Global Voices » Jorge Gobbi

Argentina: Bloggers React to Announcement of Nationalization of Oil Company YPF

Jorge Gobbi — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:51:16 +0000

The announcement of the nationalization of the oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, and the transfer of 51% of its shares to the Argentinean government, sparked many reaction on the Argentinean blogosphere, both in favor and against. In general, as with other issues in Argentina, opinions are divided between those in favor and those opposed to the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

In ArtePolítica [es], a blog close to Kirchner party, Sebastian says that “Repsol-YPF was always a shame” and states that,

El modelo Petrobras parece a priori el más adecuado: capital mixto y parte en la bolsa, gestión muy profesionalizada, y control accionario mayoritario por parte del estado nacional y de las provincias petroleras.

The Petrobras [a semi-public Brazilian energy corporation] model seems the most appropriate: joint venture and partially in the stock market, a very professionalized management, and stock control majority by the national state and oil provinces.

Photo by Flickr user Christian Córdova (CC BY 2.0)

In IndiePolitik [es] they make a selection of quotes by politicians and newspaper columnists that are against the measure, although in an ironic context based on the question,

¿Qué dudas caben de que la expropiación de YPF es una medida, además de histórica, correcta, si los que se oponen son el FMI, Macri, Carrió, La Nación, la UCR dependiente, De Narváez y Clarín?.

What doubt is there that the expropriation of YPF is a correct and historical measure when the opponents are the IMF, Macri, Carrio, The Nation, the UCR dependent, De Narváez and Clarin?.

The Agenda Digital [es] blog, from the official news agency Telam, summarized the impact of the news on Twitter.

At Saber Leyes no es Saber Derecho [es], some of the consequences of the nationalization are discussed, particularly from a legal point of view of the corresponding bill the President sent to Congress, which is currently under discussion.

Economía Posible [es] indicates that during the Kirchner governments there was a significant drop in production, and wonders if “the same responsible people for the energy policies of the past nine years say they're going to 'save us'”.

Among the blogs linked to the Union Civica Radical (Radical Civic Union), a traditional Argentinean party and the opposition today, Hernán Haynes [es] said that the nationalization of YPF goes against the Argentinean Constitution.

In Comunicación Ambiental [es] Eduardo Soler wonders why the announcement of nationalization had no further reference to clean energy while it did mention “unconventional oil”, which usually requires more complex technology for extraction.

Finally, looking beyond the impact of the nationalization of YPF on Argentina, Vaca.org [es] analyzes the case in the context of changes in the global economic system from the rise of China and developing nations.

Argentina: Presidential Elections, a Review of Blogs

Jorge Gobbi — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:17:31 +0000

Argentina's presidential election had a pretty predictable result: the reelection of the current president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. After her clear victory in the primary elections a few months ago, the 37 points that separated the president from the second place did not even surprise the opposition. The large victory motivated many bloggers to analyze the political situation. Since 2009, the pro-Kirchner blogosphere has shown great dynamism, although other political parties have also tried to gain ground.

We begin this summary with the blogs that are politically closest to the government, starting with Arte Politica [es], where its writers state:

Somos un país mejor porque, 28 años después, la democracia argentina está más viva y más vibrante que nunca. Con elecciones limpias, libres, y en donde participa rutinariamente casi el 80% de los electores.

We are a better country because, 28 years later, democracy in Argentina is more alive and more vibrant than ever. With clean, free, elections where nearly 80% of voters are routinely involved.

Voters wait to cast their vote in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 23, 2011. Demian Martinez, Copyright Demotix

In Bolazos de los medios [es] Ariel Andres Tapia recalls the multiple “prophecies” published by the media from 2009 to this year, which argued that the days of the kirchnerista government were numbered. Blog El Magma [es] discusses the same issue.

Mundo Perverso [es] points out that:

Ayer fue un día verdaderamente histórico. Luego de 4 años de gobernar contra las cuerdas, con la presión constante y operaciones de prensa permanentes en contra, con un vicepresidente opositor y con una oposición que no tuvo límites ni reparos a la hora del odio y la irracionalidad, ganó Cristina y, con ella, ganó Argentina.

Yesterday was a truly historic day. After 4 years of ruling on the ropes, with constant pressure and permanent press operations against her, an opposing vice president and an opposition that had no limits or qualms in terms of hatred and irrationality, Cristina won, and with her, Argentina won.

La Lectora Provisoria [es], a blog identified with Elisa Carrió's Coalición Cívica party, says:

Ahora, estoicismo. Habrá que digerir la apabullante derrota y no pensar demasiado en los tiempos que tenemos por delante.

Now, stoicism. We'll have to accept the overwhelming defeat, and not dwell on the times ahead.

That's because their candidate for president, Carrió, came out last among the candidates, with less than 2%, when in the last presidential elections she was above 20%. In the pro-Kirchner blog, Militancia Kreativa [es], they make fun of a Coalicion Civica (CC) candidate for congress, Fernando Iglesias, who didn't get enough votes to get elected for congress. Iglesias has published an entry in his blog [es] evaluating the October 23 results.

In his blog, Hernán Haines [es] states

Hubo un 45 por ciento del electorado que no la votó [se refiere a la presidenta] y, por lo tanto, no merece ser descalificado ni subestimado (…) Sra. de Kirchner, por favor, tome nota de lo que sucede en el resto del mundo. En las naciones en donde los gobiernos se vienen abajo es, justamente, porque sus líderes, electos por grandes mayorías, luego se olvidan de su pueblo y éste, más tarde o más temprano, reacciona.

