Made in Casa RAE ARGENTINA TO THE WORLD

40th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

40th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

According to what the Argentine government informed this week, with an average of 6 thousand new cases daily, Argentina reached December and went over the outbreak's peak without the health system collapsing, albeit with a toll of 41 thousand deaths. The year has taught us some lessons, experts say, that could help prevent or mitigate the impact of a second wave of the pandemic in the future.

 

On this regard, Dr. Pedro Cahn, of the advisory committee supporting the Ministry of Health, told state-news agencyTélam: "If the health system had not been strengthened with more beds, more respirators and training for staff, we would have had many more than 40 thousand deaths, which of course is not a figure to be proud of".

Dr. Cahn also mentioned the fact that the COVID-19 vaccines candidates are over 90% effective according to phase 3 trials results, a percentage that was unthinkable just a month ago.

Looking back, the infectious disease expert believes "that probably a tighter control of travelers coming into the country could have been put in place from the beginning, and the DetectAr tracing plan could have been implemented earlier if local governments had accepted; and that close contacts of confirmed cases should have been tested immediately without waiting for them to show symptoms".

39th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

Foreign Minister Felipe Solá said the MERCOSUR bloc is "the most important instrument for reaching agreements with the world, the most relevant Argentina has had for the last 30 years". He also stressed that the group "did not come to a standstill and overcame complex discussions".

This is what he stated during his presentation at the 57th encounter of the MERCOSUR's Common Market Council, a meeting that precedes the Presidential summit, that also took place this week. Argentina is now taking over the pro-tem chair of the group.

 

 

 

At the beginning of his speech, addressing his peers from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, Mr. Solá highlighted that "30 years ago MERCOSUR set very ambitious goals and not all of them have been achieved, although it has been a great agreement from the commercial and rapprochement point of view of our countries".

The minister also voiced his opinion that MERCOSUR "has brought peace, for example, as there are no longer any conflict hypotheses between our nations, as there were before the bloc was founded".

Mr. Solá also took the opportunity to congratulate the outgoing chair of the group, Uruguay, for its work over the last semester, and also hailed the fact that, amid the coronavirus pandemic, "MERCOSUR did not come to a standstill and overcame complex, difficult discussions, with a non-dogmatic political attitude aimed at finding agreements".

 

38th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

The government of president Alberto Fernandez marks this Thursday his first year in office, amid the worst possible scenario: economic crisis and global pandemic. In that context, Social Development Minister Daniel Arroyo, said that the most worrying aspect is that "poverty now affects about 60 percent of children, and we're now looking at the third generation of excluded people".

 

Mr. Arroyo made statements that were picked up by the State news-gathering agency Télam, where he assured that "the social situation is critical in Argentina", emphasizing the data regarding poor children, which comes from a study conducted by the Social Observatory of the Argentine Catholic University. The official also warned that "structural poverty is at 30 percent" at present.

He also informed "there's about 11 million people that currently receive food assistance and despite that figure having dropped slightly over the last few weeks, the situation remains really critical".

The Minister affirmed that he sees "no conditions for social conflict, even though there are plenty of people in distress as, he assured, '' December is always a difficult month, because we look at ourselves in the mirror of the year".

Translation - VO: Fernando Farías
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web: Julián Cortez

37th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

President Alberto Fernandez signed an executive order extending the parliamentary period, from January 3 to February 28.

According to official sources, the presidential decision is aimed at passing in the coming months two projects, one on voluntary interruption of pregnancy, and the other on creating a program to provide aid to mothers and their children during pregnancy and the infant's first three years of life, the so-called "1000-day program".

 

The debate kicks off this week at the Lower House.

Argentina is deemed a forerunner in Latin America, together with Uruguay, in dealing with abortion in a non-punitive way. The issue however triggers harsh debates in society, with advocates such as feminist groups considering the legalization of abortion (and of sexual education) a matter of public health, amid the death of tens of women -mainly poor ones- per year in clandestine, unsafe abortions. On the other hand, critics and opponents of the pro-life camp include the Catholic Church and other religious groups.

Translation and VO: Fernando Farías
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

35th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

President Alberto Fernandez finally announced his government is sending to Congress a bill on legalizing abortions. This had been one of the president's main campaign promises during the elections but its discussion had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, legal and technical secretary, Vilma Ibarra, one of Mr. Fernandez's most trusted aides, and a fervent campaigner for safe, legal and free abortions, anticipated that the project on Pregnancy Voluntary Interruption will be treated by lawmakers next December, jointly with the so-called "1000-Day Plan" for supporting socially-vulnerable mothers and children during pregnancy and the first three years in the infant's life.

 

The details of the project were analyzed by the President himself last weekend before announcing it this Tuesday. This comes in spite of the fact that the ruling Frente de Todos' party does not have the necessary votes guaranteed for passage in either of the two chambers.

The differences about the initiative are not specifically partisan, and the main opponent of it remains the Church and several pro-life groups, exerting great pressure.

Meanwhile, pro-choice groups in Argentina warn about the high numbers of poor women who undergo illegal and unsafe abortions every month, risking their health and in many cases, their lives.

34th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

The head of the Social Policy Coordination Council, Victoria Tolosa Paz, gave details this week about a social program the Government will send to Congress: the 1000-day plan for supporting mothers and children during the first years of infancy. It is a project based on an initiative of San Juan province, that's been in place since 2016.

In addition, government sources anticipated that another key bill is to be submitted to Parliament: a new project for the legalization of abortion. Both initiatives will be analyzed by lawmakers in ordinary sessions.

 

Ms. Tolosa Paz explained that the 1000-day plan "has been executed for a long time by San Juan's government and has had excellent results, benefitting thousands of women during their pregnancy as well as the first years of their children's lives".

VO - Presentation: Fernando Farías
Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

33th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

The trial for Dictatorship-era crimes against humanity in the Navy Mechanics School, known as ESMA IV entered this week in a decisive stage, previous to the accused making their statements and sentences being handed.

