MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina dismantling the extortive power of the corrupt unions
A member of Argentina's elite of powerful union sharks has been arrested in Uruguay at his Great Chaparral ranch and is awaiting extradition to Buenos Aires to face charges of corruption, money laundering, extortion, stealing funds and links with the drugs business, among others. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesThis headline really takes the biscuit for biased, Sun-style sensationalism on mercopress. And the article is just as bad - “elite of powerful union sharks”, “the thug qualities needed” for leading a union, “a tough thug in the Argentine unions jungle” etc. Even one of the tags is “Kirchnerite corruption”
Jan 08th, 2018 - 09:48 am - Link - Report abuse -9But behind the sensation the truth is very different, it turns out ”He was politically close to the Argentine umbrella unions organization leader Hugo Moyano (a right wing Peronoist who led political strikes against Kirchnerism) and clashed with ex president Cristina Fernandez, although had excellent relations with the (sometimes) Kirchnerite ex governor of Buenos Aires province, Daniel Scioli“. And ”His union, as well as other dissident groups, was cooperative with the current administration of president Mauricio Macri”
So this crook was actually an anti-K, one of the right wing union bureaucracy who undermined Cristina and helped Macri to power, then undermined the opposition to him by holding back militancy in the run up to the elections to help Cambiembos, politically allied with the rotten sectors of Peronism who have given Macri the votes he needs to get his programme through Congress and promised to have nothing to do with Cristina in the Senate, which can only boost her credibility.
That Macri and it seems especially Vidal has turned on him and people like him anyway might spell trouble ahead for his overconfident administration. Just as long as they don't take over the opposition from the clean and much more effective Cristina
Accept the bare facts, this is about the enormous Kirchnerite corruption that has stolen wealth away from the Argentine people and delayed progress.
Jan 08th, 2018 - 11:52 am - Link - Report abuse +9Accept the facts yourself, this guy is an anti-Kirchnerist
Jan 08th, 2018 - 12:06 pm - Link - Report abuse -10Whatever the editorial angle it would appear that some kind of clean up is going on, and as far as I can see there isn't any indication that these people are being taken out so that a different team of corrupt officials can be put in place. The mere removal of financial resources will weaken the unions. It looks like, just maybe, Argentina will be a less corrupt place as a result. Time will tell.
Jan 08th, 2018 - 01:54 pm - Link - Report abuse +5British_Kirchnerist - Your words “have nothing to do with Cristina in the Senate, which can only boost her credibility” and “clean and much more effective Cristina”. The mere fact that you are using the word 'credibility' to describe la kretina as well as 'clean' and 'effective' makes me want to puke.
Jan 08th, 2018 - 01:55 pm - Link - Report abuse +4”
So Balcedo was good friends with the “One Armed Bandit” and he's anti-K? Riiiiight...
Jan 08th, 2018 - 03:22 pm - Link - Report abuse +5http: //www.thebubble.com/union-leader-arrested-in-uruguay-on-money-laundering-charges/
http://www.thebubble.com/balcedos-arrest-further-illustrates-how-the-judiciary-is-moving-on-union-leaders/
Looks like their little outburst in downtown BsAs recently in conjunction with the K thugs is gonna cost them. :)
Does it really matter which side of the political spectrum you are on, cleaning up corruption can only be a good thing.
Jan 09th, 2018 - 05:35 pm - Link - Report abuse +3@golfcronie
Jan 09th, 2018 - 08:50 pm - Link - Report abuse +1Yes, your right, it is a good thing no matter which side of the spectrum the arrested scumbags belong.
However, our most deep concern lies in how far the rabbit hole is this gov't willing to go.
Getting Balcedo and a couple of other crooks like him won't be enough to clean all the gunk accumulated in the last 70 years.
I'm pretty sure that gunk has stained many of the now ruling party as well.
British_Kirchnerist
Jan 09th, 2018 - 09:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You recently been to Thailand lately?
A tourist who had 'taken too many sex drugs' was arrested after rampaging through an airport yelling incoherently and throwing his feces at staff. Crazed transgender holidaymaker identifying himself as Mr. “British Kirchnerist” was eventually stopped by six security guards in the departure hall of Phuket International Airport, Thailand, having allegedly overdosed on Viagra and strolling around naked while smashing airport shop goods.
@chicureo po
Jan 10th, 2018 - 11:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0Speaking of criminal peronchos being stopped at the airport, in the news today we see that Timerman was denied entry to the US (his visa was suspended and he was not allowed to board the US-bound flight).
Timerman has a long history of anti-US behaviour, which may have figured in keeping him from travel to the US but it's also possible that the rejection was due to Timerman being under indictment and in pretrial detention.
Timerman's excuse for travel to the US was for medical treatment because, well, you know how limited the specialised cancer treatment is in Argentina.
So you want to deny him cancer treatment when he is on the brink of death without it? Speaking as someone who is sorry even for Macri that he was held for ransom in a coffin as a young man, don't you think some things should be beyond politics?
Jan 10th, 2018 - 12:10 pm - Link - Report abuse -1British_Kirchnerist - maybe he should have thought of the consequences before he got up to his shenanigans. Believe it or not, the US has the right to determine what flotsam, jetsam and other forms of human waste are allowed into the country. If he wants to know who is to blame for his situation he has but to look in the mirror
Jan 10th, 2018 - 01:13 pm - Link - Report abuse +1BK, don't ask me why the US denied entry for Timerman. Expect that answer from the US. Along with an explanation for why the Argentine health care system couldn't handle the matter of treatment.
Jan 10th, 2018 - 07:30 pm - Link - Report abuse +1I was taught that people in positions of leader ship are good in their position for three years. four if they are very good. After that they stop being creative and dynamic and spend their time defending what they have done and taking advantage of their position for external personal gain. Not only trade union leaders but all elected officials, in companies, government, not for profit organizations should not be allowed to serve more than five years, allowing one reelection after being out of the position for five years.
Jan 10th, 2018 - 09:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@ML
Jan 12th, 2018 - 09:03 pm - Link - Report abuse -4He didn't ask you why the US denied entry to Timerman. He asked you whether you think some things should be beyond politics. Based on your previous posts, I'm guessing the answer is no.
It's not a question of arge politics, tree, it's a question of US policy, and that much has subsequently been answered: so long as there are charges against Timerman, his visa is revoked.
Jan 13th, 2018 - 02:56 am - Link - Report abuse -1US policy is also based on politics, Marti. The question was not what the US decided, but whether you think some things should be beyond politics. You still haven't answered.
Jan 13th, 2018 - 10:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0@tree Of course some things may be considered separately from politics. But the US determination to keep criminals such as Timerman out of their country is a matter of their law and not an ephemeral political decision. Do you understand the difference between political decisions and those that are statutory in nature? I think not.
Jan 13th, 2018 - 12:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Of course some things may be considered separately from politics”
Jan 13th, 2018 - 06:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well done, that's close to an answer. The Argentine government are appealing the decision, so apparently they think this is one of those things. Do you agree?
“criminals such as Timerman”
Has he been convicted of something since yesterday?
And do you mind linking to whatever law supposedly bars him from entering the US? So far as I know this is something they have discretion over.
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