MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Buenos Aires-Mar del Plata train runs again
After two years out of service, Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata, which are 400 kilometres apart, are since Monday again linked by a train service that needs almost seven hours to reach its final destination. Buenos Aires provincial Governor María Eugenia Vidal said “It is no longer a promise - we have delivered.” Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesAs opposed to the immensely corrupt manner in which the Kirchner government brought about the decay of transportation infrastructure here.
Jul 04th, 2017 - 04:16 am - Link - Report abuse +2April 2016: “Former Transportation Secretary Ricardo Jaime Under Arrest And Behind Bars -
- On Saturday, former Transportation Secretary Ricardo Jaime became the first Kirchnerite official to be arrested on corruption charges.”
http://www.thebubble.com/ricardo-jaime-arrest/
@Martillazo
Jul 04th, 2017 - 05:54 am - Link - Report abuse -1You cannot blame the Kirchner administration for the destruction of the rail services. The one responsible for it was Carlos Menem. Nestor and Cristina Kirchner were the ones responsible for bringing the rail service back, including the freight services. This was something severely criticized by Clarin and La Nacion. Most of the brand new formations came from China. You should see the subway formations that Macri, when Major of Buenos Aires, bought used from Spain. They were horrible and the city paid as if they were new. They used to come on the same ship. Th subway formations had to be completely refurbished.
Yes, Ricardo Jaime is utterly corrupt, but he was never a Kirchnerite. He was the very popular Mayor of the city of Cordoba and a member of the UCR party. He was named secretary of transportation just to have a UCR politician in the administration. He was cut loose after the charges of corruption and ended up in jail.
Hektor
Sr. Hektor...
Jul 04th, 2017 - 07:07 am - Link - Report abuse -3Bién dicho..., gallego...
El inglés es especialista en tergiverar cualquier historia...
@Hektor
Jul 04th, 2017 - 11:56 am - Link - Report abuse +2We can say that Menem, a true peronist, (at that time Nestor was governor of its province and was a political ally of Menem) destroyed the rail services that J.A. Roca and some british companies had created.
During the 12 years of the last peronist government they almost nothing to bring the rails service back basically for the simple reason that the promote the usage of trucks (a more inefficient and expensive service but protected by the peronist union).
The last peronist government was responsible for the killing of 50 people in an accident that could be avoided just reading the technical warnings. After the accident, and due to the pressure of the media and the people, the government bought, in a direct purchasing without any bidding process, some trains (in China). This purchasing was criticized even by the union “La Fraternindad” due to the corruption and bribes of the operation.
In the City of BUenos Aires, due to economic shortages, old trains were bought in Spain and refurbished to “0 km”. They are now working well. Now the City Hall bought some new Alstom formations.
We cannot avoid the fact that the last peronist government had during at least taken 8 years of the best international soybean prices. With this money, almost stolen to the farms, they did almost no public works..no trains, no gas, no oil, no electricity..nothing just corruption.
This train, Bs As-Mar del Plata, is finally back thanks to Macri's government that started investing money, hughe amounts of it, in public work
The decline in the use of railroads in Argentina due to economic factors closely paralleled similar trends in other countries. That was for those lines which were simply unprofitable with the advent of modern trucking. In fact, Argentina's peak effective rail condition was pre-Peronism, when the railroads were constructed and installed by foreign corporations. Peron's nationalisation of the railroads precipitated their rapid decline, even for many long-haul lines later considered economically valuable. Argentine rail is a shadow of its former self and restricts potential economic progress.
Jul 04th, 2017 - 03:01 pm - Link - Report abuse +2But the Kirchner years in particular were a time of failure to maintain infrastructure in general, and in particular the rail infrastructure for those remaining essential lines that continued to be needed and used.
I recall a press note from 2015 where Kirchner made a big paid-media deal out of some new Chinese rolling stock. Well, new trains is one thing, but the decayed rail structure is quite another, and it was pointed out by the real media that the trains on this line actually ran faster in 1890 than in 2015, and it took half as long to drive the same distance. The Kirchner-era train from Bs As to Mar del Plata, some 400 km, took 7 hours, in large part because of the poor condition of the rails, berms, sleepers, etc. Pre-Peronism, that run was done in a little over 4 hours. There is definitely a legacy of infrastructure neglect and misuse of public monies from the corrupt Kirchner years.
Anglo Turnip above writes...:
Jul 04th, 2017 - 04:52 pm - Link - Report abuse -3“The Kirchner-era train from Bs As to Mar del Plata, some 400 km, took 7 hours, in large part because of the poor condition of the rails, berms, sleepers, etc. Pre-Peronism, that run was done in a little over 4 hours. There is definitely a legacy of infrastructure neglect and misuse of public monies from the corrupt Kirchner years.”