There was a 45 percent of electors who didn't vote for her [the president] and, thus, those voters don't deserve to be disqualified nor underestimated (…) Mrs. Kirchner, please take note of what happens in the rest of the world. In the countries where governments collapse, it's precisely because their leaders, elected by majority, later forget about their population and they, sooner or later, react.

In the blog of Comuna 12 [es] from the Unión Cívica Radical, one of the most traditional parties in Argentina, which reached the third place in the presidential elections, Ernesto Sanz analyzes the elections and the challenges the party will have to face in the future.

Finally, Fabio [es] looks at the differences in the number of votes the presidential candidates achieved in the primary elections and the final elections.

Argentina: Former President, Nestor Kirchner, Dies

Jorge Gobbi — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:08:00 +0000

This Wednesday, early in the morning, Nestor Kirchner, former president and husband of the current president Cristina Fernandez, died of a heart attack at Calafate, a Patagonian location where he lived in the last years.

The sudden death of Kichner caused several gatherings throughout the day in downtown Buenos Aires, despite it was a national holiday because a census was being held. A wake is expected to take place in the Casa Rosada (Government Palace), the traditional workplace for presidents.

Nestor Kirchner. Image by flickr user Mariano Pernicone, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license

There were many repercussions in blogs. At ArtePolítica [es], Juan Pablo Cappelli writes that Kirchner’s great contribution,

fue devolverle la política a la sociedad, al pueblo. Demostrar que el cambio es posible, descolonizar nuestro pensamiento. Antes pedíamos que se vayan todos y ahora muchos queremos entrar, antes decían “algo habrán hecho” y ahora decimos “hagamos algo”, porque sabemos, ahora mas que nunca, que es la política la única herramienta de transformación de la sociedad

was to bring politics to the society, to the masses. To prove change is possible, to decolonize our thinking. We used to demand everyone to leave and now many of us want in, we used to say “they must have done something” and now we say “let’s do something,” because we know, now more than ever, that politics is the only tool to transform society.

At Los Tres Chiflados [es] Larry says,

Gracias Néstor, ahora voy a despedirte junto al pueblo, en forma de agradecimiento por demostrarme con actitud y hechos que otra Argentina es posible, que la historia puede cambiarse si se tiene coraje y convicciones

Thank you, Nestor, I will now go with the people to say goodbye to you, as a way of gratitude for showing me with facts that a different Argentina is possible, that history can be changed if we have courage and convictions.

Poster reads: "Thank you Nestor for giving us our rights back. We will never forget you. Be strong Cristina." Image by flickr user Beatrice Murch, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license

At La Ciencia Maldita, Lucas Llach says,

Pobre Cristina — nuestras humildes condolencias. Ojalá que tenga el ánimo para que el ciclo kirchnerista termine con el balance generalmente positivo que –en el neto de causas y azares de todos colores– tiene de momento

Poor Cristina – our biggest sympathy. I hope she finds the strength to make the Kirchner period end with the positive balance it generally has.

Noticias del Sur [es] gathers the declarations of other Latin American leaders. At Mide/No Mide [es] and Lo que digo y no hago [es] they point out that after Kirchner’s death Argentinean bonds and stocks increased their value.

Other repercussions in blogs: Mendieta el Renegáu [es]; Denken Uber [es]; República Unida de la Soja [es]; Conurbanos [es]; Tirando al Medio [es]; and Finanzas Públicas [es].

On Twitter, “Néstor Kirchner” was one of the global trending topics throughout this Wednesday.

Argentina: Protester killed in confrontation between labor unions

Jorge Gobbi — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 22:11:31 +0000

"Plaza de Mayo." Sign in the middle reads: "judgment and punishment for the murderers of Mariano Ferreyra." Image by flickr user Beatrice Murch, blmurch, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license

A confrontation between the members of the Ferroviaria Union (Railroad workers union) and workers that were protesting against layoffs along with militants of left-leaning parties, ended in the killing of Mariano Ferreyra, a student of the University of Buenos Aires and member of the Partido Obrero (Worker's Party). He was shot. By the time this post was written, his murderer had not been identified yet. Demonstrations condemning this event were quickly organized. The most important one took place this Thursday at Plaza de Mayo, a traditional space for protests in Buenos Aires, but there were also several mass meetings in other areas of the city.

Bloggers quickly reacted to the killing of Mariano Ferreyra. At the blog Todos Gronchos [es], the author says,

Al chico Mariano Ferreyra, hijo de una compañera mía del Magisterio Técnico de Avellaneda lo mató la corrupción, la complicidad entre los organismos de control; las policías bonaerense y Federal y los perros rabiosos de la Gendarmería kirchnerista, muy parecida a la de De la Rúa. Lo mató la ausencia del Estado, que se retira para que sus sindicalistas amigos se hagan más ricos y no le rompan las pelotas

Mariano Ferreyra, the son of a coworker of mine at the Magisterio Tecnico de Avellaneda, was killed by corruption, by the complicity between the organisms of control; the police force of Buenos Aires and the rabid dogs of Kirchner's party gendarmerie, which resembles De la Rua's. He was killed by the absence of the State, who withdraws to allow their union friends to get richer and not bother.

