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.
POLITICS & POLICY Justice minister backed as critics slam gender diversity remarks 28-08-2024 15:10 Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona criticised after declaring that Milei administration “rejects the diversity of sexual identities that do not align with biology.”
Disappearance of Loan Danilo Peña Two months since Loan disappeared – how the case continues 14-08-2024 12:11 Seven people remain in jail accused of a link to the boy’s abduction, while Judge Cristina Penzo hears key testimony from the boy’s relative.
Disappearance of Loan Danilo Peña Aunt of missing five-year-old child Loan testifies he was ‘run over’ 29-06-2024 15:23 Confession delivers unexpected twist in missing child case; Loan Danilo Peña, last seen two weeks ago, was “run over” by ex-Navy officer Carlos Pérez and ex-municipal employee María Victoria Caillava, says aunt; Police believe body may have been buried in cover-up.
CRIME & SECURITY ‘All available resources’ deployed in search for find missing five-year-old 27-06-2024 18:14 Unsuccessful search for Loan Danilo Peña in Corrientes Province amid suspicions of child-trafficking; “Culprits” will pay, declares Patricia Bullrich as lead suspects are moved to jails in Salta and Chaco; President Milei meets Security minister for update on search.
Disappearance of Loan Danilo Peña Milei dispatches security minister amid furore for missing child 25-06-2024 22:59 Patricia Bullrich announces national government will lead the search and investigation for Loan Danilo Peña, the five-year-old boy who went missing 12 days ago in Corrientes Province.
DIPLOMACY Mondino pushes back on reports her time as foreign minister is nigh 12-06-2024 17:13 Argentina's top diplomat Diana Mondino insists she retains the support of President Javier Milei and expresses confidence government's 'Ley de Bases' reform bill will be approved by Congress.
POLITICS Officials close ranks behind Pettovello as pressure builds 06-06-2024 20:51 Leading figures in government close ranks behind embattled Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello; President Milei backs ‘best minister in history’ as foodstuffs scandal rumbles on.
HELICOPTER TRAGEDY Iran mourns death of president, foreign minister in helicopter crash 20-05-2024 09:51 Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead on Monday after search and rescue teams found his crashed helicopter in a fog-shrouded mountain region. Killed alongside Raisi were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and seven others.
FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY Argentina reinforces desire to deepen ties with 'natural partner' EU 07-05-2024 15:33 Foreign Minister Diana Mondino has told the European Union's top diplomat that she wants to deepen Argentina's "strategic relationship" with its "natural partner."
DIPLOMATIC ROW Spain slams Milei's claim that PM Sánchez is delivering 'poverty and death' 04-05-2024 10:51 Leaders of Argentina and Spain caught in war of words; Government in Madrid rejects claims from President Milei's office that PM Sánchez is delivering "poverty and death" – a response to slurs of drug use.
POLITICS Crisis at Human Capital Ministry: abrupt exits and resignations 24-04-2024 16:18 Legal Secretary Maximiliano Keczeli not the first from Sandra Pettovello’s inner circle to quit post, but he is perhaps the most important figure to have stepped down. Milei’s ‘protective umbrella’ and administrative overspills. by Ramón Indart
AMIA BOMBING PROBE 'Illegal': Iran slams Argentina bid to arrest minister over AMIA attack 24-04-2024 15:21 Tehran condemns "illegal" Argentine request for Interpol to arrest Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi over his alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires.
AMIA BOMBING INVESTIGATION Argentina seeks arrest of Iranian minister over 1994 AMIA bombing 23-04-2024 23:11 President Javier Milei's government calls for Interpol to assist in the arrest of Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, in connection with the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre in 1994.
FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY Diana Mondino heads to China, Europe on investment quest 23-04-2024 20:52 Argentina’s foreign minister will set off on Sunday for a 10-day tour of China, France, Belgium and Portugal, accompanied by a “large business delegation.”
human rights & judiciary Justice minister working on bill to lower age of criminal responsibility 04-04-2024 21:17 Mariano Cúneo Libarona posts on social media showing he had begun work on a bill that aims to lower the age of imputability so that minors can be sentenced from the age of 14.
ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ‘Impossible to hide’ differences with Russia, says Armenia's top diplomat 30-03-2024 18:00 Armenia’s Ararat Mirzoyan highlights security challenges and provides further evidence that Yerevan is embarking on geopolitical realignment; Foreign minister denies nation will look to join NATO. by James Grainger
CRIME & SECURITY Bullrich unveils new protocol for federal forces, relaxes rules on use of weapons 14-03-2024 11:00 Security Minister outlines new protocol for federal security forces, which will allow officers to shoot in order to prevent a criminal from escaping; "We don't want more Chocobar cases," declares Bullrich in reference to notorious 2017 incident.
