The New York Times published Tuesday a long, critical article about the cash-stuffed suitcase which has the potential to split Venezuela and Argentina warm ties and left President Nestor Kirchner and his wife scrambling to contain any potential damage to her bid to succeed him as president.
Emphasizing unity by conviction and not necessarily party affiliation Senator Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (Victory Front-Buenos Aires) and Mendoza Radical Governor Julio Cobos were officially launched Tuesday night as the Argentine government's presidential ticket for the coming election next October 28.
Argentine farmers are expected to dedicate 12% more land to corn in the 2007/08 crop despite dry conditions and a shortage of seed and fertilizer, a corn producers' group said this week.
Argentina and Venezuela seem on collision course as a direct consequence of the suitcase scandal involving almost 800.000 US dollars which were to be introduced to Buenos Aires in still undisclosed circumstances by Venezuelan officials traveling in an aircraft officially chartered by Argentina's Energy company, Enarsa.
An Argentine official resigned on Thursday after a Venezuelan businessman was found carrying about 800,000 US dollars in undeclared cash on a government-chartered flight, the latest scandal to rock President Nestor Kirchner's administration.
President Nestor Kirchner promised Spain full compensation to the Spanish fishing companies torched during a July labor dispute in his home Patagonia province of Santa Cruz, plus pressing charges against those responsible, including union leaders.
Fears that the Argentine government appears to be intentionally underreporting inflation in an election year emerged again this week when the scandal plagued Statistics and Census Institute (INDEC), under judicial investigation, announced 0.5% July inflation.
According to the Big Mac index from The Economist which measures purchasing power parity, Argentina continues to climb and is rapidly becoming one of the most expensive countries in the world.
Spain's Vice president Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega called on Argentina for a stable framework of economic relations, essential to generate confidence among investors. Virtually the same words presidential candidate Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner faced from Spain's main businessmen during her late July visit to Madrid.
Visiting Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez confirmed Monday in Buenos Aires the joint issuing with Argentina of a new sovereign South Bond and proclaimed that Senator Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is already the president of the Argentines.