At Mendieta El Renegáu [es] they focus on who came out to seek political benefits from the murder:

Todos salen a opinar tan rapido. Tan rápido. Insisto, opinan en la tele, en la radio, en tuiter y parecen contentos, todos parecen morbosamente contentos. A mí me dan asco. En especial aquellos que son dirigentes y que debieran dar el ejemplo al resto

Everyone was quick to give an opinion. Very quick. They give their opinion on TV, the radio, twitter and they all seem happy, morbidly happy. They make me sick. Specially the leaders, they should be giving the example to the rest.

Newspaper "Prensa Obrera" (Worker's Press) reads: "A crime against the working class." Image by flickr user archivo redeco, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license

At El Buen Salvaje [es], blogger Mariano condemned the reaction of some government supporters:

Sí me sorprendió y me alarmó la reacción de mucha gente simpatizante del kirchnerismo que en twitter rozó el mal gusto, el revanchismo y la especulación sobre ‘la verdad oculta' que se escondía detrás del asesinato de Mariano

I was surprised and alarmed by the reaction of many people who sympathize with the current government. On Twitter they showed bad taste, vindictive behavior and speculation about some ‘hidden truth' hiding behind Mariano's murder.

A political evaluation in the same style can be found at Revolución Tinta Limón [es]. There were also references to attempts of manipulation from some official media in the blog Señales [es].

On Twitter there was no specific hashtag to organize the tweets, but you can search for “Mariano Ferreyra” to find tweets on the subject.

Argentina: Senate Approves Equal Marriage

Jorge Gobbi — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:24:33 +0000

The Argentinean Senate sanctioned a law that establishes equal rights to marry, without discriminating between heterosexual and homosexual couples, and with the same rights to adoption, among other issues. With this measure, Argentina becomes the first Latin American country to allow same-sex marriage. The law was approved with the individual vote of Senators from different political parties; the parties gave the Senators the freedom to support or reject the law.

The topic was largely debated on Twitter, where the hashtag #matrimoniogay (gay marriage) became one of the trending topics on a worldwide scale for many hours. There we could see a large number of tweets about this issue. Many of them came from users of other Latin American countries, who also shared their position on this topic. Here’s a brief selection of tweets from those in favor:

A los creyentes: ya está, si dios permitió que se apruebe es porque no tiene problemas con el #matrimoniogay así que aflojen con el rezoless than a minute ago via webDiego Faur
DiegoF

To the believers: lighten up, if God allowed the approval of this law, it’s because he has no problems with #matrimoniogay so stop it with the praying.

Haber despertado con la noticia de la aprobación del #matrimoniogay me hace sentir orgullosa de vivir en un país que busca la igualdadless than a minute ago via webAgustina
Agustiina

Waking up to the news of #matrimoniogay approval makes me proud of living in a country that seeks equality.

Que bonito! parabéns, Argentina. Grande exemplo pra América Latina. #matrimoniogayless than a minute ago via TweetDeckRaphael Neves
politikaetc

Beautiful! congratulations, Argentina! A great example to Latin America.

¡Felicidades Argentina! a seguirle el paso a los vecinos… #matrimoniogay #argentina Perdieron el mundial pero la ganaron en igualdadless than a minute ago via TweetDeckJavier Alonso
rianxeiro

Congratulations, Argentina! your neighbors will have to follow your example. You may have lost the World Cup, but you won in equality.

#matrimoniogay Vivimos en un país mejor que el de ayer.less than a minute ago via webNatalia Calisti
naty_cali

Today we live in a better country than we did yesterday.

On Twitter we can also see some condemnatory expressions against these equal rights –some arguments appealed to particular religious arguments– but in a smaller scale in comparison to the expressions of joy for the approval of the law. Here are some examples:

No tengo nada en contra de la union del mismo sexo, pero les recuerdo que Dios creo al hombre y a la mujer para que formen una familialess than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneGregorio
Greg0rio

I have nothing against the union of same-sex couples, but let me remind you that God created man and woman for a reason, so that they could make a family.

Argentina se convierte en el Primer Pais Latino y Suramericano en aprobar la Legalidad del Matrimonio Gay en un Codigo Civil… Que asco!less than a minute ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®Pedro Luis Contreras
pedro493

Argentina becomes the first Latin and South American country to approve the legality of gay marriage in the civil code…. How disgusting!

Since the law was approved just hours ago, there are not many published blog entries on the topic, but you can read some positive reactions here: Es la gente, estúpido [es]; Artepolítica [es]; 100 Volando [es], y Hernán Haines [es].

With the initial sanction from the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate's decision, a strong debate was sustained by members of organizations such as the Catholic Church who protested against egalitarian marriage and, based on particular religious beliefs, claimed the continuity of laws that implied discrimination. These groups gathered 50 to 60 thousand people in a manifestation that took place last July 13. You can read some opinions from this position, here: Argentavis [es] y Baradero Hoy [es]

The thumbnail in this post is “March in favor of the Law on Gay Marriage in Argentina” from Flickr user Globovisión used under a Creative Commons license.

Argentina: Celebrating the Bicentennial on the Web

Jorge Gobbi — Mon, 24 May 2010 02:26:47 +0000

Argentina has been celebrating 200th anniversary of the beginning of the process of emancipation from Spain, which started back on May 25, 1810. At the time, a local committee decided to remove the Spanish viceroy and to begin the process of creating and independent government. As part of the celebrations, between May 21-25, there will be multiple activities, stands from the different Argentinean Provinces, shows, and the reopening of the Colón Theater. Hundreds of thousands of people are participating of the activities, which will take place until next Tuesday where people will gather at 9 de Julio Avenue near the Obelisk in the capital, Buenos Aires.

