News of argentina

Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia, the head of AFA.

AFA legal case: The claims investigated by judges that put Tapia under pressure

Today 06:44 The courts are investigating football authorities for holding back money, its Qatar 2022 World Cup prizes and fraudulent financial movements; AFA chief Tapia has been summoned and slapped with restrictions on leaving the country.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Ironies of FATE

Today 06:05 Tensions between the liberal right and the nationalistic right could start to make themselves felt here.

by Michael Soltys

Editorial

The lion roars tomorrow

Today 06:01 Let us hope that President Milei takes a newly favourable Congress seriously and presents a solid agenda for the parliamentary year ahead.

AS I SEE IT

The ‘indispensable nation’ goes AWOL

Today 06:01 Team Trump’s members think that, unless the Europeans adopt a turbocharged version of the policies they recommend, they could disappear from history before the present century has run its course.

by James Neilson

POLITICS – ANALYSIS

Milei: Dominant in decay

Today 06:01 The improved macroeconomic situation must eventually translate into better opportunities for a majority of the people.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

Senator Patricia Bullrich, leader of the rulling party senate bloc, and senator Luis Juez vote the juvenile criminal justice reform before the debate on the labor reform promoted by Argentina’s President Javier Milei at the Argentine Congress on February 27, 2026.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Major victory for Milei as labour modernisation bill clears Congress

Yesterday 23:06 Argentina’s Congress approves ruling party’s Labour Modernisation Bill after weeks of protests and negotiations; Flagship bill will loosen existing rules, reduce severance pay and lower employer taxes, among other measures.

A demonstrator holds a sign that reads in Spanish 'The Glacier Law Is Not To Be Touched' during a protest against glacier law reform outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

MINING & GLACIERS

US$40-billion copper boom hinges on revamped glacier law

Yesterday 20:25 Argentina’s Senate voted on Thursday on Javier Milei's bill that would allow governors – many pro-mining – to overrule federal protections on glaciers and their surrounds, known as periglacial areas.

La Libertad Avanza Senator Patricia Bullrich.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Congress votes to lower age of criminal responsibility to 14

Yesterday 19:29 Milei and La Libertad Avanza notch up another legislative win in special Congress sessions; New juvenile penal regime will lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14, down from the present age of 16.

Fans of River Plate display a flag in honour of head coach Marcelo Gallardo during the Argentine Professional Football League 2026 Apertura Tournament match between River Plate and Banfield at the Mas Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on February 26, 2026.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Stories that caught our eye: February 20 to 27

Yesterday 18:21 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

A farmer prepares a combine harvester during a sunflower harvest on a farm in Droizy, France, on Thursday, September 22, 2022.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU advances with Mercosur trade deal in ‘provisional’ step

Yesterday 17:53 French President Emmanuel Macron, a critic of the EU-Mercosur deal, calls the decision a “bad surprise” at an event in Paris.

A view of the National Congress building.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Senate approves Milei’s weakening of glacier protection law

Yesterday 14:06 Argentina’s upper house approves Milei-backed overhaul of landmark 2010 law, bill now heads to lower house; Greenpeace activists detained during protest outside Congress.

Football in Argentina

From glory to grind - ‘El Muñeco’ bows out as costly comeback unravels

Yesterday 09:42 Never go back, they say; Marcelo Gallardo is just the latest top coach to find out the hard way.

by Dan Edwards

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a statement on the EU-Mercosur agreement at the European Commission In Brussels, on February 27, 2026.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU says it will provisionally apply contested Mercosur trade deal

Yesterday 08:31 European Union announces it will implement provisionally its mammoth trade deal with the Mercosur trade bloc while waiting for a top court's ruling on its legality.

YPF NATIONALISATION CASE

US backs Argentina in discovery fight in US$18-billion YPF case

Yesterday 07:59 US government has previously backed Argentina in the case, urging courts not to allow the plaintiffs to seize majority stake in YPF.

President Javier Milei, pictured during the inauguration of the 143rd ordinary session of Congress at the National Congress building in Buenos Aires on March 1, 2025.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Milei to outline reform push in Congress speech

26-02-2026 21:37 Riding high off approval of EU-Mercosur deal and progress on amendments to Glacier Protection Law, President will address Legislative Assembly – and the nation – in a primetime speech Sunday night.