In this trial, which began more than two years ago and is currently held via teleconference because of COVID-19, crimes trialed include illegal deprivation of liberty, torture, murder and abduction of children carried out by members of Argentina's Navy. ESMA, in Buenos Aires, is currently a cultural space, where records of the dictatorship's abuses are kept.

 

At this stage of the process, five retired officers will be tried for the so-called "death flights" that used to take off from the Campo de Mayo airfield, carrying drugged prisoners that were thrown from the air into the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition, another trial on HHRR violations continue this week, focusing on abuses against 419 victims at other illegal detention facilities of the 1976-1983 regime: the codenamed "Pozo de Banfield" (Banfield's Well), "Pozo de Quilmes" (Quilmes' Well) and "El Infierno" ("The Hell"), all located in the province of Buenos Aires..

Translation - VO: Fernando Farías
Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

Made at Home 32

Three studies conducted in Argentina, using various methods, concluded that convalescent plasma is safe, and does not produce serious secondary effects. These projects obtained various conclusions regarding its efficacy in improving the clinical condition of patients. The studies were carried out by CEMIC, the Italian Hospital of the city of Buenos Aires, and the Ministry of Health of the province of Buenos Aires.

As sources highlighted, the studies are a reflection of the questions generated by the pandemic, despite a certain consensus among scientists that plasma, if applied early and with high levels of antibodies, can be beneficial.

 

In this study (whose conclusions are in what is called pre-print stage, i.e. in the process preceding publication on a scientific magazine without peer review) patients received plasma with a concentration of IgG antibodies of 0.7-0.8 for each 10 kg of body weight, but with no placebo parallel study.
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The average survival rate at 28 days was 80%, 91% patients breathing on their own and 63% for those on mechanical ventilation.

For doctor Omar Sued, expert in infectious diseases and head of the Argentine Society of Infectology "plasma has been shown in many studies to be a safe treatment, the problem is that there is still no certainty regarding its effectiveness in reducing mortality".

Translation and VO: Fernando Farías
Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

Made In Home 31

On Monday, official sources announced that scientists from Argentine research centers INTA and CONICET were able to neutralize the virus that causes coronavirus with VHH nano-antibodies derived from the chicken eggs yolk.

The scientific achievement was presented by Farming Minister Luis Basterra together with his peer of Science Roberto Salvarezza and the chair of INTA, Susana Mirassou.

 

Mr. Basterra said "this has international impact in terms of scientific achievement and puts us at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19".

As explained, neutralization trials carried out with pseudovirus and with the wild virus confirmed that these molecules "inhibit the viral infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2". This results in innovative treatments against COVID-19 disease, which are complementary to the vaccines and other available methods".

Made In Home 30

Various Latin American leaders expressed their support for Alberto Fernández and called for "deepening regional unity" during a teleconference coordinated by former Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, who called for strengthening democracy and integration.

The encounter was held last Monday and the participants were former Latin American presidents supporting president Alberto Fernández stressed the need for unity in the face of challenges such as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

 

The former presidents Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, Evo Morales of Bolivia, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Ernesto Samper of Colombia and José Manuel Zelaya of Honduras took part in the meeting, in addition to Fernandez, who assured he was never a member of the anti-Chávez Lima Group, joined a "meeting" of said organization, and did not sign any "document" issued by that block either.

"In the same way I can point out our personal and political respect for the democratic background of Michelle Bachelet and her commitment to Human Rights," the Argentine Head of State added about the former president of Chile and the current High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations.

Mr. Fernandez also ratified his commitment to the "deepening of actions that improve the quality of people's lives in Latin America and advocated for "the full respect of democracy and for more integration amid an exceptional context, "a situation that worsened in 2020 as a result of the pandemic".

VO and presentation: Fernando Farías
Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

In Argentina, the advance of forest fires in many parts of the country is alarming. The Ministry of Environment has confirmed that in 14 provinces 49 fires have broken out in rural and wooded areas.

According to official sources, out of this total, 23 are active while the rest are under control. The provinces most affected are Jujuy and Córdoba, with 10 to 20 active outbreaks that have already cost the lives of two volunteer firefighters.

Reports assure that 95% of these fires have been caused by human intervention for, environmentalist groups denounce, creating more areas for cattle grazing or for estate development. Fires may have been set by poorly extinguished cigarette butts.

 

The images of devastated flora and dead or injured animals in the provinces of Jujuy, Córdoba, Catamarca, Chaco, Santa Fe, San Luis, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Misiones, regions of the province of Buenos Aires, La Rioja, Santiago del Estero and Salta are simply striking.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, in addition to the human factor, "climatic factors such as a lack of rainfall, high temperatures, low humidity, constant frost and strong winds" have contributed to the spread of fires.

In addition, the country's environmentalists have called for urgent action to pass the Wetlands Protection Act, and to enforce existing laws on the protection of native flora and fauna, and to pass a law prohibiting the sale of land destroyed by fire within 60 years, so that the flora and fauna can begin to regenerate after the devastation.

VO and presentation: Fernando Farías
Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

 

Made at Home - 28

 

Julio Navarro is the only Argentine who has been included in an exclusive list put together by publication Citation Laureates, which means he's a strong candidate to win the Physics Nobel Prize.

Navarro was born in Santiago del Estero, he grew up in the capital city of that province, about 1,500 kilometers from Buenos Aires. He went to Grammar and High School there, and then moved to the province of Córdoba to study Astronomy at University.

 

Now he's a professor at the University of Victoria in Canada, where he lives and works; and is also a recognized expert for his research on the formation and evolution of galaxies, as well as on cosmic structure and dark matter.

The winners of the highest honor in science, both in physics, medicine, chemistry and economy, are expected to be elected in early October by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel Prize in Physics, Chemistry and Economic Sciences. The Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institute, in turn, bestows the Medicine Prize; and the Swedish Academy picks the Literature Nobel laureate.

