Argentine construction activity fell the most in more than four years last month as faster inflation and a farmers strike threatened to undermine a five year running expansion of the economy.
During the second quarter of this year, an estimated 8.5 billion US dollars left Argentina, double the worst quarter in 2007 and higher than the most negative of private forecasts, according to the latest information from the Argentine Central Bank.
A delegation from Russia's Federal Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Control Service (Rosselkhoznadzor) this month visited the South Buenos Aires Regional Centre of the National Food Safety and Quality Service (SENASA), and a number of fisheries plants and vessels of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires.
Argentine farm leaders involved in the recent stand off with the administration of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner have soared in public opinion consideration according to the latest survey released this week in Buenos Aires by Giacobe and Associates.
Argentine farmers' organizations have anticipated that they will only meet with government officials as a group and reject efforts to divide them. The warning follows statements from Argentina's new Agriculture minister who argued the liaison committee lacks representativeness hinting he would talk to each farm association on an individual basis.
Faced with energy shortages after years of minimum investment, neglected maintenance and frozen rates the Argentine government announced this week electricity hikes to the tune of 10 to 30% for residential customers, the first since 2002.
Argentine former Economy minister Martín Lousteau spoke to the press about his brief period in office for the first time and while maintaining his continued faith in President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, made some criticisms of the national government and called for the removal of Domestic Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno, who he described as unerringly inefficient and with whom he admitted having had a significant conflict.
By a margin of two to one Argentine public opinion disapproves of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's performance, according to a survey from consultants MBC-Mori and released Sunday by Buenos Aires daily Perfil.
United States marines, as well as from Chile and Brazil were involved in an amphibious exercise with the Argentine Navy in Puerto Belgrano home port of the Argentine fleet. The exercise was described by the Argentine media as evidence of a growing military rapprochement between the two countries.
Argentina invited last week tenders for the provision of an ice breaker for the coming 2008/09 Antarctic season since flag carrier Almirante Irizar remains out of action following the severe fire which crippled the vessel last year. However the operation is limited to Argentine bidders.