Argentina’s public transport
system got more expensive
this week, as buses and trains
saw the first of three scheduled
hikes. Transport Minister
Guillermo Dietrich announced
the measure on Thursday, noting
that rates for the metro/
Subte will remain fixed until
April. The “progressive” rate
hike will put a higher burden
on wealthier neighbourhoods
of the Buenos Aires metro area,
where the SUBE ticketing network
is in place. Those travelling
long distances and changing
from one form of transport
to another will also get
discounts. For now, toll booths
on bike lanes aren’t expected...
UNION LEADERS
GET TO WORK
Two-thirds of the “triumvirate”
running Argentina’s
unions, under the “structure”
of the CGT (General Confederation
of Labour), called
for a massive mobilisation on
February 22 to protest President
Mauricio Macri’s labour
and previsional reforms. Hugo
Moyano, union strongman virtually
in charge of the truckers’
union (Camioneros), is leading
the battle against the government
after a sustained armistice
with Macri’s government.
As judges close in on Moyano
and his son Pablo for alleged
foul play in their management
of Independiente football club,
the Camioneros leader spoke
this week of persecution, while
claiming that if he ended up behind
bars, he’d like to be “in the
cell next to Macri’s father’s.” At
press time, Camioneros was
looking to reschedule its protest
as family members of the
victims reminded them it coincided
with the anniversary of
the Once train crash tragedy.
CAMBIEMOS PLAYS COPS
AND ROBBERS
On the same day that public transport tarrifs
rose, Mauricio Macri and his government
drew the press and TV cameras lenses toward
the Casa Rosada, where the president hosted
Buenos Aires province police officer, Luis Chocobar.
Shown off as the example of a good policeman
by both the president and Security Minister
Patricia Bullrich (in another of those crowdaround-the-protagonist
impromtu press conferences
that Argentina’s media outlets seem to
love so much), Chocobar has been splashed
across the media after he shot an 18-year-old who
was robbing a US tourist in La Boca. The alleged
robber later died. While much of the messaging
of the media show was far from subtle, Cambiemos
did drop its game face on the Judiciary independence,
with Bullrich and Macri promising
to give Chocobar the legal support in court he
needs and City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta
leading the criticism of the judge handling the
case. So much for judicial independence.
IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY...
In damage control mode, the government announced
this week that direct family members
of the Executive and its Cabinet were barred
from holding jobs with the state. The move
came after a scandal erupted in the Labour
Ministry, as the former maid of Minister Jorge
Triaca ended up with an official designation.
Macri’s decree requires all relatives to be out
by February 28, and was followed by a slew of
resignations, including Interior Minister Rogelio
Frigerio’s father, who published a letter
denying his represented a case of nepotism. It
wasn’t immediately clear if relatives would be
allowed to continue their business dealings
with the state.
GUNS, THREATS AND SUBS
Coach Cristian Neira of the Escuela Presidente
Roca club, a regional lower division
team in Córdoba province, quit yesterday after
midfielder Cesar Pagani pulled a gun during
training and demanded to be included in the
starting line-up.Emeterio Farias, president of
the Córdoba Soccer League said: “The coach
quit. The player threatened him with a gun
during training. There’s another kid who is
playing (in the starting line-up) and the coach
thinks he is better, and he has the right to decide
who plays.” Farias said Neira decided not to
press charges out of fear, but said he reported
the incident to the police. “I hope the authorities
do something. A guy like this cannot be
free,” Farias said. “We can’t allow the violent
(people) to push us around.” Agreed.
PERFORMANCE
AS PROTEST
Ballet dancers took to the
streets of the capital this
week (pictured left) with an
open-air performance to protest
government funding cuts.
About 80 dancers, choreographers,
and other workers
of the state-funded National
Dance Ballet lost their jobs in
December under government
austerity measures. Thursday’s
protesters performed pirouettes
to Swan Lake, blocking traffic
on Avenida Callao but causing
onlookers to break into cheers
and applause. “Culture, education
and health are pillars
of a nation and a society,” said
Manuela Bruno, 28, one of
the troupe’s dancers. “So the
cutbacks shouldn’t start there,
or perhaps never happen at all.”
Protesting dancers stretched
and warmed up at the barre
amid honking cars before their
performance and hung a long
rope with ballet slippers on a
downtown street. “By cutting
the ballet, the government is
not going to save a lot of money,”
said Matias Carugati, an economic
analyst with Management
& Fit. “But the government has
to always think: Where should
I cut money from? The ballet?
Retirees? Public employees? It’s
trying to cut from what is less of
a priority.”
MASCHERANO:
‘PONY BROTHER’
Hebei China Fortune’s new
signing, Argentine legend
Javier Mascherano already has
a nickname from Chinese Super
League (CSL) fans: “Pony
Brother.” Chinese fans branded
Carlos Tevez “Very Homesick
Boy,” but it seems they have an
altogether fonder nickname for
his fellow Argentine. Mascherano,
33, left Barcelona last week
for the Chinese Super League.
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