I say...:
The Kirchner-era train from Bs As to Mar del Plata, some 400 km, took ~7 hours, in large part because of the poor condition of the rails, berms, sleepers, etc...
The Macri-era train from Bs As to Mar del Plata, same 400 km, takes..., after two years of “renovation”... ~7 hours...
During the forties and fifties..., (The Peronist Era)... i did that run several times..., in a little over 4 hours..., in the most luxurious “Marplatenses Express” ... , with locomotives and air conditioned wagons entirely made in Argentina..., as one can see in my very interesting linked video below... (between 14:06 and 16:20 minutes)...:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kiEhQDNq4xs
There is definitely a legacy of infrastructure neglect and misuse of public monies from the 30 years of corrupt right-wing military dictatorships that followed...
Tinkle has confirmed that the state of the rail infrastructure for that 400 km run is still in poor condition, after years of Peronist neglect and the failure so far of the present government to make much headway in turning around that long-standing neglect.
Jul 04th, 2017 - 06:25 pm - Link - Report abuse +3So how come Ricardo Jaime is not a Kirchnerist? He is a thief. That lands him in the same group as the other K crooks.
Jul 05th, 2017 - 04:15 pm - Link - Report abuse +2I wonder how long will it take before they start claiming that De Vido is not a Kirchnerist.
Looks like DeVido is about to be defrocked, I mean, desaforado. But it's not in the bag yet.
Jul 05th, 2017 - 06:43 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Ricardo Raúl Jaime is most certainly a Kirchnerista and was a member of the FpV (FraudePorVida). Although now that he is behind bars that membership might not be as useful.
Tarquin Fin writes: “I wonder how long will it take before they start claiming that De Vido is not a Kirchnerist.”
Jul 05th, 2017 - 10:35 pm - Link - Report abuse +2Well, I wonder how long it will take before they start claiming that Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner aren't Kirchnerists.
Media reports a few hours ago seem to indicate that there would be enough votes to remove the fueros (immunity) for de Vido, currently a deputy in the lower house of congress. The prosecutor in the latest case (diversion of funds related to the Río Turbio mines here in Sta Cruz province) has evidently asked for the removal of immunity and arrest of de Vido.
Jul 06th, 2017 - 12:38 am - Link - Report abuse +2The support for removal of immunity appears to be across the board in the congress, with the obvious exception of the Kirchnerist peronchos, who don't want to see one of their criminal mates sent to prison. There are reportedly 23 Kirchnerists being investigated in this case.
@ML
Jul 06th, 2017 - 10:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Marti's enthusiasm for the last pre-election moves of Macrist members of the judiciary is commendable.
However, I say bring it on.
Conduct all the trials that are warranted.
Even better, conduct oral trials and televise them. Shame corrupt officials and punish to the full extent of the law.
Of course, I expect all here subscribe to the principle “all are equal before the law.”
If so, I am ready to hear cheerleaders' pleadings for quick trials on the Panama Papers affair, the Correo Argentino one, the Avianca, and several others for which current government officials have been indicted.
Mostly, I expect Mauricio Macri to act ruthlessly against all suspects to fulfill his anti-corruption promises.
Would be fun to see it.
Another revealing press note in the local media about the decay of the argentine rail system. This one described the rail travel from Jujuy province to Buenos Aires.
Jul 07th, 2017 - 06:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0- It took 22 days. 1700 km but... 22 days....
- the locomotives date back to the 1950s. During the 1700 km trip cited, the locomotives kept falling apart and had to be replaced 9 times.
-The rails and rail bed are in such poor conditions that at some points the train had to crawl at about 5 km/hour.
- Last year, 10 bridges on the route broke apart
- loading and unloading of cargo is done by hand, or as they say here, “al hombro.”
The high cost of transport of agricultural production in much of the country contributes to high domestic food prices and lower competitiveness in international trade. The negligence in the maintenance of the rail infrastructure is another example of the legacy of peronismo that will take a lot of time and money to turn around.
@Martillazo
Jul 07th, 2017 - 09:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0The problem with the rail system is Carlos Menem's legacy. He is member of the recalcitrant oligarchy mascharading as a Peronist. Menem was supported by Clarin and La Nacion. That says it all. He left the country in bankruptcy. In all fairness to him, he followed the orders imparted by the IMF and was the darling of the global economists. Argentina in 2001 had a depression 1 1/2 times worse than the US depression of the 30's. People forget what Nestor Kirchner got in 2004. All Nestor Kirchner did was to undo everything that Menem did. For that, he was hated by the oligarchy. They had a good standard of living while the rest of the country suffered. Of course, they hated him because he begun redistributing the wealth from the oligarchy to the rest of Argentines.