The 57-year Argentine scientist has already been recognized at an international level for his research on the structure of halos of dark matter , the mysterious substance that holds galaxies together.

The scientist said that he has long worked "on what we call dark matter, which is a component of the universe". A universe, he said, that is made up of one part of "atom, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and other elements, which are what we call "ordinary matter", while the other part that we know about is energy, i.e, light: the light that comes from the stars, the sun.

He explained, "We now know from research that this "energy" component, which we have studied for many years in physics and chemistry, is actually a minimal component of the universe that is made up of other things that are not just atoms and the sunlight that reaches us... that amount of light matter and normal matter is negligible; it accounts for about four percent of the total matter and energy of the universe".

Presentation and VO: Fernando Farías
Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

 

Made at Home - Episode 27

 

The six Argentine permanent bases in Antarctica were extremely cautious to prevent being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Antarctica is the only territory free of coronavirus.

Disinfection, fewer flights bringing supplies and less contact with people from other bases in Antarctica. These are some of the measures implemented back in early February to prevent the virus from reaching the white continent.

 

The Marambio Base was founded in 1969 in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, about 1,200 kilometers from Ushuaia, in the province of Tierra del Fuego. It is inhabited by 56 people who arrived on November 2nd last year, with the goal of keeping the main Argentine airfield on that continent operational throughout the year. It is located on a plateau that is 200 meters above the sea level, and temperatures can drop to 35 degrees below zero in winter.

The Belgrano II Base, in turn, was built in 1979 on the rocky outcrop of a glacier about 1,300 kilometers from the South Pole and about 2,900 kilometers from Ushuaia. It is the southernmost of Argentina's Antarctic bases, and temperatures can drop up to 48 degrees below zero. Its crew consists of 22 people who arrived on January 26 after a 22-day journey on the "Almirante Irizar" Icebreaker of the Argentine Navy.

The San Martín Base, in turn, was built in 1951, it's about 1,500 kilometers from Ushuaia, on the San Martín island in an area where the sea freezes in winter and the ice joins the island with Margarita Bay. It is manned by a crew of 20 people who arrived at the site on February 19..

And finally, the Esperanza Base, inaugurated in 1953, more than 1,100 kilometers from Ushuaia. Esperanza is the only Argentine base where the personnel can be stationed with their families, that's why here, there's a school: the Nº 38 "Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín" which is the only one in all of Argentina's bases and the only one that didn't close during the pandemic in Argentina. Esperanza Base, as you may know, is the home of a Short Wave station: LRA 36 Arcángel San Gabriel.

Translation and V.O: Fernando Farías
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web: Julián Cortez

The coronavirus lockdown means confinement between four walls and remote working in big cities and this has prompted many people to make the decision to move to small towns. Over the past few months, the number of families that are taking that step increased tenfold according to an NGO that promotes the rural repopulation.

The trend is confirmed in real estate agencies, where they warn that "the profile of the buyer has changed", who now is willing to give up household comforts in exchange for nature.

 

Enquiries for homes outside big cities increased a lot because the profile of the buyer has also changed, they today prefer a place with recreation rather than comfort inside the home, something unthinkable before", said Alejandro Bennazar, president of the Argentine Real Estate Chamber.

In turn, the executive director of the Foundation Es Vicis, Cintia Jaime said that the number of people interested in relocating to small towns "grew tenfold compared to March" and these numbers "are still on the rise" according to this NGO that seeks to "reverse the constant migration to cities".

The woman highlighted that "seven towns per week express their willingness to welcome newcomers while 300 families tell us that they want to leave the city, as part of our program 'welcome to my town'".

This initiative tested in the small town of Colonia Belgrano in Santa Fe, where 20 families were able to join the program aided by this organization that is supported by the provincial government and the Swiss embassy.

Towns who want to join the program need to have good Internet connection and access, and require certain types of businesses or professional services. They are connected with wannabe new dwellers who in turn meet the needs of the town.

Translation and VO: Fernando Farías
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web: Julián Cortez

 

Argentina's Fundación Huésped, chaired by infectious disease expert Pedro Cahn, announced this week that recruitment has begun for volunteers who want to take part in phase III trials of one of the candidate coronavirus vaccines developed in China based on an inactivated virus. This is the second clinical trial to be launched in Argentina.

Dr. Cahn is one of the main pandemic advisors to president Alberto Fernández. He explained that the study will involve 3 thousand volunteers on whom an inactivated vaccine will be applied, completely risk-free".

 

He described that "inactivated vaccines use a dead version of the pathogen as it is the case with other vaccines such as those for the flu, hepatitis A, polio and rabies,: He emphasized: we already know that it is impossible to get infected from this vaccine, as in the traditional vaccine approach.

This vaccine is developed by the CNBG (China National Biotech Group) linked to the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) jointly with the BIBP (Beijing Institute of Biological Products).

The study will be randomized, meaning that patients will randomly receive the tested vaccine or a placebo, double masked (neither the volunteer nor the research team know which one has been applied), placebo-controlled (an inert substance) and in parallel groups to evaluate immunogenicity (the ability to activate the immune system) and safety.

Translation and VO: Fernando Farías
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web: Julián Cortez

On Sunday, Argentine microwave observation satellite Saocom 1B was launched attached to a Falcon 9 rocket, of firm Space-X, from the Cape Canaveral base in Florida, United States. This feat was carried out by scientists from the Mission Control Center at the CONAE Space Center, in the province of Córdoba, and from Invap, in Bariloche, in the province of Río Negro.

President Alberto Fernández celebrated the event and emphasized: "investment in education, science and technology" will make it possible to "grow as a country and as a society". He also said that with the launch, Argentina is "one 10 countries capable of putting satellites like this into orbit".

 

The first body of the Falcon 9 rocket that transported Saocom 1B into space detached 2 minutes 31 seconds after launch and was recovered on the ground for a future mission. The satellite itself detached at 14 minutes 20 seconds from the rocket's payload module, stabilized in its orbit and then opened its solar panels.

