Argentina

• Thursday, June 19th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentines support Congressional debate of farmers' bill

  A clear majority of Argentines supports the government's decision to send the sliding export tax on grains and oilseeds to Congressional consideration, according to public opinion polls released in coincidence with the 100th day of the stand off between the administration of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and farmers.

• Wednesday, June 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine president sends farmers' tax bill to Congress

  Argentine President Cristina Fernandez moved on Tuesday to defuse a prolonged political conflict asking Congress to ratify a sliding export tax hike on grains and oilseeds which has been at the heart of 100 days stand off with farmers.

• Tuesday, June 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Spontaneous rallies surprise Kirchner and acolytes

  

  Thousands of Argentines on Monday evening spontaneously and peacefully took to the streets in cities, towns and villages banging pans to protest against the government and demand the resumption of dialogue with the farmers, on their 97th day of conflict.

• Tuesday, June 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Outlook for hake in South Atlantic remains “worrisome”

  

  The situation of common hake (Merluccius hubbsi) is extremely worrying in the South Atlantic as “low recruitment levels in the last three years are having an effect on the brood stock biomass” according to Argentina's Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) Research Director Otto Wohler.

• Tuesday, June 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentines' inflation expectations for next 12 months: 34.7%

  Argentines expect consumer prices to increase on average 34.7% in the coming twelve months, which is slightly lower than the previous report, according to the latest release from the Finance Research Center belonging to the Torcuato Di Tella Univeristy.

• Tuesday, June 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Farmers' conflict is costing Argentina 3.4 billion US dollars

  The farmers' conflict is costing Argentina 3.4 billion US dollars, approximately 1% of GDP, but production and growth conditions in the country remain intact and are ready to resume in an excellent environment for food producing countries, according to economist Miguel Bein, a former Argentine Deputy Economy minister.

• Monday, June 16th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Forecasting the “perfect storm” in an unruly Argentina

  Under the title of “The perfect storm”, Argentina's most recognized political analyst Joaquin Morales Solá describes the country's current political and social situation as dramatic, following a weekend when the government/farmers conflict escalated to new irreconcilable levels.

• Sunday, June 15th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina farm strike flares again after crackdown

  A three-month standoff between Argentina's government and farmers over a tax hike turned violent on Saturday when military police in riot gear used batons to try to clear roadblocks on a main highway.

• Sunday, June 15th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Over 90 bulk grain carriers queuing in the River Plate

  The Argentine farmers' conflict has the River Plate packed with grain bulk carriers waiting to load in Buenos Aires and Rosario (up the river Parana). An estimated 90 vessels are queuing with the tail reaching the access to the port of Montevideo, in neighboring Uruguay.

• Saturday, June 14th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina short of fuel and food and long w/e at home

  Argentina's food and fuel shortages worsened on Friday as groups of truckers continue to block highways in spite of the government announcement that the stoppage was over following talks with one of several protesting groups.