ALBERTO'S PIVOT TO KIRCHNERISMO Radicalised 06-03-2021 08:11 It is troubling to see how both President Alberto Fernández and certain leaders in the opposition have given up their “post-grieta” posture all too quickly, proving their political and ideological fragility. by Agustino Fontevecchia
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.
ON FACEBOOK´S 17TH BIRTHDAY Facebook and Zuckerberg – one year from adulthood 06-02-2021 09:08 Facebook reached its first million monthly users the same year it was founded, 2004. It reached 100 million just four years later, went on to top one billion by 2012 and currently boasts 2.8 billion monthly active users, or roughly 36 percent of the global population. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Brazil Brazil's Vale to pay $7bn in damages for deadly 2019 dam collapse 05-02-2021 13:28 The Brazilian company responsible for the 2019 collapse of a mining waste dam killed 270 people has agreed to compensate victims and their families and fund socio-economic programs and repair projects in the local area, but victims say the amount should have been higher. by Jordi Miro, AFP
ECONOMIC INDICATORS Pandemic costs sent primary fiscal gap to 6.5% of GDP 23-01-2021 09:59 Fiscal deficit skyrocketed last year to highest since 1993, as the pandemic forced increase in social spending.
ANALYSING BUDGET Budget 2020: 60% used to pay pensions, social plans or subsidies 16-01-2021 08:26 Six out of every 10 pesos in last year’s Budget went to paying for pensions, social plans or business subsidies. Both government and private calculations estimate last year’s primary deficit to be around 6.5% of GDP. by Gabriel Ziblat
SOCIAL MEDIA The fallacy of 'deplatforming' Donald Trump 16-01-2021 08:11 Regardless of whether the decisions made by Mark Zuckerbeg and Jack Dorsey were right or wrong, the Trump ban lays bare the absolute fallacy behind arguments used by the major platforms in the past. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Data journalism How to hunt down a hate group on the Internet 06-01-2021 05:00 In the second of two articles on hate speech and online communication, technology expert Julio López explores how to become involved in the fight against messages of discrimination and prejudice on social networks. by Julio López
ACCUSED OF WRONGDOING Domestic worker scandal puts pressure on INADI chief Donda 05-01-2021 23:10 Victoria Donda, head of the government’s anti-discrimination agency INADI, faces allegations she irregularly employed a maid for several years and then sought to solve problem by offering her employee a social plan or a state job.
Hate & social media Hate groups flourish on social networks in Argentina 05-01-2021 05:00 In the first of a two-part series on hate speech and online communication, technology expert Julio López explores how easy it is for messages of discrimination and prejudice to spread on social networks. by Julio López, via PERFIL
GLOBAL PANDEMIC One million vaccinated but US officials admit rollout behind schedule 26-12-2020 10:02 More than a million US citizens have now received the first dose of their Covid-19 vaccines.
Coronavirus pandemic AMBA moves from 'isolation' to 'distancing'; Fernández talks up vaccine hopes 06-11-2020 21:24 President Alberto Fernández confirms residents in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area will see a loosening of coronavirus restrictions as from next week, while revealing that Argentina hopes to have a vaccine by the end of the year.
US ELECTION 2020 Social media firms on alert for misinformation in US election 03-11-2020 22:41 Social media firms remain on high alert against misinformation and manipulation efforts on Election Day in the United States.
AS I SEE IT The times have certainly changed 24-10-2020 09:40 The egalitarian ethos that is rapidly consolidating itself in many parts of the world has shaped the response to the challenge posed by Covid-19. by James Neilson
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Fernández extends lockdown for further 14 days 24-10-2020 08:13 Attention switches to eight Covid-19 hotspots; City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta unveils new loosened rules for capital.
Bloomberg Guzmán says Argentina mulling changes to tax, social security systems 22-10-2020 01:36 Argentina is considering changes to its tax and social security structures as part of a plan to address economic imbalances, Economy Minister Martín Guzmán reportedly told a group of investors last week.
La Garganta Poderosa ‘We must fight to correct inequality,’ says Messi in rare political interview 16-10-2020 00:46 Argentine footballing superstar criticises prevailing global social inequalities, as he delivers rare political comment in special interview marking 100th edition of La Garganta Poderosa.
