Politics
Demilitarization of the Malvinas Islands
Argentine president Cristina Fernández announced that Argentina will file a complain against the UK for having “militarize” the South Atlantic zone.
During a ceremony in government house, the Head of State also requested the British Prime Minister to “give peace an opportunity”. She ratified that next June 14th, the official claim of the Islands will be presented before the Decolonization Committee.
The president also signed a decree to lift the political and military secret on the war conflict of 1982 imposed by the dictatorship.
She also announced the creation of a committee integrated by the Defense Ministry, the Foreign Office and Augusto Rattembach, General Benjamín Rattembach's son, and author of the first report requested by the Military Junta at the end of the war.
In the presence of Cabinet members, followers and other authorities, she pronounced herself against colonialism and the militarization of the South Atlanctic in reference to the British destroyer that accompanies the royal heir to the throne, Prince William, during his visit to Malvinas.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner also mentioned the support offered by Latin American countries while she warned about the depredation of natural resources like fishing and oil.
She stated the region will also preserve peace since every conflict solved by the South American people have been through dialogue and without the intervention of international entities.
She finally announced the construction of a hospital for the Malvinas Vet, 439 of whom committed suicide after the war.
Commemoration of the Battle of San Lorenzo
During the commemoration of the 199 anniversary of the San Lorenzo battle, vice president Amado Boudou, accompanied by the governor of the province of Santa Fe, Antonio Bonfatti, and local Mayor, Leonardo Raimundo, said that that there are battles worth fighting and recalled that San Martin’s heroic deed was against colonialism.
Boudou also referred to the “Malvinas heroes” and said it is necessary to remember that the battle of San Lorenzo was also fought against colonialism .
During the ceremony, a floral wreath was laid at the foot of San Martin’s monument in front of the Convent in the locality of San Lorenzo
The battle of San Lorenzo was the only one fought by General San Martin on Argentine land.
Further support of the Malvinas question
The support came from political associations in Venezuela which will endorse a declaration against colonialist attempts by the UK on the Malvinas islands.
The document will be the result of the first Meeting of Political Parties of Alba held at the Alba Hotel in Caracas that reunites over 10 political entities of the bloc.
The president of the Latin American Parliament, Rodrigo Cabezas, said that the UK decision to send a warship to Malvinas is an offense to both Argentina and the whole Latin America.
The president announced a rise of 17,62 in pension salaries.
During a ceremony in government house, the President announced the country is undergoing a moment of economic growth and social inclusion
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner also announced that the rise of pension salaries will be enforced as of next March.
Durante un discurso en la Casa de Gobierno señaló que "el haber mínimo pasará de 1.434 a 1.687 pesos; el medio de 1.893 a 2.215 y la pensión no contributiva subirá a 1.361 pesos".
She highlighted that , at present, Argentina is the country with the best pension system not only in Latin America but also in UNASUR.
She held that pensionincrease since 2003 increased by 1,025% turning it into the most important pension percentage in the region while the amount of pension people grew by 81% during the same period thanks to social inclusion.
“We will not control salary rise.”, said the president
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner ruled out that the Government is planning to set a ceiling on this year’s collective bargaining and said that unions must “carry on with their salary negotiations freely by taking corporate profit into account.”
Facing a possible increase in the tensions arisen during this year’s salary negotiations, the Head of State assured that “everyone will be able to carry on with their salary negotiations freely.”
“Some are intent on turning us into something we’re not. They say the Government is going to decide how much workers will make. I want you all to know that everyone will be able to negotiate freely,” she said on a live televised speech from the Government House.
In this context, the President reminded business leaders that “they have made a lot of money in the last few years, like never before” and reminded unionists of the need to have a profit margin in every sector when they presented their salary demands.
Fernández de Kirchner made these statements in a moment in which both the CGT and the CTA are claiming for an absence of roof or ceiling in this year’s collective bargaining.
She also criticised the supporters of non registered work, especially the gastronomic field.
However, the President announced that she would create a committee, which will be presided by Industry Minister Débora Giorgi who, along with Deputy Economy Minister Axel Kiciloff, will analyze each sector’s productivity and act as a referee when talks become stagnated.
“This committee will measure the increase in productivity and employment sector by sector. So when both sides get stuck in negotiations, we will have the information necessary to know whether salary demands will affect competitiveness or if they are above profit levels,” she said.
Vice President Boudou: "We need to continue working hard to maintain public health"
After sharing a business breakfast in Puerto Iguazú with National Health Minister Juan Manzur, and Misiones Governor Maurice Closs,
Vice President Amado Boudou renewed this Monday the National Government’s commitment to "continue working hard to maintain public health" across the country.
He remarked in this context the work carried out by the national and provincial Governments to look after public health nationwide and pointed out that "it is important that the 40 million Argentines are involved in this action".
