Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez was charged on Friday with defrauding the state as part of her government's handling of the dollar futures market. Federal judge Claudio Bonadio said that a scheme to keep the Argentine peso inflated by selling dollars below market value would not have been possible without Fernandez's approval.
The Argentine government publicly showed its support for the new status quo in Brazil, minutes after the country’s vice-president, Michel Temer, temporarily took power after President Dilma Rousseff was suspended from office after the Senate voted to open impeachment proceedings against her early yesterday morning.
Argentina and UK agreed to disagree on the Falklands/Malvinas question, but coincided that the issue should not be an obstacle for the development of a wider positive agenda. Furthermore the two countries agreed on the need to identify possible areas of cooperation in the South Atlantic, such as exploitation of natural resources, and connectivity between the continent and the Islands.
Britain reiterated interest in strengthening relations with Argentina in areas of mutual interest, but also underlined London's position regarding the Falkland Islands remains unchanged, while from Stanley, the Falklands' elected government expressed its willingness to explore a potential cooperation with the Argentine government.
Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and the Foreign Affairs Minister of Uruguay Rodolfo Nin Novoa, on Wednesday exchanged EU and Mercosur offers on access to their respective markets of goods, services and establishment and government procurement. However this first exchange excluded 'sensitive' items such as beef and ethanol, according to EU sources. The details of the documents exchanged were not made public.
Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra will be in London this Thursday to attend a global summit on combating corruption, and is expected to meet with her peer Philip Hammond, and probably address the Falklands issue, according to Argentine official sources. Malcorra is accompanied by Fulvio Pompeo, Secretary for Strategic Affairs from Argentina's presidency, and a very close advisor to president Mauricio Macri.
Argentine Federal Judge Sebastian Casanello has sent legal requests to Uruguay, United Kingdom, Ireland, Panama and Brazil, and likewise ordered local financial institutions in the country to provide data on the Macri family accounts as part of an ongoing investigation of the Argentine president overseas assets in so called tax havens, which emerged from the latest release of Panama Papers by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Argentina's foreign minister Susana Malcorra most probably will be sponsored by president Mauricio Macri as a candidate to replace the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who is stepping down next November, according to government sources quoted by La Nacion.
Argentine President Mauricio Macri has struck a temporary deal with local businessmen and some unions to suspend layoffs for 90 days. Macri's announcement of the deal on Monday comes as job cuts and high inflation rate are worrying many Argentines and Congress is in the process of approving an anti-layoffs bill that doubles severance pay and bans layoffs without cause for 180 days.
More than 50,000 workers blocked the centre of Comodoro Rivadavia, in Argentina's Patagonia main oil-producing region in a protest against layoffs. Striking oil workers were joined by teachers, truck drivers, builders and other sectors in the demonstration.