PROTESTS IN CHILE Chile's wounded look to referendum, a year on from start of protests 14-10-2020 23:37 A year after the start of Chile's tumultuous social protests and as the country prepares for a landmark referendum, several protesters who suffered eye injuries believe their loss will not be in vain.
BLOOMBERG – OPINION Bolsonaro’s addiction to Covid cash could make Brazil go bust 07-10-2020 16:12 Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's populist push already has some investors smelling fiscal disaster. by Mac Margolis
OBITUARY Argentines mourn loss of Quino, beloved creator of Mafalda 03-10-2020 10:05 Nation in mourning as cartoonist Joaquín Salvador Lavado passes away in his native Mendoza, aged 88.
Global pandemic Quarantine-weary Brazilians head to beaches despite warnings 07-09-2020 08:00 Brazilians packed the beaches and bars this weekend, taking advantage of a long holiday to indulge in normal life even as the Covid-19 pandemic raged on.
EDITORIAL Where there’s a need, there’s a whole lot more than a right 05-09-2020 09:59 Neither respect for the law nor acute housing needs should be denied – and nor should they form the opposing sides of a new grieta.
URBAN PLANNING Buenos Aires adapts tentatively to post-pandemic urban living 05-09-2020 08:29 New public space, pop-up bike lanes and pedestrian-only zones form part of the City's government's plans for the immediate future. But while other global cities are taking bold action during the pandemic, critics say changes in the capital are too few and far between. by Federico Poore
US 2020 Election Facebook moves to target misinformation before election 03-09-2020 11:32 Facebook will place new restrictions on political advertising the week before the United States presidential election as a way of targeting misinformation about Covid-19 and voting.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Brazil hands out so much Covid cash that poverty nears a low 02-09-2020 17:45 Some 66 million people are benefitting from the most ambitious social programme ever undertaken in Brazil, a shocking shift under President Jair Bolsonaro who railed against welfare, dismissed the virus – and now finds himself newly popular.
Global pandemic For Covid-19, what is 'safe distancing'? It depends... 01-09-2020 16:58 One metres or two? Or is it six? When it comes to coronavirus social distancing, there is no single rule of thumb, researchers have cautioned in a study.
COPING WITH CORONAVIRUS ‘Dying alone is not the same as being accompanied’ 29-08-2020 10:10 A growing number of medical facilities in Latin America allow relatives to be with patients dying of the novel coronavirus, clad in face covering, shield and protective clothing against infection.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC City bars and restaurants can serve customers outdoors 29-08-2020 09:48 City Mayor Rodríguez Larreta affims that liberty is being regained “bit by bit” in the midst of the pandemic.
LA GRIETA Argentina’s burnout syndrome 29-08-2020 08:28 The lack of social contact, confinement, and a current state of alert given protracted panic is causing anxiety and cognitively wearing down our population, making the future recovery even more uncertain. by Agustino Fontevecchia
BLOOMBERG - OPINION Latin America infrastructure woes add to inequality 10-08-2020 09:25 The poorest workers and households in the region shoulder an inequitable share of the cost of ramshackle transportation, dirty water, serial power outages and patchy communications. Throw in the coronavirus pandemic, and the plight of those at the bottom is even more dire. by Mac Margolis
AS I SEE IT Culture matters more than computers 08-08-2020 09:51 The technology that provides people with the equivalent of dozens of huge libraries is certainly marvellous, but only those who have already been fairly well educated are able to benefit from having the accumulated wisdom of humankind there at their fingertips. by James Neilson
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC More than 235,000 Covid-19 cases since start of pandemic 08-08-2020 09:46 Government bans social gatherings as virus toll continues to mount and new daily records for both cases and fatalities. Death toll now stands at 4,411.
Coronavirus pandemic Government bans social gatherings in Argentina for next 15 days 02-08-2020 22:42 Health Access Secretary Carla Vizzotti confirms ban on social gatherings in all parts of the country until August 16, amid surge of Covid-19 infections and fatalities.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Dr. Maureen Birmingham: ‘This is an opportunity to transform Argentina’s health system’ 18-07-2020 09:29 The World Health Organisation and Pan American Health Organisation’s representative in Argentina explains how the UN agency is providing support to officials and what post-pandemic changes need to be made to the health system. by Jennifer Heiman & Anina Hoffman
POLITICS & THE PANDEMIC Coalitions under stress 18-07-2020 08:37 Political rivals are accusing each other of being “haters” – but of course, one person's hater is another person's hero. The pressure, however, is not just external. by Martín Gambarotta
SOCIAL NETWORKS Biden, Gates, other Twitter accounts hacked in Bitcoin scam 15-07-2020 23:34 Unidentified hackers spark chaos after breaking into Twitter accounts of technology moguls, politicians, celebrities and major companies in an apparent Bitcoin scam.