The first station the satellite contacted is in Lima, Peru, according to the "minute by minute" schedule provided by the team following up the device from Argentina. From that moment on, CONAE's Mission Control Center in Córdoba began to receive data from the satellite and to communicate with the rest of the groups.

The Saocom 1B observation satellite was included in the 1994 strategic plan by the National Commission for Space Activities (CONAE). It was built on the infrastructure of the defunct Condor II rocket project that was not scrapped, with researchers from the dissolved National Commission for Space Research (CNIE). CONAE also brought together scientists who had been working with the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) and the state-owned Tech company INVAP.

Saocom 1B has a complete set of capabilities, including assessing soil moisture and providing support for emergencies response, as well as supplying farming data such as when it's the best time to plant or fertilize, generating information on flooding of watercourses, soil movement, volcano activity or the state of forests, glaciers and wetlands.

Made In Home 22

Facundo Astudillo Castro, 22 years old, was last seen on April 30, 2020. Local police arrested him in the town of Mayor Buratovich, in the province of Buenos Aires, for failing to comply with the quarantine imposed by COVID-19 by the state throughout the country.

Contradictions in police reports and other testimonies sparked suspicions about the role of some police officers involved in the arrest, although nobody has been formally accused by courts.

 

On 2 July, his family filed a complaint before a Federal Court to initiate investigations into Facundo's disappearance. His mother, Cristina Castro, told the press that "the prosecutor does not have the courage to confront me. We are workers, what they did to my son has no name. And we are not going to stop until the truth is known and they all go to jail. I will not allow the prosecutor, the judge or anyone else to cover up for the cops".

A body was found over the weekend in the search for the young man who had been missing for more than a hundred days. Experts from the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team were called in to identify the body. Facundo's mother said about the internationally-recognized team: "I trust the forensic experts, they showed me that they have a unique human warmth, the whole team is very human. All the humanity that the prosecutor was shown to me by the Team.

Ms. Castro told reporters that, "When they said goodbye, the Anthropology girls hugged me and said, 'If it's your child, we'll take good care of him and give him back to you".

It can take more than 30 days to identify the body found and find out the cause of death. In the meantime, Facundo remains officially, a desaparecido.

Every day our listeners find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar.

Translation and VO: Fernando Farías
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web: Julián Cortez

 

Made In Casa #21

Argentina's Economy Minister Martín Guzmán, said this week that the debt negotiation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) "will be hard and will take months", and estimated that "it is possible that only at the beginning of next year" an agreement can be "closed".

"We don't see an agreement closing anytime soon because of the many issues to be discussed" Mr. Guzmán said in radio statements, stressing the country will be very cautious in the talks.

Guzmán did not rule out that the IMF may try to place some conditions during the negotiation process, such as demanding a flexibilization in employment regulations or a pension reform, but he underlined that the country will not accept "anything that goes against Argentina's development".

 

Made In Casa #20

 

Russia will provide Argentina with a drug it has been testing to treat covid-19. It is called Avifavir and will be received by six other countries in the region: Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Honduras and El Salvador, according to the newspaper Página/12.

Meanwhile, the country's infection rate rose from 4 to 8 per positive, leading the Federal Government to decree a 15-day ban on social gatherings for the entire country. The penalties for those who violate the measure can reach up to 8 years in prison.

 

The arrival of this Russian pharmaceutical is announced after news of Favipiravir's effectiveness in three independent clinical tests carried out in the most important medical centers in Russia.

It was tested on 700 COVID-19 patients. The drug interrupted the reproduction mechanisms of the coronavirus, relieved symptoms and halved the average treatment period.

The agreement for selling it in seven Latin American countries was signed on July 29 by Kromis (a state-owned Russian company) and Sigma Corp S.R.L (a Bolivian firm) together with the JimRar group, which created the drug. A minimum supply of 150,000 units of Avifavir was negotiated, and the Bolivian partner will receive the technology for the final part of the drug's production process.

 

 

Made In Home 19

Tests with horse serum in patients with Covid-19 began this week. It's a trial run by Argentine scientists in the city of La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires province. Application protocols are backed by Argentina's health control agencies.

This serum was developed by company Inmunova and is the first potential COVID-19 medicinal drug fully developed in Argentina. According to the company, in vitro trials demonstrated the capacity to neutralize the virus with a potency "50 times greater than the average of survivor's plasma".

 

The results of those in vitro tests were published in the journal "Medicina". The Ministry of Productive Development approved a credit of 30 million pesos (some 250 thousand dollars) to finance these clinical trials.

On this first stage, tests on patients with coronavirus will begin in the Güemes Clinic and the Pirovano Hospital of the city of Buenos Aires; as well as the Cuenca Alta Hospital, in Cañuelas, BA province, and in the La PlataMedical Institute.

242 adult volunteers with moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 will take part in the trials. The horse "superimmune serum" recreates the strategy applied for a vaccine against Hepatitis B and for the production of other hyperimmune equine serums used against snake and scorpion venom, tetanus toxin or botulism.

Remember that every day listeners can find the updated coronavirus report issued by the Argentine Ministry of Health on our website, www.rae.com.ar, translated into seven languages.

Translation - VO: Fernando Farías
Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

 

18th edition of the RAE-Argentina space program to the World

Argentina has the region's most important economic aid policy for mitigating the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, with two out of every three households covered by the Emergency Family Income (IFE). This is according to an analysis by the National University of Avellaneda (Undav), in Buenos Aires province.

The report by the Observatory stated that while Argentina covers 66.2 percent of households with the IFE, Brazil barely reaches 25 percent of its population, Chile 31 percent and Peru 2.5 percent.

 

In Argentina, it means the aid reaches 8.8 million households, while the Federal funds allocated are equivalent to 1.08 per cent of the GDP.

According to the Observatory, "direct transfer policies were already very common in Latin America, mainly because most of these countries' economies are informal, with high rates of unemployment, which reduces the impact of other protection policies".

