The Last Debate and The Upcoming Runoff & more – 16th Nov 2023

¡Buenos días from Greenway Parks! This is the Rorshok Argentina Update from the 16th of November twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Argentina.

Let’s kick off this edition with the week’s hot topic: who will be the next president? In the latest showdown before the runoff, candidates Sergio Massa and Javier Milei engaged in a fiery debate covering economic policies, foreign relations, education, and security.

Personal attacks marked the exchange, with Massa painting Milei as an unstable figure advocating harmful economic policies. Milei, in turn, accused Massa of corruption and criticized the government’s handling of inflation. Candidates exchanged jabs and barely announced concrete policy proposals.

The debate culminated in an odd moment of agreement on crime and insecurity, with Milei acknowledging Massa’s positive impact on security in Tigre, a town in Buenos Aires province where he served as mayor. In their final pitches, Massa called for national unity, while Milei urged voters to choose change and reject the “political caste.”

This is the last episode before the runoff —don’t forget to listen to next week’s show to find out who will be Argentina’s president-elect.

It’s incredibly hard to predict the runoff’s outcome, but some are trying. According to a recent poll by Brazil-based AtlasIntel, Milei maintains a slim lead over his Peronist opponent. The poll indicates Milei's support at 49%, while Massa trails at 45%, although the debate that took place on Sunday the 12th could influence the outcome.

Another thing that could influence the outcome is the lack of ballots. The Buenos Aires province branch of the National Electoral Court told Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, that they delivered just a quarter of the recommended number to the polling stations. The court also reprimanded them on how these were packaged, as they shouldn’t be sent in black plastic bags or cardboxes but in clear, heat-sealed bags

The party fired back on Twitter, stating they’ve got plenty of ballots but aren’t sharing with the “Kirchnerite thieves.” Meanwhile, supporters of the ruling Unión por la Patria coalition are warning that this could be a strategic move to potentially push the electoral fraud story that the opposition has been asserting since late October.

Moving on, Argentina is trying to tackle dengue before summer hits hard. Recall that dengue is primarily transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, and common symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, and nausea.

Luckily, the country just got its hands on the TAK-003 vaccine to fight against the disease, which has already been used in the EU, the UK, and Brazil. It’s available for approximately 37,500 pesos (some thirty-eight dollars at the parallel exchange rate). This shot protects against the four viruses that transmit the disease, and people can get it in private vaccination spots. If you’re in Salta, getting the vaccine may be easier, as the province grabbed 300,000 doses.

The drill is two shots, three months apart, with some common side effects like redness, headache, muscle stuff, and maybe a bit of fever. Quick heads up, though - people can’t just show up to the vaccination center and get the shot; they need a prescription. If you’re expecting or nursing, this isn’t for you.

Speaking of vaccines, the issue of Covid-19 is not over for those working in this realm. Argentina just gave the green light to its very own Covid vaccine, the ARVAC Cecilia Grierson. This homegrown vaccine is the result of a team effort involving over 600 scientists, twenty-five institutions, and 2,000 volunteers, and it’s named after the first Argentine woman with a medical degree.

Even though the news comes at a time when the buzz around Covid has faded into the background, this breakthrough marks a significant step towards self-sufficiency, reducing Argentina’s $500 million dollar annual vaccine import bill. Researchers stress its role as a booster for those eighteen and older, recognizing the enduring presence of the virus.

In other news, the INDEC statistics bureau revealed the October inflation rate. It tapped the brakes if only slightly, slowing down to eight percent compared to more than twelve percent in September. Over the past year, however, prices shot up by almost 143 percent.

To curve inflation and devaluation, the government needs to strengthen its foreign reserves through a variety of exports and investments. Speaking of which, Argentina and Chile have inked a major deal on lithium. The two nations established a Binational Lithium and Salt Flats Working Group, which will be a hub for joint actions, where companies and scientific teams will swap experiences, and human resources will get further training.

The deal covers crucial areas like environmental, economic, and social sustainability. It aims to blend capital, technology, and sustainability for economic development while aligning with the global shift towards a green economy.

We also have news for all public transport users out there. SUBE cards, the smart cards used for public transportation in many provinces, were famously hard to top up, as locals could only validate their credit in physical terminals or using a specific app that not everyone had access to. Now, users can validate their payment right on the bus in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area.

People will be able to use a banking or payment app to recharge the card as usual, but instead of validating the credit at a physical terminal or through the app, users will be able to tell the driver that they need to validate their payment. Then, they will tap the card on the reader, state their destination, and pay as usual.

On top of that, the SUBE card is expanding its reach to five new cities: Tornquist, Azul, Puerto Madryn, Esquel, and Concepción del Uruguay.

The SUBE card may not get you further than a few kilometers, but music might. Last week, New York City honored the Argentine singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer Charly García with a plaque right at the corner of Walker Street and Cortland Alley, officially calling it the Charly García Corner.

This honor marks the 40th anniversary of his groundbreaking album Clics Modernos, commemorating the iconic spot in Tribeca where the album cover photo was taken. In fact, the name of the album was inspired by the graffiti on that corner’s wall.

Speaking of musicians making waves, Taylor Swift took over the headlines and the entire city during her stay in Argentina. The superstar performed three sold-out shows at the Monumental Stadium in Capital Federal in front of 85,000 fans each night.

Despite having to pull the plug on Friday’s gig due to some hardcore thunderstorms and rescheduling it for Sunday, local Swifties went all out with friendship bracelets and creative makeovers, turning the stadium into a Swift wonderland. Even the band members couldn’t contain their excitement, taking to social media to thank the fans in Argentina for bathing them with love, screams, and joy.

There’s another musical event coming up. Lollapalooza Argentina just dropped their twenty twenty-four lineup, which features headliners Blink-182, Feid, SZA, and Sam Smith. Plus, Latin American talents like Grupo Frontera and GALE are bringing their A-game too.

The three-day event kicks off on the 15th of March next year at the Hipódromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires Province. Three-day tickets are now available for 120,000 pesos (some 130 dollars at the parallel exchange rate), and day tickets will become available once the daily lineup is shared.

And to close this edition…

The BBC World Service is hitting up Buenos Aires City for a special episode of The Arts Hour on Tour, a cultural program that travels to different cities around the world, exploring local arts and culture scenes.

Right now, they’re on the lookout for a lively crowd, so if you’re in the area on Tuesday, the 21st of November, you can sign up to be part of the action. The event will take place at the Ciudad Cultural Konex and will showcase top-notch Argentine talent like Dante Spinetta, with live performances and chit-chats about their creative journeys. Host Nikki Bedi will dive into the heart of Buenos Aires, exploring its quirks, contradictions, and the whole 'porteño' vibe.

Not only will the event be in English, but it will also be free. If you want to reserve a spot, follow the link in the show notes.

And that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us! Before we leave, we wanted to thank everyone who has been listening to us, and welcome all the new subscribers! We are happy the Rorshok Argentina community is growing!

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¡Nos vemos la próxima semana!