BRAZILIAN ECONOMY Brazil 'finfluencers' bring finance to the favelas 17-05-2023 15:05 So-called 'finfluencers,' or financial influencers, are going viral in Brazil, delivering financial education to the masses in a country known for its gaping inequalities.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS UCA: 6 in 10 children and adolescents in Argentina are poor 16-05-2023 15:07 Data from UCA’s influential Observatorio de la Deuda Social indicates that some 8.2 million people aged under 17 were living in poverty at the end of 2022.
SOCIAL MEDIA Brazil court suspends Telegram app in neo-Nazi probe 27-04-2023 13:47 Brazilian court orders nationwide suspension of messaging app Telegram after parent company failed to provide data on neo-Nazis operating on network.
ELECTION 2023 Córdoba leads way as politicians splash cash on social media 26-04-2023 22:59 Data showing the biggest spenders on Meta over the last 90 days reveals huge investments from Córdoba; Schiaretti and Lousteau coughing up the most, though keep an eye on ‘satellite’ accounts used to hide spending. by Julian D'Imperio
DEBT PILE Argentina confirms plans to force debt swap on state entities 23-03-2023 17:08 State banks and ANSES social security agency must swap 100% of foreign bond holdings for peso-denominated debt, decree confirms.
POLITICS Social movements stay off streets for president’s speech to Congress 28-02-2023 15:42 When he delivers his flagship state-of-the-nation speech to Congress on Wednesday, President Alberto Fernández will not be able to count on the support of government-aligned social movements on the streets.
CRISIS IN VENEZUELA 'Food for the soul:' caring for elderly left behind in Venezuela exodus 21-02-2023 10:16 The CONVITE NGO is helping to take care of Venezuela's elderly – thousands of them abandoned amid an exodus of younger people seeking better lives elsewhere, with little help from the country's "precarious" elderly care system.
CLIMATE DENIERS Climate disinformation surges in denial, conspiracy comeback 02-02-2023 16:51 False information about climate change flourished online over the past year, researchers say, with denialist social media posts and conspiracy theories nearly doubling from 2021 to 2022 after US environmental reforms and Elon Musk's Twitter takeover.
Diss Track Shakira and Bizarrap's new song sets social media alight 12-01-2023 17:24 Shakira and Bizzarap set social media ablaze on Thursday night after releasing a song openly aimed at the Colombian artist's ex-partner, Gerard Piqué; New tune has been listened to 34 million times in 17 hours.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS UCA report puts poverty rate at 43.1% 06-12-2022 14:07 More than 17 million people in the country are poor, according to the latest report by the influential Social Debt Observatory of the UCA Catholic university; Figure would rise to 50% without existing state assistance, concludes study.
On 'Fake news' The weaponisation of information in Latin America 22-10-2022 06:00 Disinformation is not new and has been used for millennia. Yet its digital iteration harnesses the power of the Internet which has brought together the largest and most interconnected communications network in the history of humanity. by Agustino Fontevecchia
INTERVIEW Victoria Tolosa Paz sets priorities: ‘There can be no excessive overlap of social plans’ 17-10-2022 17:32 New Social Development Minister is settling into her new office, anticipating a new line for her stewardship. “You’re going to have to go out to work if you want to earn more than a minimum wage,” assures Victoria Tolosa Paz. New official feels that she has the support of all internal sectors within Frente de Todos and that they will only manage to be electorally competitive if they can succeed in “sorting out the lives of those with work and those without.” by Rosario Ayerdi
SOCIAL UNREST Protesters set up camp on Avenida 9 de Julio as picketers demand social aid 27-09-2022 21:49 Militants of the Unidad Piquetera grouping set up tents on 9 de Julio Avenue as members vote to spend the night and extend protest demanding greater social aid from government.
FEATURE Inflation is upending politics in the most unequal region on Earth 15-09-2022 02:22 In Latin America, persistent high inflation is widening the gap between rich and poor in what is already the world’s most unequal region.
ATTACK ON VICE-PRESIDENT Attack on Cristina Fernández de Kirchner triggers misinformation and mistrust 08-09-2022 14:22 As news agencies began transmitting the image of a man pulling the trigger of a pistol aimed at the face of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, social networks were exploding with messages casting doubts about the attack.