Photo of the Obelisk in Buenos Aires by nscap and used under a Creative Commons license.

To cover the festivities using online tools, a group of bloggers created the site Tu Bicentenario [es] (Your Bicentennial), where they combine different web services to create real-time coverage, with the hashtag #bicentenarioarg [es]. In this short interview, Vanina Berghella [es], Nicolás Piccoli, and Alvaro Liuzzi [es] spoke about the project's goals.

Global Voices: What are going to be the main differences that Tu Bicentenario will have in the type of coverage compared to traditional media? These will most likely appeal to “social media” too.

It's true, this year the media is starting to use these tools, but they will not be their main focus, but a complement. Our idea is to approach the user who is more aware of the Web and “social media” tools. We we will focus on those who are interested in “real time” and those who observe the details.

GV: What were the main difficulties in integrating so many tools? What kind of challenges did you find? What things did you want to add that will not be on the site?

The first challenge was to think about and draft how the homepage of the site would look like. We wanted to have all applications be visible, so that users could navigate to the applications of their choice. We were lucky to count on the interactive agency Genes who was interested in the project and they helped with the development and integration of all the tools. They worked really well with all chosen applications (Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, Flickr and WordPress).

GV: What kind of coverage do you have in mind for May 24 and 25?

The coverage in the area of festivities starts on Saturday 22nd until the 25th. The agenda [es] is full of events and activities, that's why our idea is to divide the areas of coverage and schedules. We will mostly use Twitter and Facebook from there. Our idea is to take advantage of mobile applications and to share what we observe from every place where we'll be located.

GV: Once the Bicentennial event is over, do you have something in mind for all the gathered material? Some kind of product maybe?

We already decided we'll be creating content during the entire year of the Bicentennial. There will be more ceremonies and commemorations and we believe the project deserves to go on.

GV: This year will be the Bicentennial of the Independence of several Latin American countries. Do you know of any similar initiative in other countries?

We haven't found similar projects in Latin America. We were somewhat inspired by The Berlin Project, which covered the anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall in November 2009.

Argentina: Rocker Gustavo Cerati Suffers Stroke After Concert

Jorge Gobbi — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:03:24 +0000

Argentinean musician, Gustavo Cerati, who became popular in Latin America as the lead singer and guitar player of the band Soda Stereo, suffered a stroke caused by cerebrovascular disease after performing a show in the city of Caracas, Venezuela on May 15. The musician had surgery, and is currently in a coma. After his condition became public, Twitter became one of the means of circulation of news and rumors about the musician. The hashtag #cerati became one of the most popular worldwide, and others such as #fuerzacerati (stay strong Cerati) also came up in local versions of hashtags rankings.

Photo of Gustavo Cerati by annais and used under a Creative Commons license.

On Twitter, the large number of messages published by users were words of support for the popular rock star. For example, Erika Vargas (@_erikilla_) writes:

sigo orando por @cerati mandandole la mejor energia y mucha fuerza!!!

I'm still praying for @cerati sending him the best energy and strength!!

There was also a lot of room for rumors. At times, talk about the death of the singer came up, something that was quickly denied in the media. However, many journalists from traditional media published news about Cerati's health condition through their Twitter updates.

In the case of blogs, something curious happened. Before the death of the popular Argentinean singer, Sandro, Clarin newspaper, the most popular in Argentina, published a special issue [es] on its website they had prepared in case he died, something that happened weeks later. We need to take into consideration that it's normal for the media to prepare obituaries of people who are in risk of dying as a way of planning the publishing of content. Since that event, the blog UDN [es] published an entry where, by using an images editor, they created a fake cover of Clarin's Showbiz section, that read “goodbye Cerati”. The image spread through Twitter, where some users took it seriously and believed it was another Clarin leak. Hours later, the newspaper reported “actions” against them [es]. While the blog that published the “fake cover” maintains a pro-government position and against Clarin newspaper, it is also true that the entry made it clear it was a joke, and not a leak of Clarin newspaper's material.

Argentina: International Court Rules in Paper Mill Conflict with Uruguay

Jorge Gobbi — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:24:39 +0000

The International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled on the conflict between Argentina and Uruguay about the latter's construction of a large Finnish-owned paper mill on the Uruguay River, shared by both countries. Argentina states Uruguay's unilateral authorization violated treaties between the countries and that such venture polluted the river. The Court stated that Argentina did not prove the mill contaminates the river, therefore it will still operate. However, it also stated that Uruguay violated the treaty between both countries and that it allowed the mill's construction despite negotiations between the countries were underway.

Photo of Paper Mill by Gonzak and used under a Creative Commons license.

At the blog Espacios Protegidos [es] (Protected Spaces), Walter Raymond affirms the result was the worst scenario expected for both countries, since it condemns them to the “punishment of reaching an agreement”. Raymond refers to the need to reach an agreement for the control of the Finnish paper mill, and to guarantee the future compliance of agreements regarding the Uruguay river. A similar point of view was presented at Blog de Abel [es], where they also make a summary of the ruling.

On Twitter, in general, we can say there were many expressions of dissatisfaction about the ruling. While the Court had considered Uruguay did not follow the treaties, they also stated the ruling would not have greater effects in practice.