HUMAN RIGHTS Venezuela suspends UN rights office, expels staff 15-02-2024 16:27 Two days after the United Nations agency expressed "deep concern" over the detention of a prominent rights activist, Venezuela's Foreign Minister ordered staff at the rights office to leave within 72 hours.
FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY Milei closes off tour with Italian president, PM encounters 12-02-2024 15:18 President Javier Milei meets with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, eyeing “new stage” in bilateral ties.
Politics Milei crowns Caputo as super-minister, granting him greater power 03-02-2024 06:32 President Javier Milei has left in his economy minister’s hands all the areas managed by former Infrastructure minister Guillermo Ferraro. Today, Luis Caputo is one of the most influential people in the libertarian leader’s government. by Gonzalo Martínez
POLITICS Milei’s office confirms resignation, closing of Infrastructure Ministry 27-01-2024 19:25 Infrastructure Minister Guillermo Ferraro will resign due to “personal reasons,” confirms president’s office.
POLITICS President Milei sacks Infrastructure Minister Guillermo Ferraro 25-01-2024 22:34 Infrastructure Minister Guillermo Ferraro asked to resign post amid reports he leaked information from Cabinet meetings, local media reports.
POLITICS & ECONOMY Chainsaw Plan Round 2: Government looks to deepen austerity 14-01-2024 10:19 Economy Minister Luis Caputo assures that there has been no fiscal shock so far in Argentina and that there is still room for further tightening. If President Javier Milei’s ‘Omnibus law’ does not pass through Congress, cutbacks will continue for state personnel, with cuts in overtime, the freezing of salaries, and the non-renewal of expiring contracts. by Juan Pablo Kavanagh
Politics Spokesperson, leader, political partner – Milei emboldens Bullrich with power 26-12-2023 14:51 Argentina’s president has granted more power to Patricia Bullrich, his former presidential rival turned Cabinet ally; In addition to speaking up on security issues, Milei now sees her as an authorised voice to defend his administration. by Ezequiel Spillman
POLITICS Government says it will take away welfare from protesters who block streets 18-12-2023 17:54 Argentina's government warns against street blockades on eve of major demonstration; Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello warns that those who participate and receive welfare support will have it taken away from them.
SECURITY & HUMAN RIGHTS Bullrich clamps down on protest rights with new anti-picket protocol 14-12-2023 21:29 Security minister delivers press conference outlining government’s harsh approach to protests cutting traffic; Outlining host of measures, including severe punishments she warns "there will be consequences" for those attempting to seize control of the street.
MILEI’S GOVERNMENT New Economy Minister Caputo to announce first measures Tuesday 11-12-2023 11:31 Milei’s chief spokesman Manuel Adorni, speaking early on Monday from the presidential palace, didn’t provide a specific time for the announcement, confirming the measures are expected for the next day.
POLITICS Milei appoints Bullrich's VP candidate Luis Petri as defence minister 04-12-2023 16:44 Office of the president-elect Javier Milei confirms that Mendoza Radical Luis Petri – who formerly ran for vice-president on opposition leader Patricia Bullrich's ticket – will be in charge of the Defence Ministry in his incoming government.
MILEI’S GOVERNMENT Luis ‘Toto’ Caputo returns to fore with unenviable task 30-11-2023 14:54 President-elect Javier Milei confirms that Macri-era finance chief will be tasked with leading Argentina’s economy out of the doldrums and “defusing the bomb that the government is leaving behind.”
CABINET APPOINTMENTS Milei confirms Luis Caputo will be economy minister 29-11-2023 08:19 President-elect says in interview upon return from trip to United States that both the Treasury and the IMF "understand Argentina's problems perfectly” and that ex-Macri administration official Luis Caputo will serve as economy minister.
MILEI’S GOVERNMENT Milei says Luis Caputo has expertise to be economy minister 23-11-2023 14:39 President-elect lauds former Central Bank president Luis Caputo, acknowledging he has the expertise to be the next government’s economy minister.
ELECTION 2023: FALL-OUT Milei says no transition meeting planned as Massa decides to stay on 20-11-2023 18:39 Javier Milei says that "there is no meeting planned" with President Alberto Fernández and says responsibility for period until December 10 inauguration lies with head of state and Sergio Massa, who decides to stay on as economy minister.
