Barrick’s Veladero Mine Closed After Another Cyanide Spill Confirmed
Authorities in San Juan province have suspended activity at Barrick Gold’s Veladero mine after the company confirmed another cyanide spill on site. The spill occurred on 8th September, days before the anniversary of the country’s worst ever mining leak, also by Barrick at the Veladero mine. However, details of the latest spill were only made public last night. The fact that it took six days for the news of this latest spill to be made public has only added to local scepticism. Read More: One Year On From the Jáchal Spill: What We Know and Don’t KnowShare On
Source:The Argentina Independent
September 15, 2016 14:03 UTC
UK-Argentina agree to extra Malvinas flights
Thursday, September 15, 2016 UK-Argentina agree to extra Malvinas flightsForeign Minister Susana Malcorra and UK Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Alan Duncan shake hands during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. Sectors such as hydrocarbons, trade and shipping were expressly included in the statement. Argentina currently has legislation criminalizing unauthorized hydrocarbon exploration in the disputed territory and prosecutors last year opened criminal proceedings against multinationals operating in and around the islands. The joint communiqué signed by the United Kingdom and Argentina late Tuesday states that there was an agreement on “two additional stops per month in mainland Argentina, one in each direction. Addressing the joint communiqué, Sir Alan Duncan — Minister of State for Europe and the Americas — said that “the South Atlantic Dialogue will seek to build cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 03:45 UTC
Knowing the truth sets us free
Thursday, September 15, 2016 Knowing the truth sets us freeBy María Eugenia VidalI want to celebrate the commitment to truth that has set apart the Buenos Aires Herald throughout its 140-year history. When we began our administration, we knew fairly well that the Buenos Aires Province was stuck. This is why we have embarked on a historic claim, along with all the sectors, for the Greater Buenos Aires Reparation Fund. Knowing the history of the Buenos Aires Herald is an inspiration for us as well. María Eugenia Vidal is the governor of Buenos Aires Province.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 03:11 UTC
Let history not repeat itself
Thursday, September 15, 2016 Let history not repeat itselfBy Estela CarlottoI can still remember the daily visits that the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo made to the Buenos Aires Herald at the height of the civilian-military dictatorship, to reveal what was happening to our families and, above all, the Argentine people. Through the collective struggle and with international aid we managed to explain the real dimension of the crimes that had occurred. State policies map out a direction for a country, those policies can either guarantee or block democratic processes, of justice and increased rights. There can be no talk of new human rights as if the aftermath of State terrorism was still not something that is present. In that sense, our organization is concerned that history should not repeat itself and the task of journalists and the press is not a light one in sustaining democracy.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 03:11 UTC
A crossroads lies ahead
Thursday, September 15, 2016 A crossroads lies aheadWith all the technological changes and the crisis in the industry, some might venture to say that, as with the traditional media, journalists are an endangered species. It is no accident that in many countries this crisis overlaps with the role of the media coming into question. The populist or leftist governments, emerging from political débacles, have tended to identify the traditional media as their main adversary. The corporations are not only regaining ground but see unlimited horizons stretching out ahead of them. A crossroad lies ahead.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 03:11 UTC
Caracas rejects Mercosur ultimatum outright
“Venezuela, fully exercising the pro tempore chair of the Mercosur and protecting its treaties rejects the Triple Alliance declaration” wrote Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez in her Twitter account. Caracas refers to Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay as the Triple Alliance as part of what it considers a concerted effort against its interests. The term is loaded as it refers to the nineteenth-century war in which Paraguay faced off against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, the bloodiest military conflict in Latin American history. Caracas has been given until December 1, 2016 to incorporate a host of international treaties, Mercosur guidelines and recommendations, with suspension from the regional bloc threatened if fails to meet the demands. Given the evident animosity on display and the shrinking middle ground within the Mercosur, it remains to be seen what paths exist for Caracas to avoid suspension as a full member.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 02:03 UTC
US, Israel sign massive US$38-billion, 10-year military aid deal
Thursday, September 15, 2016 US, Israel sign massive US$38-billion, 10-year military aid dealUS Undersecretary of State Tom Shannon (right) and Israeli Acting National Security Advisor Jacob Nagel (left) participate in a signing ceremony at the State Department in Washington, yesterday. Largest such agreement Washington has ever had with any countryWASHINGTON — The United States yesterday signed an unprecedented new security agreement with Israel that will give the Israeli military US$38 billion over 10 years. “Israel has no better friend, no more reliable strategic ally, no more important partner than the United States of America,” he said. The agreement concludes many months of negotiations that involved a delicate calculation by Israel about whether to strike a deal with the outgoing US president. In February, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly floated the prospect of waiting for Obama’s successor in hopes of securing a better deal.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 15, 2016 01:07 UTC
New Flights to Falklands/Malvinas as Argentina and UK Agree ‘Mutual Cooperation’
A new monthly direct flight between mainland Argentina and The Falkland/Malvinas Islands will be introduced as part of a new deal on ‘mutual cooperation’ with the UK. The measure was highlighted in a joint communique that called for increased cooperation in a number of areas, including trade, defense, and development of the South Atlantic islands. Sidelining SovereigntyThe call for mutual cooperation will not impact either country’s territorial claim over the islands. “The South Atlantic Dialogue will seek to build cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Of course this will not include the issue of sovereignty,” said Duncan.