Misoprostol is a medication that induces uterine contractions and is one of the two drugs recommended for safe medical abortion in early pregnancy.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Court intervention puts abortion drug supply under scrutiny

26-02-2026 18:34 Federal court orders Health Ministry to publicise a collective constitutional amparo action seeking to guarantee access to abortion.

by Barbara Komarovsky

GOVERNMENT INFIGHTING

Victoria Villarruel’s coup

26-02-2026 18:18 Purple officials interpret Villarruel’s stance as part of her strategy to seek a new political umbrella, since Milei will be seeking re-election next year with another running-mate.

by Javier Calvo

Argentina's Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno takes a picture next to the board displaying the approved vote on the free-trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur at Congress on February 26, 2026.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Senate approves EU-Mercosur trade deal by huge majority

26-02-2026 16:42 Lawmakers in Argentina ratify sweeping trade deal between Mercosur and European Union, hours after Uruguay did the same; Senate follows lower house approval with huge majority vote, 69 in favor, three against.

Ten Greenpeace activists were arrested on Thursday after staging a toilet-themed protest on the steps of Congress over a bill potentially authorising mining in areas with glaciers.

ENVIRONMENT

Activists arrested at protest over Milei's attempt to water down glacier protection law

26-02-2026 15:46 Twelve activists from environmental NGO Greenpeace arrested during a protest at Congress against potential reform of Glacier Protection Law.

The Buenos Aires Stock Exchange (BCBA) headquarters in the financial district of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Monday, September 8, 2025.

MARKETS

Argentine stocks are left behind as earnings growth eludes Milei

26-02-2026 13:42 Investors have lauded Milei for slashing fiscal spending and slowing Argentina’s rampant inflation, but those successes are yet to translate into a durable surge in profits.

latin america

IDB: Uber drivers in Latin America are educated men earning US$7/hour

26-02-2026 08:25 Uber drivers in Latin America and the Caribbean are overwhelmingly male, most have a high rate of university education and tend to take on the work part-time.

MILEI IN AMERICA

Argentina Week: Milei takes governors to Wall Street in investment drive

25-02-2026 23:54 President to headline Argentina Week event in New York; Roadshow to gather global CEOs, top bankers and provincial leaders; Eight governors to join trip as government promotes RIGI and monetary overhaul.

The former Escuela Superior de Mecánica de la Armada (ESMA), created in 1928 to train naval officers and sailors, was the largest detention, torture and extermination camp operated by Argentina’s genocidal former military officers who are still being tried today by civilian courts.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights office could be moved from ex-ESMA on eve of 50th coup anniversary

25-02-2026 16:11 President Javier Milei’s government analysing moving Argentina’s Human Rights Department from ex-ESMA clandestine detention centre to offices of now defunct Women, Gender and Diversity Ministry; Move would take place in the same month as the 50th anniversary of the 1976 coup, according to reports.

Opposition deputies argue with Lower House Speaker Martín Menem during a session at the National Congress in Buenos Aires on February 19, 2026.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Dealing with taxes, eliminating the PASO primaries – Milei’s agenda for coming months

25-02-2026 13:01 La Libertad Avanza believes that there is more than enough margin to continue implementing changes which they describe as “structural.”

Buenos Aires City Mayor Jorge Macri presents preliminary crime data from the 'Map de Delitos 2025' in February 2026.

Crime & Security

‘All crimes in Buenos Aires have fallen,’ says City Mayor Macri

25-02-2026 12:32 Buenos Aires City mayor says his administration has taken “a political decision to enforce the law” and that, as a result, all crimes in the capital have decreased.

Argentina’s Gabriela Cabezón Cámara and Brazil’s Ana Paula Maia were selected for the initial longlist of 13 titles in the running for the International Booker Prize.

LITERATURE

Argentine and Brazilian writers among finalists for International Booker Prize

25-02-2026 11:53 Gabriela Cabezón Cámara’s 'Las niñas del naranjel' (“We Are Green and Trembling”) nominated for slot on the 2026 shortlist; Chaco-based novel revisits colonial history through a bold and unsettling lens.

FOOTBALL

‘You feel a bit ignorant’ – Messi’s regret over not studying English

24-02-2026 19:30 Argentina captain and Inter Miami forward says he “had the time to study” and regrets “a lot” not having done so earlier.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Economic activity rose 4.4% in 2025 year-on-year, reports INDEC

24-02-2026 19:16 Bureau’s estimator of economic activity records 3.5% year-on-year increase for December 2025, 1.8% increase compared to November.