Twitter user (@Ozzono) wonders:

Y para que existen estos tratados, si pueden ser incumplidos sin mayores consecuencias ?

“what do we have these treaties for, if they can be overlooked with no serious consequences?”

Raztez Metaemigrante (@metaemigrante) writes:

no sabia que los tratados internacionales eran solo una sugerencia

I didn't know international treaties were a mere suggestion.

(@Labateq) comments on the ruling:

The declaration by the Court of this breach constitutes appropriate satisfaction - Translation: Moral Champions.

On the other hand, Sebastián González (@sebagon) writes:

Ahora seguro que tanto Argentinos como Uruguayos creen que #LaHaya les dio la razón :D

Most likely, now Argentinas and Uruguayans will both believe La Haya ruled in their favor.

Both nations must comply with the ruling. In the future, it's expected the ruling and the obligation to agree on a common framework for the use of Uruguay River will prevent these situations from happening again. Also, it is still yet to be resolved what will happen with the bridge between Argentina and Uruguay, located in the city of Gualeguaychú, which has been blocked for three years by Argentinean environmentalists. They have said they will not declare the strike to be over.

Argentina: Arrest Order Against Judge's Father Creates Controversy

Jorge Gobbi — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:50:19 +0000

In early 2010, Judge María José Sarmiento ruled against the Argentinean Government, impeding it to use reserves transferred by the Central Bank to pay debt. The transfer of these reserves is under discussion in the Argentinean Congress and its final use is now pending for resolution in the Judicial system and in the Congress as well, much to the dismay of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

However, last week, the Argentinean province of Misiones demanded the arrest of the father of Judge Sarmiento, ex-military Colonel Luis Sarmiento, who is accused of several charges of torture and violation of human rights between 1973 and 1977. Even though the District Attorney of Misiones demanded the processing of the 85-year-old ex-military officer in February 2006, the judge publicly denied knowing her father was involved in violation of human rights. The Judge has stated that the arrest was “obviously related” to her ruling against the government.

On Twitter, there were quick reactions to the topic. For instance, the member of the Parliament, Patricia Bullrich (@PatoBullrich), from Coalición Cívica, Government opponent writes, “I was outraged by the detention of the father of judge Sarmiento! Plain and simple Fascism”. User Netsum (@ReydePilos) showed his “total solidarity with judge Sarmiento. This Government won't stop prosecuting its political enemies”. Majo Garcia Menendez (@majogm) said it was “the father of judge Sarmiento issue was quite worrying. Things are getting shady, when are we going to react?”.

On the side of those who don't believe Judge Sarmiento's version, in particular the part where she claims not to know about the processing of her father before her ruling about the Central Bank reserves, user Ezequiel Pozzo (@Pozzoe) writes “Judge Sarmiento thinks judges are used with political aims. A thief thinks everyone else is a thief like him”. And José Duhalde (@joseduhalde) writes that “Judge Sarmiento said she didn't know her father was involved in a cause for the repression in Misiones. She lied”.

In blogs, as in Twitter, there were some posts from people who reported the judge was being pursued for her rulings, while others remarked the human rights cause came before the ruling. At the blog Listao [es], they cite sources that speak of Luis Sarmiento's participation during the illegal repression between 1973 and 1977. And at Tribuna de Periodistas [es], they say the detention of the ex-military was an act of revenge from the President and her husband, ex-President Néstor Kirchner.

Finally, the arrest order against Luis Sarmiento was suspended, since the defendant's health is very deteriorated, because of his age, although the human rights violation charges will follow their course.

Argentina: The Controversy Over Ex-President Kirchner's Purchase of Currency

Jorge Gobbi — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:50:29 +0000

The recent news in the Argentine press about the purchase of two million dollars by the former President Néstor Kirchner back in October 2008, at a time when the international financial crisis was beginning, has generated a lot of impact in the media, blogs, and social networks. Days after the news was broadcasted, Kirchner explained that the exchange transaction was to be used for the purchase of a hotel and that the transaction was registered and followed the legal limits established for the purchase of dollars.

However, the opposition and some members of the media are wondering whether the financial profit was obtained as a result to access to privileged information, as Kirchner is married to the current Argentine President, Cristina Fernández. Often those who purchase dollars do so out of concern of local currency devaluation. The issue has also been linked to the political dispute that the government has with the Clarín media company, which released the news.

The government stated that the news about the 2 million dollars is nothing new, as it was stated in the declaration of assets made by Kirchner last year. This statement, at the time, earned him a criminal complaint for illicit enrichment. However, a judge dismissed the case - even though the judicial ruling was questioned by the opposition. Now there are judicial requests to re-open an investigation into the assets of the Kirchner couple.

Photo of ex-President Nestor Kirchner by Mariano Pernicone and used under a Creative Commons license.

According to Jorge Omar Alonso of the blog La Historia Paralela [es]:

lo grave de esta situación es que supera incluso el delito que se conoce como tráfico de influencias. Es decir utilizar el acceso a una información sensible como la cotización del dólar por el desempeño de un cargo público (…) para beneficio personal.

the serious part of this situation is that it exceeds the crime of political corruption, that is, using his access to sensible information -such as the dollar exchange rate- thanks to his government position (…) for his personal benefit

More criticism can be found at the blog of Germán Angeli, who writes about the Kirchners' “drama” and about the lack of transparency when it comes to the couple. In addition, Eduardo Castillo Páez of the blog Periodismo y Opinión [es] writes:

En medio de sospechas, acusaciones, explicaciones y los repugnantes obsecuentes de siempre, Cristina Fernández y su esposo siguen evidenciando un desinterés absoluto por la transparencia y ética que deberían guardar en sus conductas. No les importa un rábano de nada, hacen sus inversiones y negocios con la tranquilidad propia solamente de los que están convencidos de su absoluta impunidad.

