By Mordechai Taji
Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) did not announce on Thursday anyone's candidacy - hers or not - for this year's elections. She did not do it with her voice. But by her side were her son, Deputy Máximo Kirchner, Interior Minister Wado De Pedro, and Economy Minister Sergio Massa. It was a visual message: two of those three will most likely be on one of the tickets to be presented in the primary, mandatory, simultaneous, and open elections (PASO). She also confirmed that she would not run and frustrated the hopes of some unconditional faithful, who expected her to change her mind.
After having almost three economy ministers in one month, it was no surprise to see Thursday that July's inflation was the highest since 2002, as the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec) released its latest report.
Power cuts hit over 700,000 households in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) as intense heat resulted in extra demand of electricity for air conditioning devises from a network that has been enduring poor maintenance for ages, thus resulting in numerous protests from people who in addition to putting up with those temperatures were forced to dispose on tons of unrefrigerated food.
Argentina's political future seems to be no mystery regarding the upcoming October 27 presidential elections. So much so that First Lady Juliana Awada's snap trip Sunday to Madrid citing entertainment and social engagements was announced by the media as a preparation for a post December 10 exile that looks inevitable after the outcome of the August 11 primaries.
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez threw her weight behind moving the capital Buenos Aires to the northern province of Santiago del Estero, an idea hitherto only pioneered by Lower House Speaker Julian Domínguez.
Argentina is recalling with different acts and commemoration ceremonies the thirty years since the return of democracy when Raul Alfonsin was elected president of Argentina. On October 30 1983, and after a long recount of votes, Alfonsín's Radical Civic Union (UCR) secured a landmark victory over the Peronist Justicialist Party.
Jorge Rafael Videla, a former army commander who led Argentina during the bloodiest period of a “dirty war” dictatorship and was unrepentant about kidnappings and murders ordered by the state, died on Friday at age 87.
The Argentine government remains silent on the death last Monday of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, but several lawmakers, former officials and Malvinas veterans organizations did have something say and not only linked to the Falklands war and the sinking of the Argentine cruiser ‘Belgrano’ in May 1982.
From jail where he is serving two life sentences for crimes against humanity Argentina’s former dictator Jorge Rafael Videla gave some insights to the day before the 24 March 1976 military coup when then president Isabel Martinez de Peron called him asking support from the Armed Forces for her eroding administration.