Aerolíneas Pilots’ Strike Causes Air Travel Chaos
A surprise strike by pilots at state-owned airline Aerolíneas Argentinas and sister company Austral is causing severe travel disruption today. The strike action – motivated by a dispute over wages – was decided yesterday evening by the Association of Airline Pilots (ALPA) and is expected to continue until 12pm today (Friday). Dozens of flights departing today from Buenos Aires – both domestic and international – have already been cancelled, with other services likely to be delayed on suspended (check here for latest information). Late last night, Aerolíneas Argentinas advised travellers on flights scheduled before 12pm not to go to the airport until it announces that services had been resumed. In a press statement, the airline called on union leaders to “return to the table of dialogue so as to avoid these serious measures that are detrimental to passengers and the company.”However, a statement by ALPA claimed that the union had spent “months seeking an answer to demands to recover the value of pilots’ income that has been lost due to the inflation registered since the last wage increase in September 2015.”Share On
Source:The Argentina Independent
September 16, 2016 10:41 UTC
Uruguay moves to tackle dictatorship crimes
Friday, September 16, 2016 Uruguay moves to tackle dictatorship crimesGov’t approves bill sent to Congress to create new prosecutor’s office for human rights abusesMONTEVIDEO — Uruguay’s government yesterday sent a bill to Congress to create a prosecutors’ office specializing in crimes against humanity committed during the country’s military dictatorship (1973-1985), local media reported yesterday. “The idea is to transform one of the country’s public prosecutor’s offices, we do not know which yet, into a special prosecutor for crimes against humanity focusing on the last dictatorship,” said local media. However, sources from the Attorney General’s Office declined to disclose the bill’s contents regarding the creation of the new body. Among those convicted was an Uruguayan military officer named Manuel Cordero, the only member of the Uruguayan dictatorship that could legally be tried in Argentina, as Argentine law doesn’t allow trials in absentia and the extradition of other accused officials was denied by the Uruguayan courts. Many of those accused are currently serving sentences in Uruguay, either in prisons or under house arrest.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 04:15 UTC
Government pencils in higher 2017 fiscal deficit in its first Budget
Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay presented the 2017 Budget in Congress yesterday, formally kicking off the review process to generally cautious approval by the opposition. Annual inflation will slow to the range of 12 to 17 percent in 2017, according to estimates included in the bill. In 2015 a deficit of US$ 2.97 billion was recorded and 2016 is expected to come in with a deficit of US$ 646 million. Prat-Gay said the 2017 budget will be the first in many years based on reality. Lawmaker Néstor Pitrola of the FIT denounced collusion among the other opposition sectors in favour of a “Kirchnerite budget”.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 03:59 UTC
Playing with fire
Friday, September 16, 2016 Playing with fireLittle over a fortnight after a San Martín surgeon gunned down the man trying to steal his Toyota, the issue of vigilante justice has returned to newspaper headlines and media debate after a Zárate butcher killed a presumed thief last Tuesday — it is thus time for both government and society to define its positions on what is sure to be a chronic problem before a dangerous escalation of violence between criminals and the citizenry at large takes root (changing the roles definitely). But Macri arguably had less right than Bullrich to applaud a man taking the law into his own hands and converting robbery into a capital offence — if the legitimate right to self-defence was highly tenuous in the confusing San Martín episode, it was directly non-existent in this latest case when the butcher had to pursue his presumed assailants a considerable distance before running one of them over. A major seminar on Wednesday at the “mini-Davos” investment forum headed by Vice-President Gabriela Michetti and Supreme Court Chief Justice Ricardo Lorenzetti was entitled (in English) “Establishing the Rule of Law” but the rule of law is not being served when suspected criminals are denied their right to a fair trial, instead being subjected to an arbitrary form of capital punishment which has never been prescribed by the Criminal Code for this or any other crime. Perhaps Macri was consciously or subconsciously influenced by this international context in being more cautious yesterday but this attitude has been the exception rather than the rule in his general approach — certainly not the tone of his “war on drugs” launched at a mega-event late last month or the subtle efforts of his administration to soft-pedal the trials of the crimes against humanity during the 1976-83 military dictatorship. But anybody taking the law into their own hands warrants “zero tolerance” as much as anybody breaking the law — not only does this encourage trigger-happy police and vigilante-minded citizens to take a grim toll in innocent lives but criminals will become more inclined to kill their targets preventively in their own version of “legitimate self-defence.”
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 03:56 UTC
Lula: prosecutors want to derail re-election bid
Friday, September 16, 2016 Lula: prosecutors want to derail re-election bidBrazil’s former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva weeps during a press conference while commenting on corruption charges he is facing, in São Paulo yesterday. Federal prosecutors on Wednesday accused Lula of being the “maximum commander” of the kickback scheme at Petrobras. Prosecutors also believe Lula benefitted from OAS paying the rent of a storage unit to house gifts that Lula received while president. Rousseff and Lula have argued that the impeachment push also was politically motivated, a way to weaken their Workers’ Party. In a separate case related to Petrobras, Lula will go on trial on charges of obstruction of justice.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 03:56 UTC
EU court annuls anti-dumping duties slapped on biodiesel exports
Further to WTO ruling Friday, September 16, 2016 EU court annuls anti-dumping duties slapped on biodiesel exportsA European Union court delivered a series of rulings yesterday that annulled anti-dumping duties imposed on exporters of biodiesel from Indonesia and Argentina. Argentina and Indonesia, major exporters of biodiesel, have called the EU measures protectionist. The cases have brought legal challenges, with the General Court of the European Union, the lower of the two EU courts, issuing its ruling yesterday. Some trade lawyers say the ruling could have far wider implications and determine future EU trade relations with China. Duties ranged between 22 percent and 25.7 percent and led to a plunge of more than 75 percent of the Argentine biodiesel exports.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 03:56 UTC
If Murray plays on all three days...