I begun following the Kirchners before they were known by most Argentines, and I agree with them. This was when De la Rua was elected presidentIt is not that they sweet talked me, but rather the other way around.
This recalcitrant oligarchy has been the problem of Argentina since its foundation. They are a minority in the city of BA. It is the eternal battle between “Unitarian” and “Federalists” that has never been resolved. They chased San Martin from Argentina. Manuel Belgrano dies destitute and in poverty. The government of Argentina owed him something li 20 years salary. They murdered Manuel Dorrego. Bartolome Mitre defeated Urquiza in Pavon. They instituted disasters like Puyrredon and Bernardino Rivadavia. Bartolome Mitre was defeated by Nicolas Avellaneda when he run for the second time. He was so furious that he sounded La Nacion. The excuse was that he wanted to publish his poetry. The real reason was to overthrow Avellaneda. That is the true history of La Nacion.
I do not have enough space to tell the hole story. I need to write a book. I am not a Peronist nor a Kirchnerite; I am a Federalist.
Hektor
Ah, so the voting to remove immunity CAN happen if the politician is unpopular enough. And it looks like in a vote last year on whether to allow searches of De Vido's properties only the FpV deputies voted against it and not all of them.
Jul 07th, 2017 - 09:43 am - Link - Report abuse +1But IMO whether a politician is tried or imprisoned for a crime should not depend on how much support they have from their fellows. This could easily lead to larger parties having an immunity from the law that is denied to members of smaller, less popular ones. How is that a good thing?
@Hektor
According to Wikipedia Ricardo Jaime served as Secretary General of the Interior of Santa Cruz province when Nestor Kirchner was governor there, and then head of the Provincial Council of Education. So he was already associated with the Kirchners even before Nestor became President.
“Menem was supported by Clarin and La Nacion.”
So was Nestor and also Cristina to begin with, right? Until she fell out with them.
Did the oligarchy really not suffer at all from the recession? That seems unlikely.
@Martillazo:
Jul 07th, 2017 - 02:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I can post again.
It is impossible for me to dump 200 years of Argentine history into one message. Let me summarize my thoughts the way I see it.
Great Britain democracy has two main natural parties, Labor and Conservative (Tories.) The same thing with the US, Democratic and Republican. Argentina has two natural parties, Federalist and Unitarian. However, they do not exist as such. Peron was a Federalist but since there is no Federalist party, he formed his own. Te Kirchners are Federalist. Therefore they formed FPV. Now Cristina came up with Union Ciudadana. Macri is really a Unitarian. So he formed the “Pro” and later Cambiemos. This has Argentines utterly confused. They have no idea what they are voting for. For example, they voted for Menem because he run under the banners of Peronism but he was actually a Unitarian.
This personalism that I want to be President, therefore I will form my own Party has subverted the institution of Political Parties in Argentina. The press perpetuates this personalism by invoking names like “Macrism,” “Kirchnerism,” “Massism,” etc.
One cannot bypass the political party. First, you have to win to represent your party and then, if that happens, run for office. Florencio Randazzo bolted Federalism and became an Unitarian, because he wants to be President. That happens because the natural or true historical political thoughts in Argentina are not defined as such.
@DemonTree:
It seems that the oligarchy was doing very well under Menem, because they want to go back to those days including the depression. With Macri, we are heading to a second default.
I am very aware that Clarin supported Nestor Kirchner until they fell out (La Nacion will never support a “Peronist.”) You see, Hector Magnetto supports a new government to get the most from them. Then he goes against it, to get some more. Lastly, he tries to overthrow them to start the process again with the new government. He said that.
Hektor
And let's not forget the Kirchners' unqualified support for Menem during the 1990s.
Jul 07th, 2017 - 03:05 pm - Link - Report abuse +1There's a standard practice here when a criminal is discredited and exposed, to say, well, he or she is not a “real peronist.” But peronismo runs the gamut: marxist peronchos, fascist peronchos, indicted peronchos, unindicted peronchos, convicted peronchos. It's more of a disease than a particular political persuasion. Oh, and Menem wasn't a peroncho? Not only that, he's still part of the PJ bloc.
