ARGENTINA: Chubut vs Government & more – 29th Feb 2024

¡Buenos días from BA! This is the Rorshok Argentina Update from the 29th of February twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Argentina.

We can’t start this week’s episode talking about anyone other than Ignacio Torres. The young governor of the Chubut province dominated the headlines these past few days due to a rift with the national government. After the current administration withheld tax revenues amounting to 13.5 billion pesos (almost 13 million dollars at the parallel exchange rate), he threatened to halt oil and gas shipments.

Five other southern governors backed the statement, which named the group The United Provinces of the South. President Milei didn’t appreciate this move, and called it a “Chavista threat.” He also took to social media to launch a barrage against Torres, hinting at potential legal consequences.

And it gets even more controversial. On Twitter, the president liked an edited pornographic meme mocking Torres and a post depicting him with features resembling Down syndrome. Naturally, this prompted outrage.

Milei’s actions didn’t help his cause. On Tuesday the 27th, a federal judge ruled in favor of Chubut’s provincial governor, ordering the national government to cease withholding the funds. Governor Torres welcomed the verdict, and confirmed the oil shipments will remain unaffected. However, the national government plans to appeal the decision, potentially escalating tensions further.

What’s striking is the fact that the Chubut governor, as well as many of those who backed him, are members of the Together for Change or Juntos por el Cambio coalition, which has been supportive of the ruling party since the runoff. This may be due to the broader fiscal cuts that are affecting the provinces, but if the president pushes these allies away, he will have little to no backing in Congress.

There’s no ally to be found in the Buenos Aires province, either. Governor Axel Kicillof announced plans to escalate the province’s dispute with President Milei’s administration by taking legal action to the Supreme Court, demanding the restoration of the federal tax funding. Kicillof condemned the cuts as detrimental to essential services and public security, emphasizing the necessity of legal recourse after exhausting administrative avenues and dialogue.

Back to the topic of Juntos por el Cambio, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich issued a statement on Sunday the 25th, in support of Milei amidst the ongoing conflict. Bullrich represents the PRO party, which is one of the main components of the Juntos por el Cambio coalition.

However, the list of signatories showed some notable absences of other key PRO members, revealing important internal divisions within the party. It also highlights contrasts between Bullrich’s position and former President Mauricio Macri, who did not endorse the statement.

You know who’s also worried about funding? The University of Buenos Aires. Last week, the Academic Board voiced their concerns regarding the national budget, which has not been updated in twenty twenty-four. In order to try and secure adequate funding considering the soaring inflation rates, they appointed University Dean Ricardo Gelpi to negotiate with the Ministry of Human Capital.

Things are more pressing for public primary schools, as the new school year has already begun. Teachers across seven provinces have initiated strikes and demonstrations to protest the president’s decision to slash a national fund responsible for a significant portion of teachers’ salaries. In the Jujuy and Salta provinces, teachers have decided to postpone school openings due to funding uncertainties.

Some institutions, on the other hand, aren’t experiencing budget cuts. They are getting shut down entirely. That’s the case of the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism or INADI. Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesman, announced the decision, emphasizing Milei’s commitment to reducing bureaucratic structures that lack purpose. It was later clarified that INADI’s functions and staff would be integrated into the Ministry of Justice.

One would think that at least the International Monetary Fund (or IMF) would be pleased with all these cuts on public spending. However, the IMF’s deputy managing director emphasized the need for Argentina’s austerity measures to be carefully balanced, ensuring that the most vulnerable segments of society are not disproportionately affected. They also stressed the importance of safeguarding social assistance programs to prevent undue hardship on the poorest groups.

Speaking of those segments, protests erupted on Friday the 23rd as thousands demanded increased food assistance for soup kitchens. While the government maintains the Tarjeta Alimentar food card program, providing direct subsidies to parents, demonstrators persist in their calls for immediate action to alleviate food insecurity and economic hardship.

Also on Friday the 23rd, Milei met with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who emphasized the importance of Argentina’s agricultural potential. This happened just one day before President Milei made waves at a US conservative conference, where he crossed paths with Donald Trump and greeted him with enthusiasm, expressing hopes for his return to the White House.

During the meeting with Blinken, the US Secretary of State addressed concerns about Milei’s stance on human rights, particularly women’s, urging leadership by example.

Ironically, the government declared a ban on gender-inclusive language and gender perspectives only a few days later. It started with the Armed Forces, and it was later extended to the entire public sector. The move aims to eliminate symbols like @, x or the letter e used to denote gender neutrality. Plus, it also dismisses gender perspective as a politically motivated tool instead of a framework for analyzing how gender impacts individuals’ opportunities and experiences.

Moving on, even though the mosquito invasion may have diminished, you shouldn’t forget about the usual precautions — especially if you live in the northern part of the country. In the past week alone, the Salta province confirmed more than 400 cases of the dengue disease. Health officials urged citizens to eliminate breeding sites and emphasized vaccination as a crucial tool in dengue prevention.

In other news, the flagship carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas has made a significant change regarding the accumulation of miles for government officials. Starting from the 1st of March, public officials will no longer be able to accumulate miles when traveling on tickets paid for by the state, which they could then use for personal flights with the airline.

According to the national carrier, nearly 80 million miles were credited to various individuals who traveled on tickets purchased by the three branches of the government in twenty twenty-three, with over 10,000 personal tickets redeemed during the year, amounting to a cost of 2.7 million dollars at market value.

If you have miles, though, you could use them to travel to the US to attend the Copa América. The tournament is just around the corner, starting on the 20th of June in the United States. The allure of Lionel Messi is once again evident, with pre-sale prices skyrocketing to over 8,400 dollars plus fees for the match between Argentina and Peru in Miami.

Speaking of Messi, he recently posted a video to clarify that his absence from a match in Hong Kong two weeks ago — which stirred controversy in China — was due to injury, not a political statement.

As we mentioned in a previous episode, the upcoming friendlies between Argentina and Nigeria and Ivory Coast in China were canceled following the controversy. However, the Argentine Football Association found two replacements. Instead of touring China, the national team will play two friendly matches in the United States, one against El Salvador and another against Costa Rica. Tune in on the 22nd and 26th of March to watch the games.

And to close this edition, Argentina’s national rugby sevens team secured their third consecutive title at the twenty twenty-four Canada Sevens in Vancouver, defeating none other than New Zealand’s All Blacks. The team’s success sets a promising tone for their performance at the twenty twenty-four Paris Olympics.

Aaaaand that’s it for this week.

We've got a big announcement to make! We've got a new Instagram account! Follow us at @rorshok_argentina to stay informed.

¡Nos vemos la próxima semana!