CRIME & INSECURITY

Crime down in capital: Murders, robberies, carjackings fall to historic lows in Buenos Aires

24-02-2026 18:42 Homicide rate dropped to 2.5 per 100,000 inhabitants last year, making Buenos Aires the second-safest capital in the Americas behind Ottawa, Canada.

by Federico Perez Vecchio

Trucks carrying grain for export from wheat fields near Rosario, Argentina.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Economy expanded more than expected after midterm election

24-02-2026 18:07 Argentina’s economy grew more than expected in December due in part to a historic wheat harvest.

SENASA National Agricultural and Food Health Service.

POULTRY INDUSTRY

Argentina detects bird flu outbreak, suspends exports

24-02-2026 17:13 Animal health authorities confirm outbreak of bird flu at facility in Buenos Aires Province, leading to the temporary suspension of exports.

Road safety

Motorcyclists account for almost half of Argentina’s road deaths

24-02-2026 15:43 Data shows around 46% of those killed in road traffic accidents are motorcyclists. High accident rates among youth and a lack of oversight from shuttered key road safety bodies set alarm bells ringing.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Peronist senators break off from main caucus

24-02-2026 08:17 At least three Peronist senators break ranks; PJ leader Cristina Fernández de Kirchner cannot stop the haemorrhage.

Football in Argentina

Marcelo Gallardo resigns as River Plate coach, ending disastrous second spell

23-02-2026 22:04 Marcelo Gallardo officially confirms his resignation as River Plate's head coach in a surprise video; Farewell match at home to Banfield this Thursday.

The headquarters of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in Buenos Aires City.

CLUBS v GOVERNMENT

Argentina's top flight suspends matches over tax probe into AFA chief

23-02-2026 20:54 Argentina's top flight will not play next weekend in protest as clubs choose solidarity with Argentine Football Association (AFA) chief Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia over ongoing tax fraud probe.

Members of the lower house Chamber of Deputies attend a session to debate labour law reforms at the National Congress in Buenos Aires on February 19, 2026.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Milei government eyes criminal and labour reform in key week

23-02-2026 18:07 Reform of Juvenile Penal Code, Milei’s administration’s labour modernisation bill and the ratification of the EU-Mercosur agreement are the priorities at the close of extraordinary Congress sessions.

POLITICS

Top Milei official says VP Villarruel ‘not part of our administration’

23-02-2026 17:25 Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni says Vice-President Victoria Villarruel is not involved in policy-making and “is not part” of Javier Milei’s administration.

ECONOMY – ANALYSIS

Dismissals, trial periods and litigation – key changes in Javier Milei’s labour reform bill

23-02-2026 15:53 Argentina’s government wants to reduce labour litigation, but lawyers warn that the changes in dismissals, trial periods and litigation could have the opposite effects to those sought by the government.

by Gabriel Zorrilla

Football in Argentina

Gallardo and River: Is the end of a painful second act drawing near?

23-02-2026 14:48 After three straight league defeats and mounting pressure, Marcelo Gallardo’s return to the Monumental is turning sour.

This image shows El Helicoide -a facility and prison owned by the Venezuelan government and used for both regular and political prisoners of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN)- in Caracas on January 8, 2026.

HUMAN RIGHTS

More than 200 political prisoners in Venezuela launch hunger strike

22-02-2026 22:59 More than 200 Venezuelan political prisoners go on hunger strike to demand their release under a new amnesty law that excludes many of them.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Hidrovía – time and tide

21-02-2026 06:05 A pro-market government keener on export-led than consumer-led growth and committed to opening up Argentina is nevertheless singularly indifferent to the infrastructural pillars of growth, sacrificed to an obsessive fiscal surplus.

by Michael Soltys

POLITICS – ANALYSIS

Libertarian victories as Milei keeps quiet

21-02-2026 06:00 The passing of a series of bills shows a new push for pragmatic negotiation in order to attain political consensus, which was one of the major issues of the first two years in office. Yet it feels like the political ecosystem is far from finding common ground.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

EDITORIAL

Labour's love lost

21-02-2026 00:24 Analysis of the Labour Modernisation bill’s 200-plus articles was largely reduced to the “error” of halving sick leave pay – entirely typical of a modern compulsion to simplify complex issues for mass consumption.

