nation’s capital is rising by 10% a month, according to Buenos Aires City Security Minister Waldo Wolff. by Ramón Indart
POLITICS Controversial SIDE spy agency to re-open with new 'Señor 5' 16-07-2024 16:45 President Javier Milei's government eliminates AFI federal intelligence agency and restores SIDE national intelligence system; New head of spies has developed his career in the public and private sector, but now face tough task overhauling spy body.
Copa América 2024 Copa victory caps stunning run for Argentina’s golden generation 15-07-2024 15:46 The last three years have been ones to remember for this Argentina team and with this latest victory, they are surely the greatest that this football-addicted nation has ever seen. by Dan Edwards
UNITED STATES Bullet and the ballot box: violent US rhetoric comes 'home to roost' 14-07-2024 10:12 Donald Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt by a gunman at a campaign rally Saturday in a chaotic and shocking incident set to supercharge political tensions ahead of the US presidential election.
ANALYSING ARGENTINA What if Milei is wrong about the economy? 13-07-2024 07:50 Hard currency is the Achilles’ heel of the Milei programme, as it was for his predecessors in office. by Marcelo J. Garcia
BEYOND THE HEADLINES No economising economists 13-07-2024 07:44 The atomisation of economic thinking prevails far beyond the ministerial level in Argentina. by Michael Soltys
As I see it Goodbye to all that, perhaps 13-07-2024 07:32 Like Mauricio Macri before him. Milei is convinced that for Argentina to prosper he and his supporters will have to win the “cultural battle.” by James Neilson
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Milei the preacher 13-07-2024 07:24 For now, President Milei retains his popularity, but it seems as if the model is beginning to run out of steam. by Agustino Fontevecchia
POLITICS & ECONOMY Milei dials back shock therapy to keep Argentina’s inflation in check 12-07-2024 12:44 President Javier Milei is tapping the brakes on his shock therapy programme in a bid to hold on to popular support amid Argentina’s bleak economic reality.
Copa América 2024 Argentina's old masters lead way to Copa América final 10-07-2024 15:04 Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María are enjoying every minute of what could be their international farewell. But thankfully, this Argentina team remains so resilient as to absorb almost any departure, even those two legends. by Dan Edwards
POLITICS & ECONOMY Milei talks unity but shows up division with ‘symbolic’ pact 09-07-2024 15:52 President Javier Milei hails “symbolic of a change in era” as he inks his ‘Pacto de Mayo’ with 18 regional leaders at midnight ceremony in Tucumán. But amid a patriotic show of unity, his tone and absences highlight division. by James Grainger
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Milei under pressure for the first time 06-07-2024 05:59 If the doubts regarding Milei’s capacity to preside over Argentina were tied to governability risk, Caputo’s are connected to credibility risk: it’s difficult to see how the current policy framework can be sustainable in time. by Agustino Fontevecchia
BEYOND THE HEADLINES Staging a coup 06-07-2024 05:54 The historical yardstick of coups d’état has been whether they are successful or not with their authenticity seldom coming into question. Except in Latin America, where magic realism has added that word “autogolpe” to its vocabulary. by Michael Soltys
As I see it The US and Europe in meltdown mode 06-07-2024 05:50 All this political turmoil reflects what is going on beneath the surface. In every Western country, people are dissatisfied with the way things are and fear they could soon get far worse. by James Neilson
Analysing Argentina Milei now needs to fly domestic 06-07-2024 05:31 Provincial governors are getting Milei’s message: that they are largely on their own now and need to adapt. by Marcelo J. Garcia
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME Chef Máximo Togni’s new restaurant is straight from the heart 06-07-2024 05:23 Evelia is the hottest ticket in town and diners are snapping up reservations for the Núñez-based restaurant. Inspired by his beloved Italian grandmother, Máximo Togni’s new establishment is well worth a visit. by Vanessa Bell
POLITICS La Libertad Avanza wants lower voting age in time for 2025 midterms 05-07-2024 16:31 Idea is taking form in the Casa Rosada these days along with the political reform the government plans to launch in the second half of the year. Along with lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 13, the government is evaluating allowing children aged 14 or over to cast ballots in elections. by Rosario Ayerdi
POLITICS Tussle for Peronist protagonism clashes with calls for unity 05-07-2024 15:27 Former presidential candidate Sergio Massa will break his silence on the first Saturday of August with criticism of Javier Milei’s government. Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof continues to raise his national profile, with next year’s battles being brought forward. by Rosario Ayerdi
MERCOSUR TENSIONS Milei chooses bath of conservative affection and rebuffs Mercosur 05-07-2024 11:33 President prefers a safe conservative conference in Brazil to a trip to Asunción for the Mercosur summit and a meeting with Lula.