NEW MEASURES Argentina seeks to shift all-cash workers into payroll jobs 30-08-2022 15:06 Policy aims to target welfare recipients who opt for informal, all-cash jobs to avoid losing government benefits and persuade them to stay in the system.
Latin America Leader of 2005 Peru uprising released early from prison 22-08-2022 11:16 Peruvian leader Antauro Humala, whose movement seeks to put Indigineous peoples in power, was unexpectedly released from prison. The figurehead of a failed 2005 uprising suggested he will return to politics.
DEMONSTRATION Picketers, social groups stage mock funeral for minimum wage 21-08-2022 10:38 Social organisations and picketers stage mock funeral march for Argentina's minimum wage.
INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO Guy Standing: ‘A basic income is a right of every individual in every society’ 19-08-2022 16:29 British labour economist and University of London professor on unconditional basic income, the poverty trap and the ‘precariat.’ by Jorge Fontevecchia
Brazil Elections Brazil's Bolsonaro gets in spat with heckler 19-08-2022 15:49 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro got into an altercation Thursday with a social media personality who questioned and insulted him, grabbing the man by the shirt and arm after he called the leader a "bum."
PROTESTS & MARCHES Protesters at duelling marches bemoan rising inflation 19-08-2022 14:13 Pro- and anti-government demonstrators take to streets in the capital, demanding greater assistance – be it wage improvements or food aid – as price increases surge.
PROTESTS IN ARGENTINA Social organisations renew demand for greater inflation aid 11-08-2022 09:47 Decision to spend the night in front of the Casa Rosada was taken after an assembly in which Unidad Piquetera leaders declared that their "demands were not heard" in meetings with government officials.
ECONOMIC CRISIS Inflation hits 64% year-on-year, analysts fear worse yet to come 14-07-2022 19:05 No respite from price hikes in Argentina: Inflation hit 5.3% in June, increases totalled 36.2% in first half of this year.
POVERTY 2,800 Argentines slipping into poverty every day, experts warn 23-06-2022 23:20 Private estimates reveal horrifying social data underlining that being employed, whether formally or informally, is no guarantee against being poor. With annual inflation approaching three digits and sustained price increases for food and beverages above the monthly average, family incomes are increasingly falling short. by Gonzalo Martínez
Marcha piquetera Demonstrators spark traffic chaos in capital with march for more aid 09-06-2022 17:04 Picketeers and social organisations brought Avenida 9 de Julio to a standstill on Thursday, sparking traffic chaos in the capital.
NEW REPORT Study: One in four young people in Argentina neither study nor work 24-05-2022 17:27 One in four young people aged between 18 and 24 in Argentina do not study or work, according to a new study.
Cuban Migration Cuban couple's exile reflects disillusioned generation 16-05-2022 17:27 Raúl Prado and Aidana Hernández have now joined thousands of other young well-educated people in fleeing the island nation, where an economic crisis has helped erode hope.
SOCIAL MEDIA SALE Elon Musk’s Twitter Labyrinth 30-04-2022 01:17 Musk claims his intention is to guard Twitter’s role as “the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated” by protecting free speech. To do that he decided to buy the company for some US$44 billion and take it private. by Agustino Fontevecchia
WELFARE & POVERTY Millions relying on food banks and soup kitchens as prices surge 29-04-2022 14:51 More than four million people depend on food banks and soup kitchens to eat in Argentina, and although the country has a well-oiled welfare network, the fight against high prices is tough and uncompromising.
SOCIAL MEDIA TAKEOVER Free speech or hate speech? Fears for Musk's Twitter 29-04-2022 08:56 Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has sealed a deal to buy Twitter for US$44 billion, potentially delivering him personal control of one of the most influential social media platforms on the planet.
PROFILE Elon Musk: smasher of elites or self-serving pragmatist? 29-04-2022 08:49 Critics say his passion for unfettered conversation has often appeared less profound when his own interests have been at stake.
SOCIAL NETWORKS Twitter takeover was brash and fast, with Musk calling the shots 29-04-2022 08:44 It was one of the most frenzied and unpredictable takeover bids ever, with Elon Musk sealing a deal to acquire Twitter within weeks of anyone even knowing he was an investor.
