NO HAY PLATA? Rebellion in Senate: Pay increase passed by show of hands and without debate 18-04-2024 17:40 Milei lashes out via social networks after senators vote to approve pay increase; "2025 will see a historic hiding" for the caste, says President.
POLITICS Milei reopens debate about dictatorship, Armed Forces 04-04-2024 18:51 President enrages human rights groups by questioning estimate of those disappeared by junta’s security forces and calls for “reconciliation” of the military in Argentina.
POLITICS & HUMAN RIGHTS Alberto González: ESMA torturer – and vice-president’s mentor 29-03-2024 21:02 He headed the dreaded “underground” of the ESMA Navy Mechanics School concentration camp. Convicted for crimes against humanity, Alberto González was also the first dictatorship-era criminal to be sentenced for rape. He is also the mentor of Argentina’s Vice-President Victoria Villarruel. by Juan Luis González
24 de MARZO Milei government casts doubt over dictatorship crimes 24-03-2024 18:49 Milei administration echoes vice-president's line, demanding justice for "the victims of terrorism" during military dictatorship era and questioning 30,000 disappeared estimate from human rights groups.
HUMAN RIGHTS Argentines send message with march in memory of dictatorship 24-03-2024 17:03 Huge crowds head to Plaza de Mayo to mark the 48th anniversary of the coup d'état that brought Argentina’s brutal 1976-1983 military dictatorship to power, resulting in the disappearance, exile and execution of tens of thousands of people in secret death camps across the country.
National Day of Memory for Truth and Justice Milei set to stoke controversy with 'complete memory' March 24 video 23-03-2024 12:08 The video has been left in charge of libertarian documentarist Santiago Oria and former guerrilla fighter Luis Labraña, former head of the SIDE intelligence service, Juan Bautista “Tata” Yofre, and relatives of the former captain Humberto Viola were all involved.
POLITICS & ECONOMY Villarruel vies with Karina Milei for influence over president 22-03-2024 18:29 Officially, Victoria Villarruel is Javier Milei’s second-in-command. But the president has left little doubt that there is only one adviser who truly has his ear: his younger sister Karina.
100 days of Milei 100 days of Milei: Constructing political enemies and catharsis online 19-03-2024 13:44 The President marked his style from day one, when he broke with tradition and turned his back on Congress. Whatever the fight, he finds his catharsis on social networks.
POLITICS & CONGRESS Milei’s bold decree suffers major setback after repeal in Senate 14-03-2024 21:18 President's initial dose of shock therapy teeters on the edge of collapse after Senate defeats his sweeping executive decree.
POLITICS & CONGRESS Blow for Milei as Senate rejects sweeping mega-reform decree 14-03-2024 20:31 President's sweeping deregulation DNU rejected by senators in upper house; Emergency deregulation decree now heads to lower house Chamber of Deputies, where it must also be voted down if it is to be repealed; Tensions reported between head of state and Victoria Villarruel, his vice-president.
CONGRESS & POLITICS Senate set for debate as Milei's deregulation decree hangs in balance 13-03-2024 15:48 Vice-President Victoria Villarruel, in her role as head of Senate, accepts opposition's request for debate and calls special session for Thursday to address President Javier Milei's sweeping emergency deregulation decree.
POLITICS Menem, Villarruel agree to increase lawmakers' pay by 30% 08-03-2024 18:20 President Javier Milei says he is against move, declaring that “a lot of people are a lot worse off with a lot less money.”
POLITICS Amid anger at pay hikes, Milei trolls feminists on #8M 08-03-2024 12:42 Following controversy over lawmakers' pay hikes, President Javier Milei’s administration trolls feminist campaigners on International Women’s Day by announcing it will rename the Casa Rosada’s “Salón de las Mujeres.”
Human rights Victoria Donda’s uncle sentenced to 15 years jail for her dictatorship abduction 04-03-2024 21:51 Retired military officer Adolfo Donda sentenced to 15 years in prison as co-perpetrator of the abduction of his niece, politician Victoria Donda, during dark days of 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
PRICE HIKES SLOWING? Celebrations, misgivings as politicians react to inflation data 14-02-2024 22:33 Government allies cheer latest INDEC data showing that consumer price hikes slowed to around 20% last month, while Peronist critics warn of spiralling consumer prices.
POLITICS Unión por la Patria blasts Villarruel for not calling a session on Milei's emergency decree 01-02-2024 17:00 Opposition slams vice-president and Senate chief for not holding sessions to reject the mega emergency decree.