Friday, September 16, 2016 If Murray plays on all three days...By Eric Weil / SportsworldArgentina faces a challenging tie in the Davis CupArgentina has reached the semifinals of the Davis Cup again and will face Britain, the holders, in Glasgow. If Andy Murray, the world number two, plays on all three days, Britain will be even firmer favourites to win. The British team is completed by Daniel Evans (ranked 53th) and Kyle Edmund (55th) and both are potentially beatable. But if Andy Murray plays on all three days in the doubles and wins? The gang was not on Boca’s banned list.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 03:56 UTC
Macri sides with man jailed for killing thief
‘He should be with his family’ Friday, September 16, 2016 Macri sides with man jailed for killing thiefPresident Mauricio Macri is seen at the Kirchner Cultural Centre (CCK) yesterday on the final day of the government’s Business and Investment Forum in Buenos Aires City. President Mauricio Macri yesterday emphatically took sides in the controversy surrounding violent reactions to alleged robberies. The president backed butcher Daniel Oyarzún who was arrested on Tuesday for running over and killing a man with his car after an attempted robbery. The latter and another man allegedly tried to rob the butcher’s store in the Buenos Aires province district of Zárate. “When someone chases somebody with his car, they know that what they are using is also like gun,” Gómez stated.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 03:45 UTC
Barrick halts mine operations after spill
Barrick has forecast an annual mine output of around “600,000 ounces” or around 17,000 kilos of gold for 2016. The amount of cyanide solution that leaked into the local environment following the incident was unclear. Wall joined Barrick in 2004 and is a senior executive of global operations team, reporting directly to Chief Operating Officer (COO), Richard Williams,” the company said. Local Judge Pablo Oritja, who suspended all operations at Veladero and brought charges against nine current and former Barrick employees following the 2015 spill, suggested that the incident had likely been less serious than last time. “It should not be called a spill because it didn’t reach the valley and there’s no contamination,” he said.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 03:22 UTC
Long live Saint Gilda: an unabashed biopic
Friday, September 16, 2016 Long live Saint Gilda: an unabashed biopicBy Pablo SuárezFor the HeraldSpellbinding musical biography does justice to the uncanny magic of a unique popular artistPOINTS: 9First, the facts. Saint Gilda is thus born. It’s based on the real life story, but it’s certainly not the ultimate truth about Gilda. In technical and aesthetic terms, Gilda goes beyond the expectations raised by a genre work with such high ambitions. Long live Saint Gilda.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 16, 2016 01:07 UTC
Barrick’s Veladero Mine Closed After Another Cyanide Spill Confirmed
Authorities in San Juan province have suspended activity at Barrick Gold’s Veladero mine after the company confirmed another cyanide spill on site. The spill occurred on 8th September, days before the anniversary of the country’s worst ever mining leak, also by Barrick at the Veladero mine. However, details of the latest spill were only made public last night. The fact that it took six days for the news of this latest spill to be made public has only added to local scepticism. Read More: One Year On From the Jáchal Spill: What We Know and Don’t KnowShare On
Source:The Argentina Independent
September 15, 2016 14:03 UTC
UK-Argentina agree to extra Malvinas flights
Thursday, September 15, 2016 UK-Argentina agree to extra Malvinas flightsForeign Minister Susana Malcorra and UK Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Alan Duncan shake hands during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. Sectors such as hydrocarbons, trade and shipping were expressly included in the statement. Argentina currently has legislation criminalizing unauthorized hydrocarbon exploration in the disputed territory and prosecutors last year opened criminal proceedings against multinationals operating in and around the islands. The joint communiqué signed by the United Kingdom and Argentina late Tuesday states that there was an agreement on “two additional stops per month in mainland Argentina, one in each direction. Addressing the joint communiqué, Sir Alan Duncan — Minister of State for Europe and the Americas — said that “the South Atlantic Dialogue will seek to build cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 03:45 UTC
Knowing the truth sets us free
Thursday, September 15, 2016 Knowing the truth sets us freeBy María Eugenia VidalI want to celebrate the commitment to truth that has set apart the Buenos Aires Herald throughout its 140-year history. When we began our administration, we knew fairly well that the Buenos Aires Province was stuck. This is why we have embarked on a historic claim, along with all the sectors, for the Greater Buenos Aires Reparation Fund. Knowing the history of the Buenos Aires Herald is an inspiration for us as well. María Eugenia Vidal is the governor of Buenos Aires Province.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 03:11 UTC
Let history not repeat itself
Thursday, September 15, 2016 Let history not repeat itselfBy Estela CarlottoI can still remember the daily visits that the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo made to the Buenos Aires Herald at the height of the civilian-military dictatorship, to reveal what was happening to our families and, above all, the Argentine people. Through the collective struggle and with international aid we managed to explain the real dimension of the crimes that had occurred. State policies map out a direction for a country, those policies can either guarantee or block democratic processes, of justice and increased rights. There can be no talk of new human rights as if the aftermath of State terrorism was still not something that is present. In that sense, our organization is concerned that history should not repeat itself and the task of journalists and the press is not a light one in sustaining democracy.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 03:11 UTC
A crossroads lies ahead
Thursday, September 15, 2016 A crossroads lies aheadWith all the technological changes and the crisis in the industry, some might venture to say that, as with the traditional media, journalists are an endangered species. It is no accident that in many countries this crisis overlaps with the role of the media coming into question. The populist or leftist governments, emerging from political débacles, have tended to identify the traditional media as their main adversary. The corporations are not only regaining ground but see unlimited horizons stretching out ahead of them. A crossroad lies ahead.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 03:11 UTC