BREAKING NEWS Twitter confirms sale of company to Elon Musk for US$44 billion 25-04-2022 16:16 Docial networking platform Twitter announces it is selling the platform to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk in a deal valued at US$44 billion.
ANALYSIS A bite of the digital apple 23-04-2022 00:01 The problem with Google and Faebook sucking the air out of the digital advertising market is that it has seriously deteriorated the quality of journalism worldwide. by Agustino Fontevecchia
SOCIAL UNREST Amid growing social unrest, inflation soars in Argentina 15-04-2022 00:58 INDEC data published just hours after protesters nationwide demand jobs, food and greater social aid.
FRESH PROTESTS IN CAPITAL Demonstrators rally in capital for jobs, food amid rampant inflation 13-04-2022 17:06 Thousands march through capital demanding help with jobs, food and more social aid as rampant inflation undermines government efforts to raise living standards.
EDITORIAL Picky with the pickets 09-04-2022 00:01 Civic patience in Argentina is being increasingly strained by escalating social protests.
POLITICS Opposition slams government’s plan to tackle ‘hate’ on social media 01-04-2022 18:37 Strategic Affairs Secretary Gustavo Beliz outlines a project to put an end to “social hatred" on social media platforms, promoting swift pushback from opposition.
AVENIDA 9 DE JULIO Demonstrators set up camp in capital, demanding greater social support 31-03-2022 23:44 Protesters spark traffic chaos in the capital by setting up a huge encampment on Avenida de Julio.
TECH & SOCIETY The battle to keep Russia's Internet free 18-03-2022 11:28 Western powers have seized the possessions of Russian oligarchs and sanctioned banks, but moves to limit access to the Internet are highly divisive.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Putin’s propaganda machine undercut by social media blackout 04-03-2022 22:28 Social media companies are better prepared to crack down on Russian propaganda, moving more quickly at the request of multiple governments and the EU.
LATIN AMERICA: MIGRATION Disillusioned and 'betrayed,' Brazilians flock abroad 03-03-2022 14:00 Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America but every year thousands of its citizens pack their bags and head for pastures new.
MINING & ENVIRONMENT Argentina wants to triple mining exports, despite social conflicts 12-01-2022 22:31 Government introducing new incentives to grow the sector over next decade, but social and environmental organisations warn of impact. by Javier Lewkowicz, Diálogo Chino
ARGENTINA & THE IMF IMF’s critics in Argentina reiterate their opposition to new deal 15-12-2021 16:29 Thousands of people flood the streets of Argentina to underline their opposition to a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS UCA: 65% of children in Argentina living in poverty 08-12-2021 09:45 According to UCA’s Social Debt Observatory, 43.8% of the country’s population was considered poor as of last October, a drop of almost a point on the previous year’s total of 44.7%.
ARGENTINE PONTIFF Pope appoints Martín Guzmán to Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences 28-11-2021 10:28 In the midst of negotiations for to reach a new agreement with the IMF, Pope Francis names Argentina's Economy Minister Martín Guzmán to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
ELECTIONS 2021 Economic hardships take their toll on stomachs – and society 12-11-2021 20:10 In La Boca and other disadvantaged neighbourhoods across the capital, soup kitchens have sprung up on almost every street corner, run by social movements with help from the state.
Environment Chile's desert dumping ground for fast fashion leftovers 09-11-2021 09:59 A mountain of discarded clothing including Christmas sweaters and ski boots cuts a strange sight in Chile's Atacama, the driest desert in the world, which is increasingly suffering from pollution created by fast fashion.
Lithium in Argentina Argentina at crossroads over the future of its lithium sector 15-10-2021 16:56 Fernández administration wants to boost the state's role in lithium extraction and electromobility, but conflicts with local communities remain. by Javier Lewkowicz, Diálogo Chino
CARTOONIST DENOUNCES 'THREATS' Opposition demands Aníbal Fernández's resignation after cartoonist clash 13-10-2021 11:25 Aníbal Fernández under fire after clashing with Cristian Dzwonik, a.k.a. Nik; Security minister downplays the message he sent to well-known satirical cartoonist identifying daughters' school.