People out in the streets banging pots and pans, or protesting burning tires and garbage containers in powerless neighborhoods, while an estimated 30.000 businesses in Buenos Aires City and metropolitan area are organizing demanding compensation for losses suffered because of the collapse of the power distribution system overwhelmed by an extraordinary heat wave with temperatures in the high thirties and low forties.
Mobile phone companies operating in Argentina will have 60 days to adjust all their rates and charge by the second, Federal Planning Minister Julio De Vido and Communications Secretary Norberto Berner confirmed in a news conference. Companies Personal, Movistar and Claro will only have 15 days to implement the change for new customers according to the resolution published in the Official Gazette.
Argentina formally rejected on Tuesday the United Kingdom's 16 December protest against the latest Argentine hydrocarbons legislation which seeks to criminalize oil industry activities in Falklands/Malvinas Islands waters and which London argues is not applicable to the Islands.
China expressed appreciation on Monday for Argentina's efforts to handle recent looting and damage to supermarkets owned by overseas Chinese. Beijing last week urged Buenos Aires to protect Chinese citizen's security and interests after one Chinese was killed in recent riots and looting.
The United Kingdom formally protested on Monday to Argentina about the passing of an amendment to the hydrocarbons bill which seeks to criminalize individuals or companies with involved in hydrocarbons activities in Falkland Islands waters, insisting that Argentine law does not apply to the Falklands and the Islanders right to develop their hydrocarbons sector.
Uruguayan Senator from the ruling coalition Luis Rosadilla will be honored by the Argentine embassy in Montevideo for having volunteered in 1982 to join the Argentine war effort during the invasion of the Falkland Islands.
Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich confirmed on Friday that President Cristina Fernández will announce next week an “economic and financial recognition” to the members of national security forces following the deployment of 12,000 agents across the country to counter the impacts of the police protests and lootings that hit almost all Argentine provinces over the past days.
The European Union has asked for a one-month delay in the exchange of proposals to kick off free-trade negotiations with Mercosur, Argentine Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich confirmed on Thursday. The news was first reported by Sao Paulo newspapers on statements from Brazilian Foreign minister Luiz Fernando Figuereido.
Police protests and widespread looting in 19 of the 24 Argentine provinces has, in a few weeks, shattered expectations about the new cabinet of President Cristina Fernandez and a stabilization of the economy, since as can be anticipated government employees and unions will be demanding similar conditions as their blue uniformed colleagues to keep up to date with inflation, running at an annualized 26% according to the November reading.
Argentina will unveil its new consumer price index (CPI) in February and a revised GDP index in March, Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich announced. The dates effectively comply with the demands of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that had extended a deadline for Argentina to improve the quality of its economic data.