LOAN CASE Corrientes: the province of lost children 05-07-2024 10:07 The disappearance of Loan Danilo Peña has drawn fresh attention to other children who vanished in the northeastern province of Corrientes and never reappeared. As well as the missing five-year-old, there are at least three other well-known cases from the last 20 years. Argentina is still monitored by the United States given its lack of policies to combat human-trafficking.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS Social indicators cast doubt over Milei's 'catastrophe' averted claim 04-07-2024 13:09 President Javier Milei recently stated that the government’s social policy is “extremely good” and it had help prevent a “catastrophe.” Yet the government's own data and reports produced by private institutions indicate most social indicators have recorded a step backwards since he took office. by Agustina Bordigoni
POLITICS & CONGRESS – ANALYSIS After triumph in Congress, Milei faces challenge of governing 03-07-2024 15:49 Following approval of his ‘Ley de Bases’ reform push, experts say President Javier Milei is now entering a new phase in which the population will demand results.
MARKETS President Milei proves boon and curse for Argentine bank stocks 02-07-2024 11:30 Argentine banking stocks in New York are tumbling as the government slashes interest rates and crimps new borrowing.
OPINION & ANALYSIS From attempted murder to an attempted coup 29-06-2024 04:52 Fernando Sabag Montiel is a consequence of an exhausted political and economic system in Argentina, while Milei has emerged as a response to that same failure. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Beyond the headlines Work in regress? 29-06-2024 04:27 How can having a job continue to be synonymous with making a living if there are around seven times as many people below the poverty line as jobless? by Michael Soltys
As I see it A bad time for politicians everywhere 29-06-2024 04:19 Once upon a time, successful politicians were held in high regard. This is no longer the case. by James Neilson
ANALYSING ARGENTINA Milei, Messi, and how to be the best in the world 29-06-2024 04:16 Milei continues to claim that his ministers are “the best ever.” Until they are not, as his former friend and Cabinet Chief Nicolás Posse can attest. by Marcelo J. Garcia
UNITED STATES ELECTION 2024 Paul Singer is pitching Wall Street's own brand of MAGA 25-06-2024 12:06 Over the past decade, business figures led by hedge-fund billionaire Paul Singer have poured nearly US$200 million into a New York think tank that’s now projecting its own vision for Trump’s America.
As I see it Milei may have to come down to earth 22-06-2024 05:53 When talking high theory, the president is in his element, but he is far less self-confident when it comes to practical matters; he must feel they are beneath him and can be left to his sister. by James Neilson
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Turning-point or anarcho-capitalist illusion? 22-06-2024 05:52 The outsider – who by definition was politically weak – is proving to be more resilient than his more traditional peers. Milei’s emergence in Argentina’s political ecosystem already marks a turning-point. by Agustino Fontevecchia
OPINION & ANALYSIS Poverty has no limit in Argentina 22-06-2024 05:28 Argentina’s food crisis and the profound reasons for structural decay. How we reached the current state of emergency, from the Kirchners to Milei. by Alejandra Daiha
Beyond the headlines All in the family 22-06-2024 05:05 Nepotism is an even more chronic vice of Argentine politics than corruption. And if nepotism requires nephews, these are forthcoming in the Javier Milei administration. by Michael Soltys
ANALYSING ARGENTINA Milei’s future: back to the past? 22-06-2024 05:01 While it is crucial for the government to attract investments from various sources, the nature of the country’s insertion in the global economy will depend on Milei’s alliances. by Marcelo J. Garcia
POLITICS & ECONOMY Congress win pressures Milei to deliver on economic promises 21-06-2024 06:12 Javier Milei’s win in Congress has started the clock ticking. Argentina’s president needs achievements to convince a society that is impatient for economic change that better times are around the corner.
POLITICS & CONGRESS Milei one step closer to ‘superpowers’ after Senate approval 20-06-2024 09:33 Argentina’s Senate last week approved the article permitting President Milei to co-legislate in a broader and less defined sense than granted to any of his predecessors. What the “superpowers” to legislate are and what the prerogatives delegated by Congress imply. by Cecilia Degl'Innocenti
ECONOMY – ANALYSIS Brazil Central Bank daces self-inflicted crisis 17-06-2024 11:57 Brazil’s Central Bank is facing an emergency of its own making that threatens to sabotage years of deft policy making and credibility gains.
As I see it A sea change in the Western world 15-06-2024 06:40 Abandoned to their fate by leading Democrats and socialists, people are turning towards politicians who are willing to take on the system they think has betrayed them. by James Neilson
ANALYSING ARGENTINA Milei at a turning point 15-06-2024 06:34 At this point, six months into office, Milei knows he needs to get something out of Congress, no matter exactly what that “something” is. Progress, not perfection. by Marcelo J. Garcia
Beyond the headlines Right is always right, right? 15-06-2024 06:24 Fragmentation is the name of the game both here and there – Europe’s far right is merely the loudest and most visible. by Michael Soltys
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Javier Milei and a tale of two Caputos 15-06-2024 06:20 President Milei’s administration has inaugurated a novel political dynamic in Argentina: unleashing an attack against their adversaries, almost breaking down any possibility of collaboration, before agreeing at the last second to concessions. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Analysing Argentina Re-election for Milei will require recalibration 08-06-2024 05:56 Investors, domestic and abroad, continue to have hopes that Milei will deliver … They are suddenly seeing red flags everywhere. by Marcelo J. Garcia
Beyond the headlines Friends will not always be friends 08-06-2024 05:49 Professionalism is plunging to new lows under a president who at times seems to take the first half of his self-definition of “anarcho-capitalist” just as seriously as the second. by Michael Soltys
As I see it The country needs a proper civil service 08-06-2024 05:36 Rather than merely slimming down a pathologically obese public sector, it would be far better to concentrate on greatly improving its quality. by James Neilson
POLITICS – ANALYSIS The political commissar, the sister and President Milei’s only friend 08-06-2024 05:32 With the expulsion of Nicolás Posse, Santiago Caputo becomes the only non-family member with a say in President Javier Milei’s inner circle. by Agustino Fontevecchia
POLITICS Frente Joven: Catholic group gains influence in Milei’s government 07-06-2024 17:25 Members of the Catholic group Frente Joven, which raised its profile during the push to legalise abortion in Argentina, are gaining posts in Javier Milei’s government. Posts in the Cults Secretariat, the Human Capital Ministry and Congress. How the scandal of Sandra Pettovello and Pablo de la Torre relates. by Giselle Leclercq
mexico election 2024 Sheinbaum victory: a win for Mexican women? 03-06-2024 13:30 Some in Mexico fear the historic change at the very top will be little more than symbolic when it comes to women's advancement.