BLOOMBERG - ANALYSIS Milei opens a new era: What comes next in Argentina policy-making 20-11-2023 09:25 Milei’s biggest political challenge will be his lack of support in Congress, where his party only counts a minority of senators and a fraction of lower house representatives.
ELECTION 2023: FALL-OUT Report: Economy Minister Massa ‘to take leave of absence’ 19-11-2023 23:59 Argentina’s Economy Minister Sergio Massa will reportedly seek a leave of absence from his post to "facilitate the transition" with President-elect Javier Milei; President Alberto Fernández speaks with election winner and duo agree to meet Monday for talks.
Election 2023 'The results are not what we hoped for' – Massa concedes defeat 19-11-2023 20:41 Economy Minister Sergio Massa pre-empted the publication of provisional results on Sunday night, conceding defeat in the presidential run-off to Javier Milei.
SCANDAL OVER RIVER PLATE Uruguay foreign minister resigns after leaked calls on fugitive drug-trafficker 02-11-2023 15:39 Uruguay's foreign minister resign after the release of recordings in which he allegedly seeks to cover up information involving Sebastián Marset, an accused cocaine-trafficker and subject of an international manhunt.
Middle East Israeli PM announces wartime 'emergency government' with Gantz 11-10-2023 12:24 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu establishes "emergency government" with politician and retired Army general Benny Gantz for the duration of the war.
MINISTER ON CAMPAIGN Massa aims portfolio power at pockets with income tax bill 14-09-2023 13:55 Economy Minister Sergio Massa raises income tax minimum threshold and programme to return IVA value-added tax, just one month before elections; Move means just 80,000 tax-payers will be paying 'ganancias' from October onwards.
ELECTION 2023 Berni alleges Peronist mayors made electoral deals with Milei 30-08-2023 15:35 Buenos Aires Province security minister seems to confirm widespread rumour that Unión por la Patria leaders “assembled" electoral lists for Javier Milei's party.
Guyana & Slavery Family of former British PM apologises for Guyana slave-owning past 27-08-2023 08:45 Descendants of former British prime minister William Gladstone apologise for family's slaveholding past in Guyana and urges United Kingdom to discuss reparations in the Caribbean.
GOVERNMENT MEASURES Argentina fixes oil price at US$56 a barrel to put inflation in check 18-08-2023 14:27 Argentina has fixed the price of oil received by drillers at US$56 as it scrambles to stop inflation getting further out of control after this week’s currency devaluation.
ELECTION 2023 Massa-Rossi: Unión por la Patria’s unexpected unity formula 30-06-2023 06:58 Argentina’s ruling coalition, after talks between Alberto Fernández and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, finally opts for unity and no Kirchnerite name on the ticket – with the president choosing the second name on the ticket. by Rosario Ayerdi
ELECTIONS 2023: PROFILE Patricia Bullrich vows crackdown to halt sell-off 14-05-2023 08:06 Argentina is suffering economic carnage – this hard-liner thinks she has the solution.
BILATERAL RELATIONS Fernández and Lula meet in Brasília for trade and financing talks 02-05-2023 20:42 President Alberto Fernández met with Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília on Tuesday, with talks focusing on financing for imports and exports.
Eugenio Burzaco interview City security minister: ‘Tasers will be operational in Buenos Aires by June or July’ 18-04-2023 16:09 Buenos Aires City Security Minister Eugenio Burzaco reveals in an interview that the first shipment of tasers will arrive this month and City Hall hopes to have 100 in use by the end of the year.
ELECTIONS 2023 Aníbal Fernández predicts ‘repression and blood’ if right wins election 13-04-2023 13:58 Argentina’s national security minister says there will be “deaths and streets strewn with blood” if opposition Juntos por el Cambio or libertarian right-wingers win election.
POLITICS City security minister Marcelo D’Alessandro resigns post 23-03-2023 08:44 Buenos Aires City security and justice minister, who has been on leave for three months, resigns following scandal prompted by Lago Escondido leaked chat messages.
DIPLOMATIC SPAT Ecuador and Argentina in diplomatic row over fugitive ex-minister 15-03-2023 10:34 Diplomatic spat escalates after it emerged María de los Ángeles Duarte, a convicted former cabinet minister who had been living in the Argentine Embassy in Quito, had escaped to Venezuela.
FOREIGN RELATIONS & DIPLOMACY Ecuador questions Argentina over ex-minister's escape from embassy 14-03-2023 14:18 Ecuador's government summons Argentina's ambassador in Quito to respond to "inconsistencies" in information provided about the alleged escape from its embassy of a ex-government minister convicted of corruption.