Source:The Argentina Independent
September 14, 2016 15:45 UTC
Mexico puts federal police under spotlight over 43 student deaths
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Mexico puts federal police under spotlight over 43 student deathsAlfredo Higuera Bernal, new special prosecutor to the Ayotzinapa 43 missing students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos College, during an interview at the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) in Mexico City, last week. Much-criticized probe widened after pressure piled on Peña Nieto to actMEXICO CITY — Mexico has widened its investigation into the abduction and apparent massacre of 43 trainee teachers in the southwestern city of Iguala in 2014 to examine the role of federal and state police, a federal prosecutor said. The disappearance of the 43, on September 26, 2014, sparked international outcry, battering Mexico’s reputation and plunging President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration into crisis. Alfredo Higuera, the special federal prosecutor assigned to the case, said in an interview that the probe had now gathered about 100 additional declarations in recent weeks from 19 federal police and 39 from the state of Guerrero. “This is an investigation that goes beyond any situation, both in the number of victims and the number of participants,” Higuera said.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 14, 2016 11:53 UTC
Pope endorses softer approach to divorcees
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Pope endorses softer approach to divorceesPope Francis waves to faithful at the end of the Angelus noon prayer he delivered from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016. Francis was Archbishop of Buenos Aires immediately prior to elected as pope. The keenest anticipation centred on what he would say about the full re-integration into the Church of Catholics who divorce and remarry in civil ceremonies. The number of divorces has risen markedly in recent decades in most of the leading economies grouped in the OECD. Here I am not speaking only of the divorced and remarried, but of everyone, in whatever situation they find themselves,” the pope said in July.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 14, 2016 11:15 UTC
Aranguren bends to pressure and finally sells his shares in Shell
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Aranguren bends to pressure and finally sells his shares in ShellAfter weeks of mounting speculation and criticism, Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren sold approximately 16 million pesos (US$1million) worth of shares in Royal Dutch Shell Plc yesterday following overwhelming pressure from the opposition, the Anti-Corruption Office (OA) and even government allies to halt a potential conflict of interests. The decision was announced simultaneously by Aranguren and the government. “Aranguren has sold his shares in Shell. Prior to accepting his position in the Cabinet as Energy minister, Aranguren was CEO of Shell Argentina for twelve years,from 2003 to 2015, a nominally separate entity from the energy giant’s parent company which is based in the Netherlands and UK. Aranguren “has recused himself from having anything to do with Shell precisely in order to avoid further speculation,” Peña said during an interview with Radio Continental.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 14, 2016 11:03 UTC
One Year On From the Jáchal Spill: What We Know and Don’t Know
Hypothesis on the SpillJudge Pablo Oritja closed his investigation this year when he prosecuted nine Barrick Gold employees and presented his interpretation of the facts. “[These included] the CEO of Barrick Gold, Guillermo Caló, who was accused. Can you believe Barrick Gold has been exploiting this mine for ten whole years without a pressure gauge? “What little we have left is with Cassanello: we already know about the justice here (in San Juan),” says Seguí. We also know that the government’s neglect of the Jáchal area since the day of the spill is shocking.”Translated by Katie McGhee.
Source:The Argentina Independent
September 13, 2016 21:22 UTC
UK government minister arrives
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 UK government minister arrivesUK Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan (right) meets with provisional Senate leader Federico Pinedo at Congress in a photo Duncan posted on Twitter yesterday. First visit from foreign office representative in seven yearsUnderlining the changing relationship between Argentina and Great Britain, Sir Alan Duncan arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday, becoming the first British foreign office minister to visit the country in seven years. The minister, an MP for the ruling Conservative Party, seemed happy to be in Argentina , tweeting about his meetings with Cabinet Chief Marcos Peña, PRO lawmaker and Senate leader Federico Pinedo at Congress and Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Foradori — though he was less pleased about the weather on his arrival. The British Foreign Office said in a briefing that “there are significant opportunities for British business including in infrastructure, natural resources, agri-business, manufacturing, and financial services.”Duncan said that the visit was mainly to explore commercial ties. We will continue to support them as they look to develop their economy.”The last foreign office minister to visit Argentina was Lord Malloch Brown in 2009.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 13, 2016 04:41 UTC
Atendees to the forum will include:
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Atendees to the forum will include:Politicians: President Mauricio Macri, Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay, Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, Cabinet Chief Marcos Peña, Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren, Defence Minister Julio Martínez, Interior, Public Works and Housing Minister Rogelio Frigerio, Production Minister Francisco Cabrera, UK Minister of the Americas Alan Duncan, US Ambassador Noah Mamet. Banking: Vice President of European Investment Bank, Román Escalono; Vice President of the World Bank (Latin America and Caribbean), Jorge Familiar; CEO of Citigroup Latin America, Jane Fraser; JP Morgan CEO for Latin America and Canada Martin Marron; President of Bank of Americas Merrill Lynch (Latin America), Alexandre Bettamio; Head of Goldman Sachs Global Financing Group and Latin America, Marc Nachmann. Business leaders: Group Chief and CEO of BP, Robert Bob Dudley; President and CEO of Siemans, Joe Kaeser; Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, Muhtar Kent; Chairman and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company, Andrew N. Liveris; Chairman and CEO of the Technit Group, Paulo Rocca.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 13, 2016 04:41 UTC
Ex-British PM Cameron ends political career
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Ex-British PM Cameron ends political careerSurprise announcement as Conservative leader quits Westminster after Brexit nightmareLONDON — Former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has stayed out of the public eye since leaving Downing Street in July, has decided to step down from his position in Parliament and put an end to his political career. Cameron’s surprise announcement yesterday will trigger a by-election in the county of Witney in Oxfordshire, which has been a safe seat for his Conservative Party for several decades. The former prime minister said he fully supports successor Theresa May, now charged with carrying out the voters’ mandate to extricate Britain from the 28-nation EU bloc. He became party leader in 2005 and prime minister in 2010, when he led a coalition government that included the Liberal Democrats. He promised to support the Conservative Party candidate chosen to replace him in the by-election that will be held in order to fill the Parliament vacancy.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 13, 2016 04:41 UTC