POLITICS – ANALYSIS Milei’s punctuated pragmatism and Karina, the hidden genius 01-06-2024 05:59 Karina Milei has emerged as a sort of Machivellian genius, pulling the strings of the government and the political ecosystem with the apparent dexterity of a pro. by Agustino Fontevecchia
As I see it The greatest show on earth 01-06-2024 05:56 Milei is playing the leading part in an imaginative cosmic drama he himself dreamed up in which, backed by heavenly forces, he battles the leftist foes of everything that is good. by James Neilson
Beyond the headlines When the essential is invisible 01-06-2024 05:05 In Argentina, the urgent is forever crowding out the important. by Michael Soltys
ANALYSING ARGENTINA What if Milei has no clothes on? 01-06-2024 05:03 Milei’s economic programme does not have the luxury of letting the flame of hope die out. by Marcelo J. Garcia
POLITICS Milei’s duality: Global leader disconnected from local reality 31-05-2024 17:16 While Milei sees himself waging epic battles against abstract enemies, Argentina’s real problems – like inflation, poverty and unemployment – require practical and effective solutions. by Eduardo Reina
MILEI & THE NEW RIGHT ‘Rockstar’ Milei just loves to travel 25-05-2024 06:52 For the frenetic Milei, there is no time to waste … as long as his public image remains shielded from the vicissitudes of day-to-day life, then the show must go on. by Agustino Fontevecchia
ANALYSING ARGENTINA Gulliver Milei needs to engage with the Lilliputians 25-05-2024 06:23 Even the Lilliputians in Jonathan Swift’s 'Gulliver’s Travels' were clever enough to feed their giant alien visitor before using him for their own advantage. by Marcelo J. Garcia
As I see it Anti-Semitism comes back with a vengeance 25-05-2024 06:04 Though there has never been any shortage of reasons to persecute Jews, the chief one which underlies most others is envy. by James Neilson
FEATURE Norberto Milei: The unknown story of the President’s father 25-05-2024 05:27 How President Javier Milei’s father went from being a bus-driver to businessman. His lost trials for tax evasion and the companies he formed with his daughter, Karina, to manage millions of dollars. The scenes of physical and psychological violence which distanced him from his son. by Juan Luis González
MINING & INDUSTRY Copper frenzy draws mining giants to Argentina after Milei’s reforms 23-05-2024 00:01 Milei government tries to lure global mining heavyweights; President must convince companies that their projects are safe and lay down rules for doing business.
ANALYSIS Argentina has really fallen out with its number two foreign investor 22-05-2024 17:48 The reason why the two sides haven’t buried the hatchet probably comes down to two leaders who stand at opposite sides of the political spectrum and are happy and sufficiently media-savvy to know how to use this drama as a distraction from their problems back home.
POLITICS ‘Gran Fiesta Patria’ – Milei heads to Córdoba without his ‘Pacto de Mayo’ 21-05-2024 21:12 Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni and Córdoba provincial government confirms Governor Martín Llaryora has made “everything necessary” available for head of state – but Javier Milei will not be inking his proposed ‘Pacto de 25 de Mayo’ on Saturday. by Juan Bernaus
FOREIGN POLICY Milei's diplomacy pulls no punches with left-wing leaders 21-05-2024 11:05 Critics say Milei is focused on prioritising diplomatic connections with fellow right-wingers – while lashing out with an undiplomatic tenor at the rest of the world's leaders, to the detriment of Argentine foreign policy.
As I see it Hail to the new populist caudillo 18-05-2024 06:49 Will Milei’s daring experiment work and give Argentina an economy that is at least as efficient as those of what is known as the developed world? Or will the cure he is intent on subjecting it to prove to be so painful that it kills the patient? by James Neilson
ANALYSING ARGENTINA RIGI and the ‘frack, baby, frack’ consensus 18-05-2024 06:15 Argentina is not alone in the region in debating what to do with its resources or how the market and the government should engage with one another. by Marcelo J. Garcia