Every day our listeners find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar. They can also find the new SW timetables, while the streaming link continues to relay AM820, LRA1 Radio Nacional Argentina.

Remember to check out our YouTube channel Rae Argentina al Mundo where you can find content in eight languages produced by the international service of the Argentine Radio.

Translation - VO: Fernando Farías.
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web: Julián Cortez

Made In Home number 17

Argentina has been chosen to test the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the partnership of multinational companies BioNTech-Pfizer, as announced by President Alberto Fernández.

Tomás Orduna, one of the government's advisors, said this week that in Argentina "between two and three thousand volunteers will receive the vaccine to test it", starting in late July or early August.

 

 

Germany's BioNTech and the U.S. 's Pfizer reported preliminary positive results a week ago for their joint new coronavirus vaccine initiative, which was first tested in 45 people. Ugur Sahin, BioNTech's executive director, said that the experimental BNT162b1 vaccine "is capable of generating a neutralizing antibody response in humans at levels greater than or equal to that of a recovered patient, and it does so at relatively low doses,"

The study is carried out by a team headed by pediatric infectious disease expert Fernando Polack, who is director of the Infant Foundation.

This vaccine is one of 12 that are in clinical phase trials, that is to say, are being tested in humans, as informed by the World Health Organization.

Every day listeners can find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar. as well as the SW broadcasts timetables. The streaming continues to relay programs by AM870, LRA1 Radio Nacional Buenos Aires.

And remember that you can subscribe to the Youtube Channel of RAE, Argentina to the World, and find original content in eight languages produced by the international service of the Argentine Radio.

Translation-V.O.: Fernando Farías
Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

Market analysts, economists and even former officials of expresident Mauricio Macri's administration showed optimism that the debt restructuring proposal, submitted today to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will be accepted by a majority of Argentina's creditors.

The improvement in payment conditions against the first proposal of the Argentine government, reflected in a hike of public securities and shares of Argentine companies abroad, were some of the aspects praised.

 

 

On Sunday night, the Argentine government presented its new exchange proposal, an amendment to the offer to restructure public debt in foreign currency and under foreign legislation, and extended the deadline up until August 4th.

Meanwhile, the crisis sparked by the pandemic continues to demand a two-sided effort, on the one hand facing the virus, and on the other, in the social and economic field. Government officials are already assessing that the consequences of the outbreak will be worse than those following the 2001 meltdown.

Remember that every day, you can find a translation of Argentina's Health Ministry Report on COVID-19. On www.rae.com.ar, there's also a timetable for SW broadcasts. The streaming link continues to relay programs by Radio Nacional Argentina.

Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web: Julián Cortez

 

Made In Home #15

While different cities and provinces are starting to implement phase 5 of the measures against the coronavirus, and more than 100 days after the declaration of the health emergency throughout Argentina, this Wednesday the city of Buenos Aires and part of the province of Buenos Aires are going back to phase 1 of control, due to an increase in the number of cases in the most densely populated part of the country.

These tougher measures are going to go on for 15 days in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, i.e., the Capital and the surrounding areas, where over 12 million people live.

 

Meanwhile, the Minister of Social Development, Daniel Arroyo, insisted on the need to achieve a "wide consensus of all social and political sectors" for implementing a "basic universal income" as a "State policy" to counter the pandemic's consequences.

According to Minister Arroyo, it is a matter of "converting ongoing plans and merging them into a universal basic income," something that "is being discussed all over the World".

Estimates in Argentina indicate that by the end of this year, at least 60 percent of the population will be poor, with most of them out of a job.

In Arroyo's opinion, the post-pandemic transition will also demand the reactivation of the informal economies run by around four million people living in poor neighborhoods. This would "move the economy and spark consumption and improve access to more dignified living standards".

Every day our listeners can find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar. They can also find the new SW timetables via WRMI. Our website's streaming link continues to relay the signal of AM870 Radio Nacional Argentina.

In addition, you can visit the RAE Argentina to the World YouTube channel where you can find content produced by RAE, in eight languages.

Translation and V.O.: Fernando Farías
Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda
Web Production: Julián Cortez

14th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

While in most of Argentina the situation varies according to the number of cases, in areas like Buenos Aires and Chaco the situation is more complex as infections continue to climb towards an uncertain peak. Announcements are also expected for a return to what is being called "the new normal". Or to roll back the easing down of restrictions as it could happen in BA City and Province.

To all this, as we are approaching the 100-day mark of the lockdown, MERCOSUR labor ministers agreed on a "Declaration For The Protection of Jobs", and reviewed in this virtual meeting measures that were implemented since the outbreak started to uphold "the income and employment of workers".

 

They also analyzed the future context and the potential recovery policies for the post-pandemic stage, in which Argentina's Labor Minister Claudio Moroni said that "different and flexible" tools for dialogue will have to be used, because,as he put it, "only a collaborative dialogue between unions, companies and Government will provide the solution to a crisis of this magnitude".

The meeting was attended by Moroni and his peers from Paraguay, Carla Bacigalupo; Brazil, Bruno Bianco Leal, and Uruguay, Pablo Mieres.

As usual, we remind our listeners that they can find the regular and translated health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar. They can also find the SW broadcasts timetables. The streaming continues to relay the signal of AM870, Radio Nacional Buenos Aires.

In addition, you can visit the YouTube channel RAE - Argentina to the World, where you can find original content in eight languages produced by the staff of RAE; Argentina to the World.

Translation and VO: Fernando Farías

Web Production: Julián Cortez

Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda

 

The economic crisis deepened by the coronavirus pandemic had differing levels of impact on Argentina's economy with the middle class, low-income sectors and small and medium enterprises were particularly affected by the health emergency. Large companies in turn weren't as affected, according to a joint analysis by the Research and Training Center of the Argentine Republic (Cifra) and the Economics and Technology Area of the Latin American School of Social Sciences (FLACSO).