THE WEEK What we learned this week: July 4 to July 11 11-07-2020 08:39 Stories that caught our eye over the past seven days in Argentina.
EDITORIAL Apocalypse now 11-07-2020 08:27 Quarantine saves thousands of lives but lockdown spells meltdown – both these truths are irrefutable and yet completely in conflict despite the efforts to present this as a false dilemma.
POLARISATION AT WHAT PRICE? Argentina: Great at failing miserably at democracy 11-07-2020 08:19 What level of tolerance to dissent are we willing to accept? And at which point does the discussion about who thinks what shut out the underlying debates we should be having? by Agustino Fontevecchia
Coronavirus pandemic CIPPEC: Central Bank main source of Treasury financing during pandemic 20-06-2020 10:27 The Central Bank has become the main source of Treasury funding during the pandemic crisis, passing from 3% to 40% of the total in the past year, the CIPPEC think-tank has revealed.
MINISTRY POSITIONS Four ambitious females for Fernández’s Cabinet 13-06-2020 10:21 PAMI is huge, serving some 4.5 million pensioners and accounting for 70 percent of all public hospital payments since the elderly obviously have more health problems. Its total budget is some US$7.7 billion. by Michael Soltys
Coronavirus pandemic Virus deepens economic crisis as poverty soars 13-06-2020 08:58 Number of Argentines receiving food aid since crisis began has gone from 8 million to 11 million, according to officials.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Pandemic will peak in Argentina ‘at end of June,’ says minister 30-05-2020 09:35 Health Ministry officials confirm 717 new infections, taking total confirmed cases above 15,000. To date, 520 fatalities have been recorded from Covid-19.
FEATURE-LENGTH INTERVIEW Ginés González García: ‘This is not a dictatorship of the infectologists’ 30-05-2020 08:34 Three-time health minister, veteran doctor and specialist in public healthcare, Ginés González García is leading the country’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In an interview with Jorge Fontevecchia, he discusses the lockdown, the hunt for a vaccine and what comes next for Argentina. by Jorge Fontevecchia
QUARANTINE BREACH Eight arrested after police raid orthodox Jewish wedding in Once 26-05-2020 16:07 Eight people – the bridal couple, the rabbi and five of the 150 guests, including the parents of the couple and the best man – were arrested by police after breaching quarantine to host wedding.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Pandemic intensifies isolation of Huarpe children in Mendoza 16-05-2020 09:27 The Huarpe, numbering little over 1,000 and scattered across 11 communities, live in a remote part of Mendoza Province. For them, social distancing – the only known preventive weapon against coronavirus – is the almost the norm.
THE PANDEMIC: A GLOBAL VIEW Bryan In-ho Kim: ‘People need to get used to social distancing in daily life’ 16-05-2020 07:49 Dr Bryan In-ho Kim, senior researcher at Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), discusses the methods that helped South Korea achieve remarkable results in the fight against Covid-19. by Jorge Fontevecchia
Coronavirus pandemic In Brazil, coronavirus hits blacks harder than whites 08-05-2020 09:33 Poor access to care, very exposed jobs, precarious housing: black Brazilians are being hit hard by the new coronavirus, which throws light on racial inequalities in the country, since they represent the majority of the population.
Bloomberg - Opinion Helicopter money won’t ease Latin America’s pandemic pain 08-05-2020 09:25 Along with Covid-19, a fever of wonkery has broken out over how to reverse the collective economic contraction and to carry on once the health emergency has passed. As the worst of the pandemic is yet to come. by Mac Margolis
Life during quarantine In Latin America, face masks become a form of expression 07-05-2020 12:51 Rarely used in Latin America outside hospitals before the coronavirus pandemic hit hard, face masks are now compulsory in many countries — and they're becoming a colourful part of daily life and cultural expression.