In the middle of suspicion, accusations, explanations, and the usual nasty consequences, Cristina Fernández and her husband continue to show an absolute disinterest in transparency and ethics that should be displayed in their conduct. They do not care at all, they make their investments and business deals very quietly, convinced that they do so with absolute impunity.

Abel Baldomero Fernández of El Blog de Abel [es] writes that “personal honesty, unfortunately, is not a valid index of the quality of a ruler.”

On the other hand, Teodoro Boot of the blog Blog del Ingeniero [es], writes that this issue is about “a transaction made in October 2008″, which was stated in his personal income affidavit and was subject to reports to the Justice.

Lástima que se trate de una transacción del mes de octubre del 2008 que el matrimonio Kirchner, sin advertir ni amenazar a nadie, reveló en su declaración de bienes de ese año, y que en su momento provocó las consabidas indignaciones y las correspondientes denuncias por enriquecimiento ilícito, seguidas del oportuno proceso… y la reciente absolución de los acusados, que lograron demostrar que su patrimonio corresponde a la valorización inmobiliaria de las propiedades que adquirieron hace más de veinte años.

It is a shame that this is about a transaction from October 2008, where the Kirchner couple, under no warning or threat from anyone, revealed in their personal income statement from that year, and in turn, provoked the usual indignation and related claims that there was illegal enrichment, followed by the appropriate process … and the recent acquittal of the accused, who were able to demonstrate that their assets correspond to the recovery of real estate which they acquired over 20 years ago.

More opinions defending the government can be found at La Cosa y La Causa [es] and Banya08 [es]. This last blog points out the rift between the government and Clarin media, and which is a topic addressed by Fernández in her recent press conference where she defended her husband [es] and lamented the fact that all his actions are under such close scrutiny. In addition, at the press conference, Fernández wondered by the Clarín group is not being investigated itself for tax evasion.

Argentina: Romantic Singing Legend Sandro Passes Away

Jorge Gobbi — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:09:14 +0000

Roberto Sánchez, popularly known as Sandro, died on January 4th in Mendoza, Argentina. He was one of the pioneers of Argentinean rock music in the early 1960s, and became famous all over Latin America as a romantic music artist. Until recently, his shows in Argentina attracted multitudes, but he retired from the scene because of health issues.

His smoking habit created limitations in his respiratory capacity with the passing of the years. He also had a heart problem. His condition got to a point where he needed a heart and lung transplant, which was performed in November 2009. Forty-five days later, Sandro died at the age of 64.

Photo by Globovisión and used under a Creative Commons license.

According to Ruth Vilar of the blog Escribiendo en Voz Alta [es] they say “Sandro only leaves us physically, because we know great people never die. And he belonged to that group”.

The blog Extremista [es] writes that “during the funeral, more than 50 thousand people showed up to give a last goodbye to Roberto Sánchez at the Argentinean Congress, and the cars that followed him to the cemetery carried nearly 100 wreaths”.

Dr. Gen [es]focuses on the possible consequences of the passing of the singer: “Hopefully people will be aware of the dangers of smoking and more people will quit smoking because of what happened to Sandro, rather than because of medical advice.”

The topic of his death made the cover of many magazines and newspapers, as Irina of the blog Lado B [es] says. TV cameras were not allowed in the funeral, as requested by Sandro's family. However, the C5N channel broadcasted a video that did not respect the family's wish, as the blog 2papiros [es] notes.

Argentina: The Pomar Family Tragedy

Jorge Gobbi — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:58:59 +0000

In the last weeks the Argentinean media made an extensive coverage about the disappearance of the Pomar family. On November 14, Fernando Pomar, his wife Gabriela Viagrán, and their two children Candelaria and Pilar were travelling by car to the city of Pergamino, located 220 Km. away from Buenos Aires, and went missing after passing a toll.

Both police and media made various hypothesis about the missing family, many of which accused the father, Fernando Pomar, as the responsible and possible murder.

On December 8 the car was found near Pergamino city, flipped over at the side of a road. All family members were found dead, reported newspaper El Clarín [es]. Police stated the cause was a car accident: the car flipped when it could not make a curve. The high pastures alongside the road might have avoided finding it sooner.

After the finding of the police, two main topics were mainly discussed by the Argentinean community. The first one was the inefficiency of the police. On Twitter, under the hashtag “#pomar” [es], one can find many opinions about the lack of capability of the Buenos Aires province Police to solve cases.

User @la_despistada [es] writes:

La misma polícia que investigó el caso Pomar es la que lucha contra la inseguridad, protegiendonos???. #pomar

The same police that investigated the Pomar case is the one that fights insecurity, protecting us???. #pomar

Also user christian4oux [es] shares:

la impotencia que me genera que la institución que nos brinda “seguridad” es tan corrupta e inepta #policía #pomar

the impotence i feel from knowing that the institution that gives us “security” is so corrupted and incompetent #policía #pomar

To blogger JSK-SDE [es] it is hard to believe that it took 24 days to find the car:

Se sabe que el lugar es transitado, hay numerosos establecimientos cerca, que ¿nadie vio o sintió nada?. Me es muy difícil creerlo, 24 días son muchos días para que nadie vea ni sienta nada.