According to the study, most of the big companies operating in the country, which in 2019 accounted for 80 percent of sales, remained operational throughout the isolation.

In the case of small and medium enterprises it was different. According to this analysis, 40 percent came to a halt in mid-April but after restrictions began to ease down, only 25% of companies remained closed..

 

Cifra and FLACSO economist Pablo Manzanelli says: "This is an economy that is functioning in the context of a crisis and an two-side isolation, with small businesses and many people not being able to operate amid restrictions, and on the other side, big firms that were able to function, partially or fully".

The crisis has further aggravated the situation of Argentina's productive system. According to estimates, once the COVID crisis is over -a crisis with no certain end date - at least 700 businesses and SMEs will no longer be opening in the city of Buenos Aires alone.

This drop comes on top of the general social situation, that the president Alberto Fernández administration itself aseses that 50 percent of the population of 45 million is poor. In fact, according to data by the Ministry of Social Development, people in need of food aid across the country rose from 8 million before the pandemic to an estimated 11 to 12 million people.

Every day our listeners can find the official COVID-19 report issued by the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar, available in 8 languages. They can also find the new SW schedules as the website continues to relay the streaming of Radio Nacional Argentina, AM 870.

In addition, you can visit the RAE YouTube channel where you can find part content produced by RAE's staff.

Presentation-translation: Fernando Farías
Web: Julián Cortez

President Alberto Fernandez announced on Monday the intervention of agricultural company Vicentin and that he will submit to Congress a bill for its expropriation, in order to bail out the company amid an ongoing financial crisis. Part of the Vicentín group was going through insolvency proceedings, and held a debt with some 2,600 farmers.

"With the expropriation of Vicentín, us Argentines have to be very happy because we are taking a step towards food sovereignty, in a post-pandemic W orld that will put food at the center of the discussion," said president Fernández.

Mr. Fernández said that all the assets of the Vicentín Group will be part of a trust group run by YPF Agro, the Farming division of Argentina's state-ran oil company, and this be materialized via a presidential decree to rescue the exporting firm.

 

 

In this sense, he said that the intervention of the Vicentín Group seeks to "take advantage of the management capacity of YPF" and added that, if evidence of fraud against the State during the previous administration is found, lawsuits will be filed.

The President said that the firm "will be declared of public interest" and highlighted its relevance in food production and for "food sovereignty".

Fernández reassured Vicentin's workers who will keep their jobs and 2,600 producers will be able to continue operating and selling their grains through it.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Productive Development, Matias Kulfas, said that the bailout will allow it to sustain its "key role in the agro-industrial market" and give the State the opportunity to run a "leading company in the grain market and in the exchange market".

We remind our listeners that they can find daily the official health report issued by the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar. as well as SW transmission timetables. The streaming link continues to relay programs by AM 870 Radio Nacional Buenos Aires.

In addition, you can visit the YouTube channel of RAE - Argentina al Mundo, where you can find original content in eight languages produced by the staff of Argentina's International Radio Service.

Presentation-translation: Fernando Farías
Web: Julián Cortez

 

11th edition of the special program of RAE-Argentina to the World

While in much of Argentina, activities are slowly beginning to reopen as the number of new cases, the Capital City and its suburbs in the province of Buenos Aires are considering extending lockdown measures because, on the contrary, new cases have been on the rise.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is also dealing with the renegotiation of debt with private bondholders, in the context of an economic situation that has worsened as a result of the pandemic.

 

Within this framework, the International Monetary Fund considered that Argentina's offer to bondholders is "consistent with the restoration of debt sustainability". That entity has said that there is "only a limited margin to increase payments to private creditors and, at the same time, the proposal meets the debt and debt service thresholds estimated by IMF staff”.

The IMF's statement is considered "an important endorsement" of Argentina's plan, given the expiration of the deadline for payments to international creditors.

Meanwhile, president Alberto Fernández stressed that "those who need the most and those who have the most can join together with the State to make a fairer society". Mr. Fernández made these statements while leading the inauguration of a "solidarity hospital" for patients without medical coverage, set up on the grounds of the private hospital Austral, in the town of Pilar, in the province of Buenos Aires.

Remember that every day our listeners can find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar as well as SW broadcasts timetables. The streaming continues to relay programs of Radio Nacional, as most of the stations based in Maipú 555 Studios have been also doing.

In addition, you can visit the YouTube channel Rae Argentina al Mundo where you can find part of the productions and contents carried out by the whole team that makes up the international signal of the public media of Argentina.

Translation and VO: Fernando Farías

Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda

Web Production: Julián Cortez

 

Tenth edition of the RAE-Argentina special program to the World

"The quarantine will be as long as it has to be, so Argentines stay healthy and do not die". This was said by President Alberto Fernández at a press conference on Saturday, May 23, in which he ratified mandatory social distancing measures will remain in place until June 7 inclusive.

This will mean that the country will reach 80 days of confinement with greater or lesser flexibility depending on the region and the number of coronavirus cases.

The main argument presented by Mr. Fernandez was the acceleration in the duplication of cases, the spread of the contagion -that increased fivefold in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, including both the city of Buenos Aires and its suburbs; with a focus on low-income neighborhoods that have a greater population density.

In addition, amid the government's acknowledgement that at least 11 million people already depend on state aid because of the economic and employment crisis caused by the pandemic, UNICEF Argentina released an estimation that poverty will hit 59 per cent of Argentine children and teenagers. This means that 6 out of 10 children will be poor by the end of this year.

 

President Fernandez, amid complaints about the extent of isolation and the impact on the economy, insisted that the health emergency “has exposed the inequality in which we live" in Argentina. But he assured that he will not let "the opportunity to build a more just country" pass him by.

Remember that every day our listeners can find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar. Online they can also find SW transmission timetables, while our streaming link continues to relay programs of AM 870.

And remember to visit our YouTube channel -RAE - Argentina al Mundo- where you can find original content in 8 languages.