Football in Argentina

Racism is wrong and it must be removed from our game

20-02-2026 22:17 While the ostrich approach has served its purpose so far, at some point the sport will have to stand up and take action against a phenomenon which is bringing it into disrepute.

by Dan Edwards

EU-MERCOSUR AGREEMENT

EU-Mercosur deal: Europe puts brakes on, Argentina pushes pedal to the metal

20-02-2026 19:29 Europe claims to defend free trade but is legislating automatic braking mechanisms for its ill-at-ease farming sector. European multilateralism has a rhetorical conviction but also electoral memory.

by Eduardo Reina

FOOTBALL

AFA denies tax debts and criticises inquiry into Tapia

20-02-2026 19:02 Tapia has been barred from leaving Argentina by a judge.

Demonstrators are hit by a water cannon fired by riot police during a protest called by trade unionists against the labor reform debate taking place in the National Congress in Buenos Aires on February 11, 2026.

The Week in Review

Stories that caught our eye: February 13 to 20

20-02-2026 19:00 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

First responders stand at the entrance of the Superior Gendarmerie School in Buenos Aires on February 20, 2026, after a mail package exploded. Three people were injured on February 20 by the explosion of a mail package at the Superior Gendarmerie School in Buenos Aires.

LETTER BOMB ATTACK

Three injured in letter bomb blast at school in Buenos Aires, say police

20-02-2026 16:19 Three people were injured Friday after a mail bomb exploded at the Superior Gendarmerie School in Buenos Aires.

A screen shows the vote of deputies during a session to debate labor law reforms at the National Congress in Buenos Aires, early on February 20, 2026.

POLITICS & ECONOMY

Lower House passes Milei’s flagship labour reform

20-02-2026 10:30 Despite last-minute changes, Javier Milei's labour reform still stands to be one of the biggest overhauls to Argentina’s economy in decades.

INTERVIEW

Paraguay’s Peña backs Trump’s new Monroe Doctrine in Latin America

20-02-2026 01:03 Latin America stands to benefit from Donald Trump’s greater involvement in the region, says Paraguayan leader.

Presidential Chief-of-Staff Karina Milei, Interior Minister Diego Santilli and Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni pose for a photo as they arrive at the Chamber of Deputies during a session to debate labour law reforms at the National Congress in Buenos Aires, early on February 20, 2026.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Milei's labour reform bill clears lower house, advances to Senate

20-02-2026 00:56 Lower house approves labour reform after stormy session; Bill heads to Senate following nationwide protests and CGT general strike.

Lower House Chamber of Deputies in session.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Strike pauses nation but fails to stop Milei's labour reform in lower house

19-02-2026 23:57 Lawmakers in lower house vote in favour of President Milei's flagship labour reform bill; National strike and protests fail to stop reform push.

PROTESTS

Clashes between police and protesters near Congress

19-02-2026 20:18 Incidents around Congress; police disperse demonstrators with water cannon. Demonstrators from the CGT, both CTA labour groupings and leftist sectors..

POLITICS & CONGRESS

New juvenile penal regime clears Senate committee

19-02-2026 20:02 Proposal would raise the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 14 and reform a dictatorship-era law to create a special new regime for minors.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Government removes controversial Article 44 to secure labour reform passage

19-02-2026 19:52 Bullrich admits labour reform “error” in not differentiating between serious and minor illnesses.

ENVIRONMENT

Argentine Church leaders reject bid to change glacier protection law

19-02-2026 19:29 The Episcopal Commission has urged legislators to act with “inter-generational solidarity” and listen to scientists and local communities before moving forward with any change.

The president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) Claudio Tapia gestures while attending the FIFA Trophy World Tour ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, in Buenos Aires, on February 19, 2026.

GRAFT INVESTIGATION

AFA chief Tapia barred from leaving country in tax probe

19-02-2026 19:04 Court bars Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia, the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), from leaving the country and summons him to testify in a tax evasion case.

A worker at the Elseg S.r.l. factory in Villa Constitución, Santa Fe Province.

FEATURE

Milei’s labour reform runs up against reality of struggling steel towns

19-02-2026 18:13 President Javier Milei promises his flagship labour reform is the next step in his effort to remake the economy. Few places need that more than Villa Constitución, making it a barometer of the change ahead.

