ARGENTINA: Harsher Penalties for Arson & more – 13th Feb 2025

¡Buenos días from Greenway Parks! This is the Rorshok Argentina Update from the 13th of February twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Argentina.

The wildfires continue to escalate, now drawing attention to the northeast as well. In the Corrientes province, the fires have torn through roughly 250,000 hectares, destroying farmland and pine forests. Extreme heat and drought are making things worse, with temperatures reaching forty degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Tragically, a teacher lost her life while trying to protect her family’s land.

Greenpeace has pointed to illegal logging as a major factor. At the same time, Patagonia is enduring its worst wildfire season in thirty years, with massive blazes threatening Lanín National Park and El Bolsón, where an elderly man died from smoke inhalation.

As a result, the government is pushing for harsher penalties for arson. A new bill, scheduled for debate in extraordinary sessions, proposes longer prison sentences for intentional fires, making them non-bailable—particularly when they destroy forests or are used to intimidate the government. Luis Petri, the Defense Minister, and Patricia Bullrich, the Security Minister, have emphasized the need for severe consequences, with Bullrich declaring, “Whoever sets fires will rot in jail.” The proposed reform could raise sentences to as much as twenty-five years.

On the subject of new reforms, the government has been advancing several initiatives. One recent development saw the Lower House approve a bill to suspend the PASO primaries for the twenty twenty-five midterm elections. The measure gained backing from the ruling party, allied opposition groups, and some Peronist deputies. Supporters argue that eliminating the primaries will reduce costs, but critics say it undermines democracy. The Senate will now debate the bill further.

Another controversial proposal: Milei’s administration plans to amend the Gender Identity Law to prohibit hormone treatments and gender-affirming surgeries for minors, arguing these procedures pose risks to children’s health and development. Officials say the changes follow international trends, as some countries have restricted access to such treatments for minors.

The government also intends to prevent incarcerated individuals from requesting prison transfers based on gender identity, citing safety concerns. LGBTQ+ organizations and human rights groups have condemned the plan, calling it a violation of legal protections and vowing to challenge it in court.

Next up are two bills aimed at penal reforms. One seeks to impose stricter measures on repeat offenders by allowing judges to consider a defendant’s previous indictments—even with the accused not having convictions—when deciding on pretrial detention. The other introduces trials in absentia, meaning proceedings can take place even if the accused is not present, for individuals accused of serious crimes such as terrorism and genocide. This measure is largely motivated by the long-stalled AMIA bombing case, referring to the nineteen ninety-four attack on the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association in Buenos Aires, which killed eighty-five people and remains unresolved, partly due to key suspects evading justice.

These proposals, aligned with the government’s tough-on-crime agenda, now move to the Senate for debate.

Capping off a week of reforms, President Milei signed a decree on Tuesday the 11th to downsize the Economy Ministry. The biggest shift involves eliminating departments focused on housing policy, with their responsibilities transferred to the Public Works Secretariat—except for a socio-urban integration office tied to the inner circle of Karina Milei, the president’s sister. The administration argues housing should be handled by local authorities and the private sector, aligning with Milei’s vision of reducing state intervention.

Despite earlier promises of sweeping cuts, the decree proved less drastic than expected. It also created a new energy and mining secretariat while merging trade, industry, and consumer affairs into a single office.

The government made another major decision this week regarding the World Health Organization, or WHO. Argentina announced its withdrawal from the WHO, citing disagreements over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the prolonged lockdowns. President Milei, who made the call, aligned the move with the United States’ earlier intentions to leave the organization. He criticized the WHO for undermining national sovereignty and pushing what he described as politically motivated policies.

The government insists the withdrawal will not impact Argentina’s healthcare system, but critics argue it could disrupt access to vital resources like vaccines and disease outbreak monitoring. Argentina will maintain its membership in the Pan-American Health Organization, which collaborates closely with the WHO. Meanwhile, the government is also considering an exit from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Amid a blistering heatwave, Argentina broke a new record for electricity consumption, exceeding 30,000 megawatts—an increase of over 1% from the previous record set on the 1st of February, twenty twenty-four. The spike in demand caused power outages in central and northeastern provinces like Córdoba, Corrientes, Chaco, and Formosa, as well as parts of Buenos Aires, leaving thousands without electricity. Relief is on the horizon, though—rain and cooler temperatures are expected to bring some respite through the weekend.

What’s not cooling down is the country risk. Argentina’s risk level climbed past 700 points as stocks and bonds took a hit. Investors have been cashing in profits after last year’s strong rally in Argentine assets, which economists view as a healthy market correction. However, concerns linger over external factors like new U.S. tariffs. On Wall Street, Argentine companies such as Telecom and Banco Francés recorded significant losses, while bonds dropped by about 1%.

Also on the economic front, President Milei announced plans to end Argentina’s currency controls by the 1st of January, twenty twenty-six. He suggested this timeline could be accelerated, depending on the progress of the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and its potential disbursements in twenty twenty-five. According to Milei, the government will need eleven billion dollars to carry out the transition.

For a closer look at the challenges this move entails, the Financial Times ran an article titled Javier Milei’s quest to defuse Argentina’s currency control bomb. It breaks down the risks and difficulties of lifting controls that have propped up the peso and curbed capital flight for years.

To read the article, follow the link in the show notes.

If you’re wondering about the current cost of living, in January, twenty twenty-five, a family of four in Buenos Aires needed at least over 1 million pesos per month to stay above the poverty line (about 800 dollars at the parallel exchange rate.) To be considered middle class, a household had to bring in over 1.7 million pesos (almost 1,400 dollars) a month, according to the city’s statistics agency.

Over the past year, poverty figures have skyrocketed, with the poverty line jumping 80% and extreme poverty rising 61%.

In other news, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of a skyscraper in the Buenos Aires City neighborhood of Puerto Madero, forcing the evacuation of over 100 people. The blaze spread quickly up to the 15th floor, leaving twelve people treated for smoke inhalation and three others hospitalized. Firefighters, along with emergency services, contained the situation while authorities urged people to avoid the area due to falling glass and traffic disruptions. Authorities have not yet identified the exact cause but suspect a malfunctioning air conditioning unit.

Speaking of emergencies, Bloomberg published an article titled I Just Found My Nuclear War Hideaway. The hideaway is, you guessed it, Argentina, but it gets more specific than that. The piece is an exploration on why the western Mendoza province is an ideal refuge in case of global instability or nuclear war. The author argues that its remote location, natural resources, booming wine industry, and relative political and economic stability make it a prime escape from rising geopolitical tensions.

Link in the show notes!

To end on a high note, Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez, Argentina’s star goalkeeper, auctioned off the gloves he wore in the twenty twenty-four Copa América final to support the hospital where he was born. The gloves fetched 100,000 dollars at a charity gala. Dibu is a proud Mar del Plata native, and has always stayed connected to his hometown, frequently sending messages of appreciation and support. Though he couldn’t attend, his father was present at the auction.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

A huge thank you to all our listeners who tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms—especially those who help spread the word by sharing the show with friends and family! If you’d like to send an episode as an MP3 file, you can download it directly from our website at https://rorshok.com/argentina/. The link is also available in the show notes. Thank you!

¡Nos vemos la próxima semana!