HUMAN RIGHTS Milei's human rights secretary on future of ex-ESMA memory site 19-12-2023 17:07 New head of Human Rights Secretariat, Alberto Baños, offers Milei government’s first definitions regarding future of ex-ESMA memory site questioned by Vice-President Victoria Villarruel.
POLITICS & ECONOMY Milei the pragmatist and Toto’s ‘caputazo’ 16-12-2023 06:06 The ‘caputazo’ replaced pure austerity with a mix of higher taxes together with spending cuts and the “dilution” of part of the deficit through high inflation. The next few months will see runaway inflation run even farther away and put intense pressure on the population, as wages and salaries fall even farther behind. by Agustino Fontevecchia
Congress & Politics La Libertad Avanza clinches Senate provisional president: Bartolomé Abdala 14-12-2023 10:13 In the first session presided by Victoria Villarruel, fierce procedural clashes between Unión por la Patria and the other caucuses.
POLITICS Sister, vice-president, girlfriend – the women in Milei’s inner circle 06-12-2023 18:17 He is single, with no children, and very few trusted friends. Javier Milei, who as of this Sunday will be president of Argentina, has three women in his innermost circle: his sister, his vice-president and his girlfriend.
Presidential inauguration Milei's maiden speech to focus on moderating expectations 05-12-2023 16:16 Victorious presidential candidate will speak at his inauguration of the economic chaos left by the Alberto Fernández Presidency and why he will be unable to achieve results in the short term. by Juan Pablo Kavanagh
Election 2023 Congress formally endorses winning Milei-Villarruel ticket 30-11-2023 00:45 Legislative Assembly proclaims formula of Milei and Villarruel at event attended by lawmakers from all parties; Regulatory step before December 10 inauguration.
Human rights Protesters in Buenos Aires admonish incoming government’s ‘denialism’ 24-11-2023 16:53 Activists join weekly Madres de Plaza de Mayo march to admonish Javier Milei and Victoria Villarruel over their “denialism” of state terrorism during 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
VICE-PRESIDENTIAL HANDOVER Fernández de Kirchner, Villarruel hold ‘historic’ transition meeting 23-11-2023 00:48 “Cordial and respectful” meeting held in the outgoing vice-president’s office at Senate, with no photographs taken; Villarruel says she will be "working all summer through."
IN FOCUS: VICE-PRESIDENT-ELECT Victoria Villarruel: First vice-president to play down dictatorship’s crimes 22-11-2023 11:37 By presenting herself as a militant of "complete memory," the La Libertad Avanza vice-president-elect has constructed her political figure around the controversial “theory of two demons,” equating left-wing killings with state terrorism.
ELECTIONS 2023 – ANALYSIS Macri has a Plan A and a Plan B 16-11-2023 11:41 Former president's bet on Javier Milei, outlined during campaigning and quickly confirmed after the first round vote, has put Mauricio Macri back in the spotlight. by Javier Calvo
HUMAN RIGHTS Victoria Villarruel criticises ESMA dictatorship world heritage site 14-11-2023 13:55 Far-right vice-presidential candidate Victoria Villarruel suggests ESMA memory site, once home to detention and extermination camp, should be turned into a school; Javier Milei’s running-mate alleges widespread corruption in government’s human rights policies.
election 2023: VP DEBATE Vice-presidential candidates clash over poverty and human rights 09-11-2023 20:05 Exchanges over crime, state terrorism and economy and accusations of lying dominate high-voltage debate between Agustín Rossi and Victoria Villarruel.
HUMAN RIGHTS The imperious need to penalise denialism 27-09-2023 13:12 There are issues, like crimes against humanity, which should be beyond electoral speculation. With the same speed with which the government secured approval for amending the income tax threshold, it should also now approve a law to condemn denialism with the support of Juntos por el Cambio and a united opposition. by Jorge Fontevecchia
GUEST VOICE Victoria Villarruel, human rights, and truth 22-09-2023 05:19 Many victims and relatives of victims of armed organisations neither feel represented by, nor do they endorse, Victoria Villarruel’s claims and views on human rights. by Gustavo Llarull**
ELECTION 2023 Vice-presidential candidates clash in heated television debate 21-09-2023 00:46 Victoria Villarruel, Agustín Rossi, Luis Petri, Nicolás del Caño and Florencio Randazzo fired rhetorical darts at each other in an often bad-tempered vice-presidential debate.