"We will continue working together. The support of the Nation to the province of Misiones is permanent, with teams of the famous yellow ants that go door to door, doing their job, the block teams and the fumigation teams with their backpacks", detailed Boudou as he referred to the work carried out in Misiones against dengue fever.
Teamsters ratified their battle plan
The Secretary General of the teamsters’ Union, Marcelo Aparicio, confirmed the continuity of their battle plan which included the blocking-off of Correo Argentino offices.
“The meeting we carried out involved colleagues across all sectors. We have taken to the Correo Argentino to protest and other groups have also made themselves available. What we decided was that they are to join the protests which are being carried out in different parts of Buenos Aires and in the interior provinces of the country,” Aparicio stated.
The union director did not rule out plans for a national strike with a march toward the Plaza de Mayo, especially if in the next few hours negotiations are not organized between the company and the Labour Ministry.
“The battle plan continues in defence of the legitimate job placements. The march is foreseen, but first of all we are looking to open negotiation talks. There is no total trucker strike, the secretary general of the union said.”
No contracts allowing poor labor conditons, said De Vido.
Planning Minister Julio De Vido defended the post company, assuring that “it does not have any contracts allowing poor labour conditions.”
“It is surprising that these things are being said now, especially because when the post office belonged to Macri and was under fire because workers were being let go without explanation, nobody said anything,” sustained the planning minister, adding that “surely the interests of the private mail companies are behind all of this.”
“All of the Correo Argentino workers are under a management scheme as indicated by law,” highlighted De Vido while dismissing the accusations made by the unionists against the company’s current working conditions.
Finally, he said, the only possible solution lies in constructive dialogue within a legal framework.
Babies' theft during the military dictatorship was a “plan”, said Abrams
Former US deputy secretary of State, Eliot Abrams, declared to the Argentine Justice that Ronald Reagan's government considered babies' theft had been carefully planned since babies were handed over to families loyal to the military.
"This was the worst case among the Latin American and Asian military dictatorships and regimes of the times, registered during the Reagan republican government .
He also said he had suggested the then Argentine Ambassador, Lucio García del Solar "to make the Church take part in the solution of the issue”
Abrams main concern focused on the live babies, their original families considered missing or dead.
He then wrote a memo of the meeting, declassified in 2002, which served the “mothers' “ lawyer, Alan Iud, to summon him to declare about "the systematic plan of babies' robbery.".
Abrams, is currently political counselor for the Middle East.
“Argentina will insist on taking the Malvinas issue to all international forums.
Vice president Amado Boudou remarked about the international support obtained by our country on the Malvinas case.
He referred to yesterday's presidential warning to continue taking the issue to all forums in political and geopolitical terms.
The vicepresident referred to the president's resumtion of activities and remarked the importance of salary negotiations to come.
UK 'has no arguments' in the Malvinas sovereignty claim, said the President
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner resumed her official activities after a 20-day medical leave of absence and criticized Great Britain after Prime Minister David Cameron accused Argentina of being a “colonialist” country. She also announced the declassification of the Rattenbach Report about the Malvinas War in 1982.
“I heard they were calling us colonialists. Honestly, we are always tempted to respond, but sometimes we have to avoid doing so because when you hear such statements it’s because they have neither arguments nor reasons,” she said in relation to David Cameron’s statements.
Fernández de Kirchner also said she has instructed Defence Minister Arturo Puricelli to “create a committee in order to declassify the Rattenbach Report,” an independent investigation that was drafted after the Malvinas Islands.
“History clearly shows that that war was not demanded by the Argentine people, but orchestrated by a junta desperate to bury the new reality that had been uncovered by a group of women who were looking for their children and grandchildren while wearing white handkerchiefs on their heads,” she said.
The Head of State also questioned several environmental groups for not criticizing the exploitation of natural resources in the Malvinas Islands, in a moment when many seem to focus on the controversial mining project in Famatina, in La Rioja province.
As she entered the room, she was greeted with a standing ovation from governors and Kirchnerite activists. She was joined by Vice-President Amado Boudou and Cabinet Chief Juan Manuel Abal Medina.
Randazzo says “whoever resigns must go”
Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo weighed in on the controversy created by CGT leader Hugo Moyano’s resignation from his post in the Justicialist Party.
Randazzo said he believed the unionist should not withdraw his resignation. “I believe that when you resign from office, you should go, not stay,” he stated during the opening of a new DNI identity card centre in San Juan.
The minister once again assured that “this is the Government that has done the most for workers,” and considered that union leaders should not be at odds with the Government House.
Last December 15th, in a rally held at the Huracán stadium on Truckers’ Day, Moyano said he was resigning at the vice-presidency of the Buenos Aires province’s Justicialist Party and 2nd vice-presidency of the National Justicialist Party, since he considered it to be “an empty shell” controlled by the President.
Boudou confirmed CFK's return for Wednesday
Acting President Amado Boudou, assured that Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is “stronger than ever” and will resume her activities on Wednesday after her medical leave absence due to a false positive thyroid cancer surgery the Head of State underwent on Jan 4.