[The road to Pergamino] It is known that it is a busy place, there are numerous establishments near by, nobody saw nor felt anything? It is difficult to believe, 24 days is too much time for nobody to see or feel anything.

Blogs Soy Más de lo Mismo [es] and Visualmente [es] also joined the discussion on insecurity.

The other main topic discussed was the performance of the media. Both TV shows and newspapers exposed all sorts of theories about the family. On Magia Crítica [es], Alejandro Agostinelli talks about the media who featured “psychics” to discuss the case:

Parapsicólogos y videntes dijeron que estaban vivos. Ufólogos hablaron de teleportaciones. Expertos en casos policiales se ensañaron con el padre. O con el padre del padre. Ahora sabemos que la familia Pomar murió en un accidente de tránsito.

Parapsychologists and clairvoyant said they were alive. Ufologists talked about teletransportation. Experts on crime cases held a grudge against the father. Or against the father of the father. Now we know that the Pomar family died in a car accident.

On Twitter, user Daniel Molina [es] says:

El caso Pomar es el índice de seriedad del periodismo argentino: todo lo que dijeron era mentira, sin atenuantes

The Pomar case is the index of seriousness of the Argentinean journalism: everything they said was a lie, with no mitigating circumstances.

More about the coverage of the media can be found on blogs La Puta Pituca [es] and Los Lanzallamas [es].

On Seguridad Vial [es], they prefer to draw attention to another topic: the case will hopefully help to improve the safety policy of the roads.

Ojalá que estas muertes no hayan sido en vano y que ahora que el caso se esclareció -con un final trágico pero que “no vende”- no quede todo en el olvido. Que los colegas de la prensa que tanto escribieron y hablaron en vano, que ahora al menos llenen espacios exigiendo más seguridad vial, algo que nunca está de más.

Hopefully these deaths will not be in vain and now that the case has been solved -with a tragic end, although one that doesn't “sell”- it will not be forgotten. Let's hope the press colleagues that wrote so much and spoke in vain, will now fill up spaces demanding more security in the roads, something that is never a waste of time to say.

Argentina: The Approval of a New Media Law

Jorge Gobbi — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:01:26 +0000

The Argentinean Senate approved a new law of audiovisual media, which establishes a new series of rules for the regulation of open signal, cable, and satellite television and radio. In addition, it establishes minimum quotas for the airing of local music and films. The previous order that regulated this market since the last Argentinean dictatorship has been revoked.

Photo of gathering of those that support the new media law by Beatrice Murch and used under a Creative Commons license.

During the debate of the law, there was a lot of controversy going on at the radio and television stations. The main media group in the country, Clarin, which must let go a number of television channels, radio and a percentage of cable subscribers, provided completely negative coverage of the law and other media did the same. However, despite the discussions in the media, there were no massive protests in the streets, which was the scenario that took place during the debate for the raise of agricultural taxes in 2008. In the end, the government achieved an easy victory in the Senate. After December 10, the Congress will be renewed and the current Executive Branch will lose majority in both chambers of Congress.

At the blog Aristotelizar [es], they focus on the proccess of approval of the law in the Congress:

El tratamiento de la ley de medios arroja nuevas luces sobre el modo de gobernar del matrimonio presidencial que continúa erosionando la ya escasa credibilidad de las instituciones. Esta es una ley arcaica que se nutre del ideario del primer peronismo, a pesar de que el mundo ha cambiado y mucho, desde entonces.

The treatment of the media law shows the way the presidential couple governs the country, which continues to erode the already scarce credibility of institutions. This is an archaic law that nourishes from the first Peronism ideology, despite the fact that the world has changed a lot since then.

At Nanopoder [es] blog, they forecast an extensive series of consequences, all bad, of the application of the law. There are also negative views of the new media law (or its treatment in the Congress, at least) at Un Alumno Diferente [es], El Atrilero [es], and El Observatorio Político [es].

On the side of those who see the approval of this law as something positive, Al Centro y Adentro [es] states:

La instalación del debate sobre una nueva ley de medios audiovisuales en el parlamento tuvo otro efecto en la población. Las franjas más progresistas de la población acompañaron, militándolo, el proyecto de ley que envió el Poder Ejecutivo al Legislativo. Esta vez la centroizquierda y casi todo el campo popular apoyaron la iniciativa del Gobierno (…). Las élites dominantes no pudieron imponer sus intereses particulares (…) en contra de la voluntad general.

The installation of the debate about a new audiovisual media law in the Parliament had another effect in the population. The most progressive side of the population supported, actively, the law project sent from the Executive to the Legislative Branch. This time the left center and almost all the popular field supported the initiative of the government (…). The dominant elite could not impose its particular interests (…) against the general will.

More positive texts about this law can be found at Francisco José Bessone's blog [es], Arte y Brujería [es], Sin Zonceras [es], and Fin del Capitalismo ¿Salvaje? [es].

There was a long exchange of opinions at Twitter, which could be followed through the hashtags #leydemedios [es] and #leymedios [es] (media law).