Human rights Ex-Trial of the Juntas judge: ‘Argentina should punish denialism by law’ 20-09-2023 16:32 One of the judges who sat on the court that convicted Argentina’s military junta of crimes against humanity declares that “denialism tends to undermine the validity of the democratic rule of law.”
HUMAN RIGHTS Convicted dictatorship killer donated to Villarruel’s election campaign 12-09-2023 19:27 Days after Victoria Villarruel sparked controversy at the City Legislature, it emerges that Luis Abelardo Patti – one of the most feared kidnappers and killers from the era of state terrorism during Argentina's 1976-1983 military dictatorship – gave money to the election campaign of Javier Milei’s running-mate. by Juan Luis González
Politics The make-up of Victoria Villarruel’s inner circle 07-09-2023 15:04 Javier Milei’s vice-presidential candidate has close group taken from her teams from the Fundación Oíd Mortales and the Partido Demócrata of Buenos Aires Province. Trajectories and thoughts of a hermetic group on the rise. by Giselle Leclercq
Human rights Outcry at event puts Villarruel's dictatorship beliefs in spotlight 05-09-2023 16:23 Demonstrators protest against Victoria Villarruel's event paying tribute to "the victims of terrorism" held at the City Legislature.
HUMAN RIGHTS Victoria Villarruel on the military dictatorship and era of state terrorism 05-09-2023 11:58 Javier Milei’s running-mate leapt into politics from her militancy in organisations for "a complete memory" of the 1976-1983 era of state terrorism. Her statements on the military dictatorship, response to those who accuse her of denialism and the national deputy’s links with dictators.
ELECTION 2023 Milei draws up plans to ‘free’ Argentina’s Judiciary 31-08-2023 13:46 Libertarian presidential hopeful believes that Argentina’s “political caste” has “taken the Judiciary hostage.” Claiming that he wants to remove political pressures and fill judicial vacancies, Javier Milei could make Guillermo Montenegro, a candidate for national deputy and a figure close to Victoria Villarruel, his judicial operator, should he reach the Casa Rosada. by Juan Pablo Kavanagh
ELECTION 2023 Rumours and confirmations: Milei assesses potential cabinet options 26-08-2023 00:27 Propelled by his PASO primary victory, the libertarian lawmaker’s team is hurriedly assessing its options. The presidential hopeful has already said who will be heading Ministries of Foreign and ‘Human Capital,’ the latter pooling sensitive areas under the leadership of a woman with an unknown background. Who might join a Javier Milei cabinet if he is elected as president: confirmed names and rumours. by Giselle Leclercq
ELECTION 2023 Tolosa Paz confirms run for Buenos Aires Province governor 01-06-2023 15:43 Social Development Victoria Tolosa Paz signs up with Daniel Scioli and announces she will run for governor in the Frente de Todos primary in Buenos Aires Province.
Election 2023 Electoral platform: Dollarisation, privatisations, guns, no sexual ed 18-05-2023 15:33 Leaked electoral platform presented by libertarian lawmaker to Judge María Servini features more than 60 proposals he aims to put into practice if he becomes president.
POLITICS Victoria Donda resigns as head of INADI anti-discrimination body 30-12-2022 01:06 Human rights activist and former lawmaker resigns as head of the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism, posting scathing letter that criticises the government.
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
CABINET RESHUFFLE President reshuffles his pack with ‘militant women’ 14-10-2022 09:23 Raquel Olmos takes on Labour portfolio, Victoria Tolosa Paz to helm Social Development Ministry, Ayelén Mazzina becomes Women, Gender & Diversity minister.
Politics Micaela Morán to replace Tolosa Paz in lower house 11-10-2022 14:37 Victoria Tolosa Paz to take on Social Development Ministry, with ex-Transport ministry official and Frente Renovador politician Micaela Morán entering the Chamber of Deputies.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Argentina’s political crisis restarts with ministers leaving 10-10-2022 16:14 Cabinet shake-up, with three ministers departing in as many days, is the latest episode of Argentina’s ongoing political crisis.
argentina Call for ‘hate speech’ law divides government and galvanises opposition 09-09-2022 11:22 Ruling coalition U-turns on proposal after INADI anti-discrimination institute Director Victoria Donda demands introduction of ‘hate speech’ law in wake of attack on vice-president. by Sam Forster, for the Buenos Aires Times
MATCH CALLED OFF Australian state 'pissed off' over Argentina-Brazil cancellation 12-05-2022 12:31 Sports minister of Australia's state of Victoria reacts with anger after Argentina pulls out of a highly anticipated friendly against rivals Brazil in Melbourne.