ENERGY & GAS

YPF chief readies war chest for shale push as Milei bolsters oil

19-02-2026 16:59 YPF SA is setting aside funds to keep spending in the fast-growing Vaca Muerta basin, says Horacio Marín.

A demonstrator holds a banner reading 'Let the labour reform burn' outside the Congress building.

POLITICS & LABOUR

Striking workers slow down Buenos Aires with labour reform protest

19-02-2026 16:52 Thursday's general strike against Milei administration’s labour reform promoted by Argentine had "significant" support and around 90% compliance, say union leaders; Debate on the bill continues in Congress.

President of Argentina Javier Milei, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on February 19, 2026 in Washington DC.

FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY

Milei offers troops for Gaza as Trump launches his 'Board of Peace'

19-02-2026 14:08 Inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" created by US President Donald Trump; President Javier Milei offers Argentine peace-keeping troops for deployment in Gaza Strip.

A pensioner walks in front of the Argentine Congress in Buenos Aires on February 18, 2026.

POLITICS & LABOUR

General strike begins: Protest against Milei's labour reforms underway

19-02-2026 01:38 CGT-led general strike against Milei's labour reform; Union leaders aiming to "paralyse" the country; No buses, trains, flights or underground trains in response to lower house debate.

The Nicos I.V. oil tanker, sailing under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, is seen alongside other tanker vessels in the port of Matanzas, Cuba, on February 17, 2026.

CUBA CRISIS

How Latin American countries are responding to Cuba's oil crisis

19-02-2026 00:01 US oil embargo on Cuba has drawn varied responses across Latin America, ranging from offers of aid and political support to silence.

Riot police fire rubber bullets at demonstrators during a protest called by trade unionists against the labour reform bill debate taking place in the National Congress in Buenos Aires on February 11, 2026.

POLITICS & THE PRESS

Milei government warns journalists about ‘risk’ of covering protests

18-02-2026 23:05 Security Ministry issues warning that “with the aim of reducing situations of risk, [the press] is recommended to avoid positioning themselves between possible hotspots of violence and the security forces."

SL Benfica's Argentine forward Gianluca Prestianni hides his mouth while arguing with Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior who complained about alleged racists insults during the UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on February 17, 2026.

Football racism row

Argentine youngster in eye of racism storm after Vinicius accusation

18-02-2026 18:54 Benfica’s 20-year-old winger Gianluca Prestianni, a youth star who has already made his national team debut for Argentina, faces a UEFA investigation after Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior alleged he was racially abused during a heated Champions League clash in Lisbon.

freedom of the press?

Government limits press coverage at labour reform protest

18-02-2026 17:58 Argentina’s Security Ministry, led by Alejandra Monteoliva, intends to confine reporters to a designated area ahead of a massive strike by the CGT union grouping; Milei administration warns covering incidents could amount to “self-endangerment”; Press watchdogs SIPREBA and ACERA reject move.

by Giselle Leclercq

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Open skies policy lifts Argentina to top of regional air traffic rankings

18-02-2026 17:52 Country records region’s fastest growth as passenger numbers jump 13.2 percent; Passenger numbers hit 33.3 million last year amid expanded international routes.

PRESIDENT ON TOUR

Milei travels to US for Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ meeting

18-02-2026 17:47 President will attend the first edition of new Trump-led council that aims to resolve conflict in the Middle East.

Workers of tyre company Fate gather during a protest against the announcement of the company's closure and the dismissal of more than 900 employees, in Virreyes, Buenos Aires province, on February 18, 2026.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Nearly 22,000 companies lost under Milei, construction hit hardest

18-02-2026 14:57 Official data show a net loss of 21,938 employers since November 2023, alongside a fall of almost 291,000 registered jobs; Construction bore the brunt amid public works freeze, while a third of recent closures involved firms less than three years old.

A worker of Argentine tyre company Fate stands atop the roof of the plant during a protest against the announcement of its closure and the dismissal of more than 900 employees, in Virreyes, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, on February 18,

COMPANY SHUTS DOORS

More than 900 jobs lost as major tyre-maker announces closure

18-02-2026 14:06 Argentine tyre manufacturer Fate announces immediate and definitive closure of industrial plant, leaving 920 employees redundant; News comes as Milei administration seeks to push through major labour reform bill; Government orders emergency talks over firm’s shuttering.