🇦🇷 Argentina Episodes

New taxes, plans to reintroduce a rapid police response line, potential cyclones, Temwa Chawinga’s awards, VJ Ken’s arrest, and much more! Thanks for tuning in!Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at [email protected]. You can also contact us on Instagram @rorshok_malawi or Twitter @RorshokMalawiLike what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.Check out our new t-shirts: https://rorshok.store/Set up your personal collection: https://rorshok.store/personal-collectionsWe want to get to know you! Please fill in this mini-survey: https://forms.gle/NV3h5jN13cRDp2r66Wanna avoid ads and help us financially? Follow the link: https://bit.ly/rorshok-donate

Javier Milei renewed his cabinet and appointed Alejandra Monteoliva to the Ministry of Security and Lieutenant General Carlos Presti to Defense. His appointment polarized the political spectrum due to the delegation of the portfolio to the Armed Forces for the first time since the last military dictatorship. "It is not a setback for democracy to appoint a military officer. Presti is prepared, he is suitable to hold this position and he will do it better than Luis Petri [his predecessor], who is just a civilian," said César Milani, former head of the General Staff of the Argentine Army, on Cara o Ceca.

Carlos Pagni's analysis on Odisea Argentina aired on LN+ on November 24, 2025.

Negotiations for peace in Ukraine continue following the announcement of Donald Trump's 28-point draft. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met in Geneva with a Ukrainian delegation last weekend to discuss the issue. "This is a realistic peace plan, bearing the Witkoff seal, who knows the terrain. Agreements of this type must take into account the reality on the battlefield, which is why it is balanced. It addresses important issues such as the denazification of Ukraine, and Donetsk and Lugansk would be recognized as Russian territory," Christian Lamesa, an international analyst, stated on Cara o Ceca. "I see firmness in Donald Trump. He managed to put Volodymyr Zelenskyy between a rock and a hard place. It remains to be seen if he can impose his will on the Europeans who are maintaining this situation," he added. On the other hand, Lamesa maintained that a European counter-proposal "would be delusional." "Europe has no capacity to impose anything, only to keep this situation on life support. Surely these 28 points will undergo some modification, and Russia is willing to make some concessions, but always bearing in mind that it is the side that is winning." Aprender Tests in Argentina: An indicator of the state of education The Ministry of Human Capital, through the Secretariat of Education, implemented the 2025 version of the exam that provides data on the level of knowledge of children in the country. Last Wednesday the 12th, 750,000 sixth-grade primary students —between 11 and 12 years old— were evaluated in language and mathematics. "There is an alarming decline, and we do not see a turning point where we start to rise again. In 2003, we were at the regional average, and since then, we have been descending in the rankings," stated Alejandro Castro Santander, director of the Observatory of School Coexistence at the Argentine Catholic University and a representative of Argentines for Education.

On issues such as human rights and just transition, the country adopted restrictive stances to limit social and environmental scope in multilateral decisions. "In the final days of negotiations, the highest authorities arrived, which was not the case for Argentina, where there were only three delegates who are not high-ranking officials. This means Argentina plays a minor role. Furthermore, it has been delaying many discussions based on the government's stance," said Mijael Kaufman, co-founder of the environmental NGO Consciente Colectivo from Bethlehem, in dialogue with Cara o Ceca. "If we consider our own situation, we see what is happening in Patagonia, in Bahía Blanca [the city suffered major floods in recent years] and in other places in the province of Buenos Aires, where everything is related to the climate issue," he added. Community soup kitchens in times of crisis The socioeconomic crisis, job losses, and cuts to social policies are increasingly affecting vulnerable groups, who are forced to turn to community spaces for food. Funding lines for food purchases were executed at 28% so far in 2025. “The situation is complex. We are assisting a number equivalent to or greater than during the pandemic, and we collaborate extensively with homeless people. But people also come when they run out of money before the end of the month,” said Lila Calderón, a neighborhood and community leader, and a soup kitchen worker in Río Negro, to Cara o Ceca.