The news here recently about El Turco: “Tiene dos condenas penales. Una por contrabando agravado de armas y otra por malversación de fondos públicos. En seis años en el Senado, no pronunció una sola palabra. Entre 2014 y 2015, sólo fue a una sesión. Sin embargo, buscará renovar su banca. El ex presidente Carlos Menem será candidato por el Partido Justicialista de La Rioja.” (“Two convictions. One for trafficking in contraband weapons and the other for diversion of public funds. In six years in the senate he never spoke a word. In 2014-15 he attended just one senate session. But he wants to retain his seat. Former president Carlos Menem will run as a candidate for the Justicialista [Peronist] Party. ”
That's the sort of criminal that argentines keep putting in office, and helps to explain the wretched condition of the country.
“Para un delincuente no hay nada mejor que otro peronista”, decía el General Perón.
@Hektor
Jul 07th, 2017 - 05:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If Magnetto supported the Kirchners and always supports a new government then why does it mean anything that Clarin supported Menem? And if La Nacion supported Menem then obviously they will support a Peronist, as long as it is a right-wing one.
Could you explain what these two 'natural parties' represent to you? I suppose Unitarians are in favour of more centralised power and Federalists of giving powers to the provinces, but I don't think that is what you mean here.
I agree that the prevalence of personal parties is a bad thing for Argentina. There is too much focus on the individual leader and less on the ideals of the party that can outlast any one person.
@DemonTree
Jul 07th, 2017 - 06:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You said:
“Could you explain what these two 'natural parties' represent to you? I suppose Unitarians are in favour of more centralised power and Federalists of giving powers to the provinces, but I don't think that is what you mean here.”
That is correct, but it is much more than that. The Federalist are primarily a pro-argentine government. In other words, we favor argentine industries and companies, private or state-owned.“ Unitarians favor foreign investment and to hell with Argentine companies. The Federalists believe in Argentine culture. The Unitarians think that the pinnacle of civilization is Europe and the US and they think of themselves as Europeans and not South Americans. Boy are they surprised when they travel abroad. Europeans think of them as ”Sudakas.”
Federalist believe in protecting our industries with taxes on imports. Unitarians believe in allowing imports in without tariffs. One of the main reasons is that we rely on our agricultural products for exports. El Campo is afraid that if we impose tariffs on imports, other countries will retaliate imposing tariffs.
The maximum expression of the arts is European: Opera, Mozart, Beethoven, Titian, Carvaggio, Velazquez, Murillo, Goya, etc. Federalists believe in Argentine music and art, first. Make no mistake, I do not disdain European culture and love opera and Caravaggio, among others. I also love Argentine music, specially folklore. In addition, I love cumbias as well.
This division has existed throughout Argentine history. The history we are taught in school was written by Unitarians. Let me finish with naming a few Unitarians and Federalist throughout our history:
Unitarian: Mariano Moreno, Puyredon, Lavalle, Rivadavia, Rosas, Mitre, Sarmiento, Yrigoyen (the UCR represent the left wing,) Castillo, the military regimes, Menem. De la Rua, etc.
Federalists: Saavedra, San Martin, Belgrano, Dorrego, Artigas, Güemes, Juan Bautista Alberdi, Urquiza, Peron, Kirchner, etc.
Hektor
That's very interesting Hektor, although I doubt your Unitarians would describe themselves that way.
Jul 07th, 2017 - 10:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Judging by Macri and Menem, they believe in 'conventional' economic policy (eg Menem following the IMF's recommendations), and building relationships with first world countries. While your Federalists prefer protectionist and redistributive policies, and building relationships with their neighbours, as well as Russia and China. Both have their downsides, judging by what I have seen.
Would you say most of the Unitarians are in Buenos Aires, as in the past?
Also I wouldn't be too sure the history taught in schools these days is all written by Unitarians. There have been a lot of revisionist historians since you were at school.
“Hektor,” what is taught here today regarding argentine history is largely populist “Nueva Argentina” indoctrination pap which aligns with peronismo more than any imaginary “unitarian” perspective. Rubbish like “ La Argentina de Perón” and “ La razón de mi vida” are still obligatory reading in primary grades in public schools.
Jul 07th, 2017 - 11:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There was a brief period of attempted de-peronising in educational materials after the caudillo was deposed in 1955 (1956 decree Nº 4161) but it didn't achieve the desired effect, so public schools to this day stink to high heaven with peronist ideology and propaganda.
“Hektor” : “ I love cumbias as well.”
That explains everything.
No doubt a big fan of choripanes as well.
@Martillazo:
Jul 08th, 2017 - 03:22 am - Link - Report abuse 0You said:
““Hektor,” what is taught here today regarding argentine history is largely populist “Nueva Argentina” indoctrination pap which aligns with peronismo more than any imaginary “unitarian” perspective. Rubbish like “ La Argentina de Perón” and “ La razón de mi vida” are still obligatory reading in primary grades in public schools.”