Translation and VO: Fernando Farías

Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda

Web: Julián Cortez

 

 

During the more than 50 days of mandatory lockdown in the city of Buenos Aires and in the province of Buenos Aires, there was an exponential growth of cases in poor neighborhoods, better known as "villas”, due those places’s precarious of living conditions.

The bomb went off in the city of Buenos Aires, with the death of Ramona Medina, a 42-year-old woman who denounced her neighborhood - Villa 31 "Carlos Mugica"- had no running water for 15 days.

In a video message that moved the country, she ended up demonstrating the abysmal difference between social classes when it comes to facing the pandemic.

Communities with no or little access to drinking water, overcrowded homes, precarious, informal, cash-relying jobs that led to the collapse of their domestic economies and resulted in growing numbers of families attending soup kitchens to have at least a daily meal.

Days after this complaint, Ramona and her family were hospitalized with COVID-19. This past weekend, she died.

On Monday, representatives of various social organizations and 63 community kitchens in the neighborhood met in the parish to ask the city government, headed by mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, for a health, housing and food emergency program. Barrio 31, they denounced, is the most affected by coronavirus in the Capital, with nearly 900 cases out of a total of 1,500 cases spotted in poor areas such as the 31, and others like Villa 1-11-14 or Zavaleta.

 

 

Meanwhile, the administration of president Alberto Fernández extended the Detectar Plan to vulnerable neighborhoods in the province of Buenos Aires, and other large urban centers in the country. This plan seeks to find positive coronavirus patients early, through a device created by Argentine scientists who worked together to achieve a kit that costs 8 dollars, down from the imported 60-dollar kits.

According to the Ministry of Health, coronavirus affects women and men in almost identical proportions. The main age group affected is 20-59, with an average age of 40 years throughout the country.

Let us remind you that every day you can find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar.

They will also find the new SW timetables via WRMI. The streaming on our website, www.rae.com.ar, continues to relay the signal of AM 870, just like the other stations based in Maipú 555 Radio Nacional HQ.

In addition, you can visit the YouTube channel RAE Argentina al Mundo where you can find content produced in 8 languages by RAE.

Translation and Voice: Fernando Farías

Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda

Web Production: Julián Cortez

 

In Argentina, the Federal Government has announced a “controlled” quarantine throughout the country slated to go on until May 26, with the exception of the city of Buenos Aires and the province of Buenos Aires .

This means that local authorities in each province, in agreement with the administration of president Alberto Fernández, can now establish the protocols for recreational walks as well as the opening of industries and shops.

Thus, situations differ depending on the place, with provinces like Jujuy already allowing people to take walks as long as they keep a safe social distance of at least two meters, and on the other end, Buenos Aires City maintaining more strict controls that mean only workers of essential areas are permitted on the streets, while the rest of the population can go out just for shopping grocers or, as from May 16, on weekends for a one-hour leisure walk, in accordance with the number of their identity cards.

 

 

 

This is because BA has the highest number of coronavirus infections, especially in the poorest areas such as shanty towns number 31 and 1-11-14. That is why authorities have started performing tests in these neighborhoods where more than 40 thousand people live, in order to detect cases, especially asymptomatic ones, and thus prevent a further spread of coronavirus.

In this context, with the 50-day plus lockdown being eased down, the focus turns now to the country’s economy. The director-general of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), Kristalina Georgieva, said the entity is very interested "in supporting Argentina in its fight against this ongoing “double crisis”: the coronavirus pandemic and the problem of debt sustainability.

"I see a government that wants to do the right thing for its people and for its role in the region and the world economy," Ms. Georgieva said of Argentina’s debt restructuring offer, when asked about Argentina during a webinar organized by the Financial Times.

Remember that every day you can find the Argentine government's coronavirus update on our website, www.rae.com.ar. as well as the SW timetables via WRMI. The streaming link continues mostly to relay programs by AM 870 as the other stations based in Maipu 555 are doing to keep the numbers of people circulating to the minimum.

In addition, you can visit RAE Argentina’s YouTube channel where you can find content in 8 languages produced by Argentina’s Foreign Radio Service.

Translation and presentation: Fernando Farías

Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda

Web Production: Julián Cortez

RAE’s director: Adrián Korol

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Argentina, with a nationwide quarantine until May 10, all eyes are fixed on the measures that the president Alberto Fernandez administration will take in negotiations with foreign bondholders who refuse to accept that the country's situation is critical to pay interests and returns.

In this context, the government received on Monday strong political support from different social, trade union and business players as a way to send a message abroad that the country's economic sectors are behind the official stance.

In addition, during this week, further social measures were taken to aid millions of people whose incomes and jobs were hit by the coronavirus lockdown.

In a press release, Fernandez thanked the support of employers and workers and described as "historic" the wage agreement signed by the parties last week, which paid 75% of the wages of workers whose activities are suspended.

 

 

 

Moreover, on the Argentine proposal to renegotiate the debt, he explained that his government is looking for "a definitive, lasting solution forever, that will not make us go backwards" because "we have learned the lessons that this time has taught us, especially that of everybody pulling in the same direction".

This historic, unprecedented situation worldwide, will also bring the first virtual session in the Senate, scheduled for May 13, to be chaired by the country's vice president, Cristina Kirchner.

Remember that every day our listeners find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar.

They can also find there the new timetables for SW broadcasts. The streaming link continues to be relaying programs by AM870 Radio Nacional Argentina, as the other stations based in the Buenos Aires studios have been doing.

In addition, you can visit the YouTube channel of RAE Argentina to the World, where you can find some of our original content.

Translation and voice: Fernando Farías

Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda

Web Production: Julián Cortez

Director of RAE-Argentina to the World: Adrián Korol

 

In Argentina, the anti-COVID 19 mandatory lockdown has been extended until May 10. The announcement was made last Saturday on a national broadcast by President Alberto Fernandez who revealed that the authorities of each of the 23 provinces plus thes city of Buenos Aires will be able to decide if they allow some flexibilization of social distancing measures.

