ARGENTINA: The Death of Pope Francis & more – 24th April 2025

¡Buenos días from Greenway Parks! This is the Rorshok Argentina Update from the 24th of April twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Argentina.

We can’t start the episode with a topic that’s not the death of Pope Francis. Jorge Bergoglio, originally from the Flores neighborhood in Buenos Aires, passed away on Monday the 21st at eighty-eight due to a stroke and heart failure. He made history as the first Latin American, the first Jesuit, and the first non-European to become Pope.

Starting in twenty thirteen, he brought a fresh, reformist energy to the Vatican. He was known for his simple lifestyle, outspoken stance on climate change, economic inequality, and his efforts to modernize the Church’s approach to LGBTQ+ rights and women’s roles.

In Buenos Aires, thousands came together to honor his life, both in Flores and across the city for prayers, masses and tributes, with landmarks like the Obelisk and Planetarium lighting up in his memory. Fans from the pope’s beloved football club San Lorenzo held their own memorials, and the government declared a week of national mourning.

On Wednesday the 23rd, President Milei traveled to Vatican City to pay his respects at Pope Francis’ funeral. Milei offered his condolences, even though he and Francis had a rocky past. In the past, Milei criticized the Pope quite harshly, but more recently he tried to patch things up and even invited Francis to return to Argentina.

Argentina is also mourning the loss of Hugo “El Loco” Gatti, an iconic figure in Argentine football, who passed away at eighty after a long hospital stay following surgery. Famous for his daring and unconventional approach to goalkeeping, Gatti played for both River Plate and Boca Juniors, as well as representing Argentina internationally.

Meanwhile, in economics, Argentina experienced its first week without strict currency controls, the cepo, and while the dollar’s value bounced between set limits, major turmoil didn’t erupt. Markets showed initial optimism, but uncertainty remains about how sustainable the new rules will be. Investors like JPMorgan showed growing confidence, but local business leaders expressed concern about higher costs for imports and unstable prices.

Inflation remains high, and while some companies raised prices, supermarkets pushed back, unwilling to accept sharp hikes as consumers’ spending power has already fallen. The government is keeping a close eye on food costs, but disagreements continue among businesses and officials about the real impact of these policy changes on prices and the broader economy.

Speaking of prices, the government is getting ready to update how it measures inflation. The national statistics agency, Indec, is set to roll out a revised Consumer Price Index based on more recent spending data. This new approach will reflect changes in what people actually buy today—like streaming services and modern urban transport—and give more importance to categories such as housing, transportation, and communication while dialing back the weight of food and health.

Officials say the goal is to track inflation more accurately, but critics want more transparency around the process. The final approval from the Economy Ministry is still pending, and an informational campaign will roll out to help the public understand what’s changing.

In terms of imports, the month of March ended with a modest trade surplus of 323 million dollars, a steep drop from over 2,000 million dollars a year ago. Imports jumped nearly 40% as businesses brought in more goods—especially vehicles, machinery, and consumer products—while exports slipped by 2.5%, mainly due to weaker sales of agricultural goods and energy.

On that note, Argentina’s beef exports shrank sharply in the first quarter of twenty twenty-five compared to last year, with shipments down 28% in volume and nearly 8% in earnings. March figures were even more stark, showing significant declines from both the previous month and the year before.

China continued to be the main buyer, taking over two-thirds of Argentina’s beef shipments, but even strong demand there couldn’t offset falling global prices and a less favorable exchange rate at home.

Mercosur, the South American trade alliance that Argentina is part of, decided to temporarily let each member add fifty products to a special list allowing those imports from outside the bloc to bypass the group’s usual external tariff—a move designed to help members adapt to escalating global trade tensions.

There’s also some tension around a proposed anti-corruption law, known as the Ficha Limpia bill, which is gaining momentum in the Senate after two Peronist senators pledged support, making it more likely to pass. The bill would keep anyone with a corruption conviction—confirmed by two courts—from running for public office, which would affect former President Cristina Kirchner.

Even though her conviction is still under review by the Supreme Court, she is openly criticizing the process, calling it a form of persecution. If the law passes or if the Supreme Court upholds her sentence, Kirchner could lose her right to be a candidate in upcoming elections.

On that note about convictions, Germán Kiczka, the former Misiones lawmaker, and his brother Sebastián received lengthy prison sentences—fourteen and twelve years, respectively—after being convicted of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors showed that both men were involved in an international online network and that Germán also facilitated access to illegal content, while Sebastián faced an additional conviction for sexual assault.

The case drew wide attention, in part because the abuse involved very young children and because Germán had ties to the libertarian party Activar.

Now, a fun fact: A new survey by the consultancy firm Voices! shows that nearly a third of adults in Argentina have tattoos—especially women under fifty, who are leading the trend. What used to be seen as a sign of being an outsider is now a mainstream way for people to express themselves, celebrate loved ones, or simply enjoy the art. Most people get their first tattoo at around twenty-four years old, and hardly anyone thinks tattoos will make others judge them negatively.

Another study by the World Population Review revealed that Argentina finds itself labeled as Latin America’s most hated nation, sitting at number twenty-four on a global list topped by China, followed by the United States and Russia. Only Mexico joins Argentina from the region, ranking a bit lower. The factors fueling Argentina’s negative reputation include football rivalries, political drama, and a sense of cultural superiority.

In other news, during this year’s Easter weekend, about 2.7 million people traveled across the country, spending more than 700 billion pesos in total. Even though that’s a big boost for the economy, it’s actually 16% fewer travelers compared to last year, mainly because in twenty twenty-four the holiday was longer—thanks to a rare overlap with another national holiday.

If you’re already missing the long weekend, there’s good news. We have not one but two public holidays next week. The 1st of May marks International Workers’ Day, which recognizes the contributions of workers to society and advocates for their rights, with almost everyone enjoying a day off work and unions often organizing rallies or events. Expect shopping malls and most stores to be closed.

But because the 1st of May falls on a Thursday, this year the government threw in an extra non-working day on Friday, the 2nd of May, for tourism purposes, turning it into a four-day weekend for many. It’s not a mandatory holiday, though, so it’s up to your boss whether you get that Friday off.

If you’re looking for something to do over the long weekend, Netflix is premiering El Eternauta on the 30th of April. The series reimagines the iconic Argentine comic by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López. Across six episodes, director Bruno Stagnaro and a passionate production team put years of work into faithfully recreating the story of Juan Salvo—now played by Ricardo Darín—an ordinary man caught up in a deadly alien invasion after a catastrophic snowfall blankets Buenos Aires.

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

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¡Nos vemos la próxima semana!