During a rally in South Western Buenos Aires province, Boudou told the masses “I’d like to tell you that the President is stronger than ever.”
Boudou told the crowd that “the agricultural production is very important, but it’s not all. We also need to industrialize the sector so as to generate more jobs. Thus, we’ll be proud of being Argentines, and share a collective dream.”
Boudou talked against monopolies and said they will find a trench in the government that will defend the Argentine people so that everybody can enjoy equality of opportunities.
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Daniel Scioli travels to France
Buenos Aires governor and his wife, Karina Rabolini, and his personal doctor, Alfredo Cahe, left last night for France where the governor will undergo some medical studies on his arm.
"Scioli will visit the doctors who have been treating him for a long time and will undergo a series of studies on his arm that may include the replacement of the Prosthesis.
During the week he will be away from office, vice governor Gabriel Mariotto will become the acting governor for the first time since he took office last December 12.
Scioli suffered a serious accident in 1989, while taking part in a motor boating contest in the Argentine Delta during which he left his right arm.
A week after the surgery and the President recovers very well
President Cristina Fernández herself published about her recovery in a social net
The Head of State is at the Olivos residence after having been operated on her thyroid gland a week ago.
Yesterday, Vice president Amado Boudou had anticipated everybody was quite happy about the news of the president’s health.
"The President’s recovery makes people very happy”, said the vice president
The country’s vice president, Amado Boudou, said that he complies with the president’s instructions, and that the president is recovering well from a surgery on her thyroid gland she underwent last week.
He held her government team is working very hard and they are very happy to hear about her recovery and the positive diagnosis released by the doctors, confessed Boudou while accompanied by other ministers and public officials.
Parrilli: 'Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's order was to tell it all'
The government’s Chief-of-Staff Oscar Parrilli told a local radio station today that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner order was to “tell it all” regarding her December 22th diagnosis for Thyroid Cancer, that turned out to be a "false positive" case.
The official also added that the Head of State is “in good spirit” and is to receive the visit of surgeon Pedro Saco to continue the post surgery treatment.
Parrilli also questioned the coverage certain Argentine media gave to the case. On particular, the Chief-of-Staff lashed out at Clarín newspaper, a long standing government adversary for its articles, who yesterday referred to the President's operation as a case of "medical malpractice", as the first diagnosis given to the President was that of thyroid cancer.
“We gave out all the information. When it was proven she did not have what was diagnosed, they rebelled against reality. It was like reality didn’t fit their economic and political interests so they tried to distort it,” he said.
“All the information was released as it happened. It is a medical condition that is within two percent of the statistics and called a 'false positive'. The President
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner 'will be discharged within 24 hours,'
Spokesman Governt spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro speaking today at Austral Hospital in Pilar, where Presie Kirchner is currently recovering from thyroid surgery for cancer.
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will be discharged from hospital “within the next 24 hours,” Government spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro said today. He also stated that on the second day after her operation, “she is recovering with no complications,” and is “able to eat and sleep adequately.”
“The President rested well throughout the night, and she is able to eat adequate meals. She is recovering from the operation without complications,” explained the Government spokesman, on Fernández de Kirchner’s second full day of recovery.
Scoccimarro further stated that the President, once discharged from the Austral Clinic in Pilar, where she underwent an operation for thyroid cancer two days ago, will return to the Presidential residence in Olivos, Buenos Aires Province.
CFK 'recovering well' and in 'good spirits'
Presidential spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro, announced today that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's recovery showed "no complications," in the medical follow-up from the thyroid cancer surgery she underwent yesterday. He also stated that the President was "in good spirits," and that the next report would be announced tomorrow.
Scoccimarro further stated that "all medical tests are within normal parameters," and that the Head of State was "able eat and walk about" following the cancer operation.
The Kirchnerite activists, who have been camping for the past three days outside the hospital, were still showing their support for the President, screaming and cheering upon hearing the news of her good health.
Welfare Minister said Subsidies’ withdrawal is “a question of justice”.
Alicia Kirchner considered the withdrawal of subsidies affecting utility service rates for wealthy city customers ruled by the government to be implemented as from the beginning of 2012 a "fair" measure .
The official said that subsidies must benefit those in need while the rest must pay the right price for the utiility service, be it light, water or gas.
Alicia Kirchner added that the withdrawal of subsidies will contribute with the expansion of infrastructure so that more people will be integrated to the systems.
In the case of neighbourhoods such as Puerto Madero, Barrio Parque, Recoleta-isla, where the most expensive houses are to be found as well as the gated communities of the suburbs, the government determined that as from last January 1st, the utility rates would be paid free from any subsidy whatsoever.
For those customers who can not afford subsidy withdrawal, there is the possibility of filling up a form or affidavit at an official office and be elligible for the subsidy.
The form must be completed by stating the 12 reasons that make payment without subsidy unaffordable.