Argentina: Mourning the Death of Folk Singer Mercedes Sosa

Jorge Gobbi — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:54:04 +0000

The October 4th death of Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa, one of the most important voices in Latin American folk music, was one of the most important news during the past weekend. The news was covered by all Argentine media, and some cable news channels transmitted the wake throughout Sunday.

Photo by Basilievich and used under a Creative Commons license.

As expected, many blogs wrote about the singer's death. The large majority published videos or songs, as a way to pay homage. Other wrote short descriptions about the sadness of the day. For example, in the blog La Cocina Plural [es], Tomy writes:

Tus acciones, tus palabras, tus canciones y tu voz despertaron alguna conciencia social…( algunas siguen dormidas), te echaremos de menos para siempre, que descanses allí donde estés

Your actions, your words, your songs and your voice awoken some social consciousness… (some remain asleep), we'll always miss you, may you rest in peace wherever you may be.

Mourning waiting in line to pay their respects to Mercedes Sosa. Photo by blmurch and used under a Creative Commons license.

Other blogs wrote short summaries of what happened on the day of her death. The blog La Carabina [es] writes that:

desde que se conoció su muerte (producida en la madrugada del domingo), sus admiradores han guardado pacientemente horas de fila para acceder al velatorio organizado en el salón de los Pasos Perdidos del Congreso, un honor sólo reservado para las más importantes personalidades políticas y culturales.

ever since her death was announced (early in the morning on Sunday), her fans waited patiently in line for hours in order to gain access to the wake organized in the Pasos Perdidos Salon of Congress, which is an honor only reserved for the most important political and cultural figures

The singer's official website received a large number of messages before and after her death, due to the progressively worsening in her health condition. Fans also shared their condolences through Mercedes Sosa's Facebook page [es].

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Argentina: Proposal to Increase Taxes on Some Technology Products

Jorge Gobbi — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:44:02 +0000

The Argentine Chamber of Deputies gave their preliminary approval to a law that increases internal taxes on the importation of a large variety of technology-related products. Even though laptop computers and “netbooks” were excluded, the tax increase will affect PCs, mobile phones, televisions, and other devices, except if these items are manufactured in the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego. The 10.5% sales tax on these products will increase to 21% It is not yet known whether the Senate will approve the increase. If this happens, many await this significant increase in the price of many imported products.

According to the sponsors of the measure, they want to create more jobs in Tierra del Fuego and to encourage the local manufacturing of a wide range of products. However, the reaction in the blogs was quick, and in general, the reactions condemn the preliminary approval. In the blog Denken Uber [es], Mariano Amartino wonders:

¿No es este otro más de los impuestos regresivos que existen en este país? Una persona de clase media o alta accede a una notebook de u$s2000 sin pagar tasas extras pero alguien que apenas puede pagar un clon de u$s500 para tener su primer PC debe pagar un 30% más. Si buscamos crear una “economía de la información”… gravar con un 30% además del casi 50% de impuestos que ya tienen y encima con un peso argentino débil ¿no es evitar que la base de la pirámide social acceda a las herramientas que tienen más posibilidades de sacarlos de la pobreza?

Isn't this another one of the regressive taxes that exist in the country? A person from the middle or upper class purchases a $2000 USD laptop without paying extra taxes, but someone who can barely pay an assembled computer costing $500 USD as their first PC, must pay 30% more. If we seek to create an “information economy”… taxing with a 30% in addition to almost 50% of taxes that already exist, and on top of that, a weak Argentine peso. Wouldn't this keep the base of the social pyramid from accessing these tools that give them more possibilities of bringing them out of poverty?

Another blog that was created to oppose the proposed measure, No al impuestazo! [es] (No to the Tax Hike!) and it also encourages the use of the hashtag #noalimpuestazo on Twitter. In addition, Fabio Baccaglioni of Fabio.com.ar [es] writes:

lo preocupante del caso es que la urgencia por generar ingresos para las arcas estatales nos va a jugar gravemente en contra como país

The worrisome part of this is the urgency to generate revenue for the state treasury, which will severely hurt us as a country

This is something that Roger Schultz of eLaws [es] adds:

en un país donde la barrera cambiaria (3.80 a 1) mas el arancel impositivo vigente cercano al 50% IVA e ingresos brutos, antes de este aumento Argentina ya era el país de Sudamérica más caro para comprar tecnología

in a country where the currency exchange barrier (3.80 pesos to 1 US dollar), in addition to the current tariff of close to 50% IVA and gross income, even before this increase, Argentina was the South American country in which it was already the most expensive to purchase technology products.

The negative opinions went further than the blogs and there have now been campaigns on YouTube, such as the one started by journalist Federico Aikawa [es]:

There are also campaigns on Facebook, such as the Cause: No to the Technological Tax Hike [es] and the group “My Mobile Phone is not a Luxury Object [es]“

On the other hand, Gabriel Carol of the blog Patria Sí, Colonia No [es], there is support for the preliminary approval and he writes:

Por 136 votos contra 61, la Cámara de Diputados aprobó el proyecto de ley que aplica gravámenes impositivos a los productos electrónicos importados y establece una reducción tributaria a los fabricados en Tierra del Fuego, y que posibilitará el desarrollo de un polo tecnológico en la provincia y la preservación de los puestos de trabajo en el sector.

By a vote of 136 to 61, the Chamber of Deputies approved the bill that apply tarriffs to imported electronic objects and establishes a reduction in taxes on objects manufactures in Tierra del Fuego and will provide the possibility for a technological pole in the province and the preservation of jobs in that sector.