 

Some of this relaxation includes allowing people for 1-hour daily walks within a 500-meter radius of their home. However, the four largest districts confirmed they are upholding all restrictions, and not permitting these recreational outings because of the risk of spread and a sudden surge in cases.

These four major districts are the city of Buenos Aires, the province of Buenos Aires, the city of Córdoba, and the city of Mendoza plus Santa Fe and Rosario. Other cities with populations bigger than half a million made the same decision, to prevent crowding.

Carla Vizzotti, a top official in Argentina's Health Ministry, explained that allowed walks are intended "for the psychophysical well-being of the people" in about 62 percent of cities and towns that have not reported cases.

In addition, the Federal Government also announced Argentina will not participate in the negotiations for opening markets with the European Union and other regional blocks.

The measure is due to the severe economic recession the pandemic has deepened in the country, and also as a way of protecting domestic industries, when the economy is reopened following the lockdown.

In addition, on Monday, president Alberto Fernández spoke with his Chilean counterpart, Sebastián Piñera, about the impact of coronavirus in the region and both agreed on the need to advance on a joint work agenda to fight two common adversaries: the pandemic and the recession, as official sources reported.

During the 45-minute telephone communication, both leaders highlighted the personal bond they have as well as the historic relationship between Argentina and Chile.

"Beyond any differences, we need to be united in these difficult moments we are going through because of the pandemic," a Government communiqué issued after the talk assured.

Every day our listeners can find the official coronavirus report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar, translated into 8 languages.

They can also find on that URL the timetables for SW transmissions.

We remind you the streaming of the station is mainly relaying programs by AM 870 Radio Nacional LRA1.

 

 

Fifth edition of the RAE-Argentina space program to the World

((greeting. Etc. Etc))

Argentina has been now in mandatory lockdown for a month, as part of the global fight against coronavirus. Although no official announcement has been made,President Alberto Fernández administration is slated to announce the quarantine will go on for another 15 days after April 26.

Every day our listeners can find the official health report of the Argentine government on our website, www.rae.com.ar. They will also find the new SW timetables via WRMI.

Our streaming, be aware, continues to relay the programming of Radio Nacional AM 870, as the other FM stations operating on Maipu 555 have been doing since late March.

 

 

Considering that official sources point out that the outbreak is under control (despite the peak being expected for the coming weeks), the economy becomes a greater concern on the social and political fields.

Argentina already had a multi-billion debt with IMF, amid a critical socio-economic situation which was worsened by the pandemic. In this context, the country's economy minister, Martín Guzmán, announced that Argentina has a debt situation " it cannot afford". At the same time, he indicated that the government is working on "a new program that implies not making any disbursements of capital owed in the next three years”.

One of the central issues in this whole process is that the national government has the support of provincial governments, plus the most representative sectors of the opposition.

The repercussions of the announcement were known immediately after, particularly from some speculative foreign funds. Guzmán told reporters that some of those reactions came as no surprise, and explained that these actions are basically a sign of the other party seeking to “put pressure on Argentina to offer more".

The minister said that the economic team is working to resolve "the health and economic crisis, and to open up a scenario in which the country can pay" but with the Argentine economy back on its feet, with a recovery will not be stifled by debt payments".

For this reason, Mr. Guzmán emphasized the position of the Argentine government supported by the entire political arch: "If (before) the outbreak nothing could be paid, after it is even less". The priority is to save lives, and to help the population face this harsh crisis.

Translation and Voice Over: Fernando Farías

Content Production: Silvana Avellaneda

Web: Julián Cortéz

 

In the context of the fourth week of mandatory lockdown in Argentina, here comes a new edition of #MadeInCasa , an 8-language program  by RAE Argentina team to the World including: Spanish, English, Italian, French, Portuguese, German, Chinese and Japanese.

Everything was recorded and edited at home, using a range of apps and devices, mainly cell phones sent over Whatsapp.

 

 

The quarantine is set to go on until next April 26th as part of the global fight against COVID-19. Remember that we upload daily a translation of the updated report by the ministry of Health on coronavirus in Argentina.  The new short wave ttimetable is also available on our website while our streaming channel continues to relay the signal of AM870.

Moreover, we continue to receive reception reports that are replied with a Digital QSL card. Send your report to qslrae@gmail.com

 

On the first edition of RAE in English recorded at home, host Fernando Farías gives a preview of a new podcast series: "Argentine Music for the Lockdown" (available at www.rae.com.ar), whose first chapter will be about the first era of Tango, the so-called "Old Guard" age and artists. Also, he recommends a documentary on important Argentine rock stars and plays the only song the two most legendary artists of the genre in this country recorded together, part of an ill-fated album that didn't see the light. Moreover, updates on the quarantine in Argentina and the new A-20 timetable details for this program's broadcast via WRMI.

Made in Casa III

Here's the third edition of our "Made in Casa" series, with RAE's staff producing, recording and broadcasting from home, in the context of the coronavirus lockdown. All eight languages come together again to keep our listeners around company amid these hard times. We also make announcements regarding the new SW transmission timetable on WRMI for the A-20 period.

 

00.00 Spanish (Fernando Farias)

05.00 Portuguese (Julieta Galvan)

14.01 French (Eric Domergue)

18.45 Italian (Caritina Cosulich and Marcelo Ayala)

25.31 German (Rayen Braun)

32.00 English (Fernando Farias)

37.18 Chinese (Lina Ji Oviedo)

44.03 Japanese (Keiko Ueda)

49.40 Portuguese (Mirta Canepa)

53.52 Spanish (Fernando Farias)

Production: Silvana Avellaneda

Web Production : Julián Cortez

RAE Director: Adrián Korol

Also, thanks to:
Laureana Rubinetti
Martin Bibiloni
Veronica Habichayn
Lisandro Ruiz

And very specially, to WRMI's Jeff White and Thais.