Are you sure about that? What Argentina are you talking about? The Argentina of 1952? I went through grammar school and High School, and I never had to read any of those books. Furthermore, I never read them nor I'm interested in reading them. I do not read propaganda.
We have to agree to disagree.
I'm diabetic; choripanes are out for me, but cumbias, now you are talking.
I'm out of here; I have things to do and my wife is getting upset with me.
Hektor
@Hektor
Jul 08th, 2017 - 03:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Nice catch.
Marti, aka “maestro ciruela” loves to prove how bad Peronists, and especially Kirchnerists, are bad and will often go overboard as in this case.
When a dubious pre-election request to jail De Vido a few days ago was issued, he felt endorsed and happy.
Now that the judge in the case threw out the request and ordered the prosecutor investigated for procedural irregularities, he'll quick change subject.
It's one thing to declare the “Ks” to be a “gang of thieves” based on Clarin stories and a very different one to prove it in court.
@Enrique:
Jul 08th, 2017 - 09:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It seems that by the constitution you cannot resign your “foros.” Therefore, the whole issue is moot.
Have you read Clarin lately? I do not what is happening. It seems to be a different paper and a very serious at that. I could be mistaken. However, after the death of Ernestina, the paper changed. Maybe that is the reason or maybe Magnetto is very sick and no longer in charge of the Group. Magnetto is the CEO of the Clarin Group. Ricardo Kirschboum is the Chief Editor of Clarin. He is an old fashion reporter and seemed very troubled, in a couple of interviews I watched, when asked about the role of Clarin during the Kirchners.
@Martillazo
I know that you love cumbias. From Pasto, Colombia with love:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpNxGc0BoZk
When I want to be happy, I put a cumbia. Tangos make me very sad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpNxGc0BoZk
Hektor
Most peronchos and the bulk of illegal immigrant cholivians seem to be taken by cumbia.
Jul 09th, 2017 - 12:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0@Martillazo:
Jul 09th, 2017 - 02:08 am - Link - Report abuse 0“Most peronchos and the bulk of illegal immigrant cholivians seem to be taken by cumbia.”
And? Most of Latin America, except Brazil, is taken by the Cumbia? I am amazed that you only associate the cumbia with two groups. Here is the cambia in Mexico City:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KbAdDr5gKM
What's a “peroncho” and a “cholivian?” Are those racial slurs?
Hektor
Peroncho and choliviano are common expressions here in Argentina. You really ought to visit someday.
Jul 09th, 2017 - 03:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0@Martillazo:
Jul 09th, 2017 - 03:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0I always meant to ask you? Just out of curiosity not that it makes any difference. Are you Argentine born in Argentina or another country?
The Caramelo orquestra I posted on Youtube, are Colombians, more specifically from the Province of Pasto, in southern Colombia, close to Cali.
Most of them are or were university students majoring in music and they decided to form an orchestra. The battery player is Gina and she an engineer. I do not think that the vocalists, with the exception of one are university students. The main one is the redheaded playing the drums. She is the music director. They were the first of a number of all women bands. This one is classy. I really like them.
Hektor
DT
Jul 09th, 2017 - 05:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0“I agree that the prevalence of personal parties is a bad thing for Argentina. There is too much focus on the individual leader and less on the ideals of the party that can outlast any one person”
The 'gosh oh golly' wide-eyed boy, is suddenly an expert on all things of Arg politics.
Ah, Kanye, there's no pleasing you is there? If I don't know something about Argentina, you complain that I haven't learned anything after posting on this site for a year. If I do know something, you complain that I'm suddenly an expert.
Jul 09th, 2017 - 04:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Does it not occur to you that there are parties based on one charismatic individual outside of Argentina? Does the name Hugo Chavez ring a bell? Remember when Putin got Medvedev elected President and became PM himself?
Turned out well, didn't they?
Beside that, it's just common sense. If there are parties it gives continuity and people know what they are voting for. It also puts more focus on policies so people think about what direction they want their country to take, rather than just on who they most trust to run things.
Looks as though our friend de Vido is being charged with still more crimes. Argie media today shows that a prosecutor has charged de Vido with improper payments of subsidies to transportation companies.
Jul 11th, 2017 - 01:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0That brings the number of criminal complaints against de Vido up to 135, involving 30 different crimes. De Vido, along with three other Kirchnerist officials from de Vido's ministerio, are reportedly being hit with embargoes totaling 1 billion pesos. One of them, Ricardo Jaime, has already been sentenced to 6 years in prison.
These criminals continue to be reekie's heroes.
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