Argentina's Senate Constitutional Affairs Committee issued an opinion rejecting the validity of the elected senator title of current libertarian deputy Lorena Villaverde, accused of having links to drug trafficking. "Villaverde was detained in the US for possessing 400 grams of cocaine. Beyond how that ended, it is sufficient reason for her not to enter the Chamber and be a senator," said Pablo Blanco, national senator for the Radical Civic Union, on Cara o Ceca.

"Members of the Investigative Commission of the $LIBRA cryptocurrency scam stated that the president was a key player in the maneuver that resulted in a scam affecting 114,410 virtual wallets. 'The president actively participated in the promotion of the $LIBRA cryptocurrency, proposing on his social network that 42-symbol alphanumeric code where one had to enter and make investments,' said Mónica Frade, national deputy of the Civic Coalition and member of the Investigative Commission, on Cara o Ceca."

Planting season, new Blantyre mayor, overcrowded prisons, media freedom, new Immigration offices, Old Town Hall demolition plans, new transfer of ownership rules, Speed Courier truck on fire, and much more! Thanks for tuning in!Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at [email protected]. You can also contact us on Instagram @rorshok_malawi or Twitter @RorshokMalawiLike what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.Check out our new t-shirts: https://rorshok.store/Set up your personal collection: https://rorshok.store/personal-collectionsWe want to get to know you! Please fill in this mini-survey: https://forms.gle/NV3h5jN13cRDp2r66Wanna avoid ads and help us financially? Follow the link: https://bit.ly/rorshok-donate

Javier Milei strengthens after trade agreement with the United States. The president celebrated the bilateral arrangement reached with the North American country and assured that it "opens the doors" to greater foreign investment. He also assured that they "redefined" the country's geopolitics. "For Argentina and the Government it is a great support. An understanding that is vital for the Executive is consolidated. Stabilization without external support cannot be sustained," said Marcos Novaro, political analyst, on Cara o Ceca.

Carlos Pagni's analysis on Argentine Odyssey aired on LN+ on November 17, 2025.

Javier Milei renewed his Cabinet and seeks a more conciliatory profile for the second half of his administration, in which, according to what he announced, he will advance with more reforms. In this context, both dissenting governors and distanced sectors see an opportunity to approach the Government. "I want to be part of that change that Milei represents. I accompanied him in 2023 and, although there are things I disagree with, I want to support him again," said Lourdes Arrieta, national deputy of the Coherence bloc, created with former members of La Libertad Avanza, in Cara o Ceca.

Chile se dirige a una segunda vuelta altamente polarizada el 14 de diciembre entre Jeannette Jara, candidata oficialista, y José Antonio Kast, del Partido Republicano, tras una primera vuelta sin mayoría. Jara lideró, pero sin votos para suceder a Boric. "El resultado era previsible, mostrando la polarización izquierda-derecha", dijo Lucas Aguayo, periodista chileno. Aguayo dijo que "Jara esperaba superar el 30% para una segunda vuelta más prometedora" y "Kast se consolida como principal candidato". "La peor elección izquierdista en 30 años. El gobierno de Boric explica este resultado negativo". "La Administración Trump recupera protagonismo político regional". El acuerdo EEUU-Argentina en comercio e inversión, más el swap de divisas de $20 mil millones, profundizó su alianza estratégica centrada en la apertura de mercados. Ramiro Tosi, economista, dijo que "Argentina asume compromisos para flexibilizar el ingreso de productos estadounidenses". "Se espera un trato preferencial y aranceles reducidos para Argentina". "La Administración Trump recupera protagonismo político regional tras ceder terreno a China".

Due to its alignment with the US, the Argentine government has paralyzed the project to create a space observatory in the El Leoncito Astronomical Complex (CASLEO) in the province of San Juan. An astronomer wrote a public letter to the president asking for explanations. "We heard that the project is paralyzed through the media. We still don't have official information. We are still working on it and we ask the president that, if it is true, not to stop this," said Carolina del Valle Garay, astronomer and university professor in San Juan, on Cara o Ceca. "It is a scientific project for international use. It would help us position ourselves globally. In Argentina we have a radio telescope in the city of Buenos Aires, but not of this magnitude," she added. "This radio telescope allows obtaining weak signals from distant sources, it could not be used for espionage. It is used to observe extragalactic things, see how the Earth is moving, in how much time, the interaction of the stars, among other things," she concluded. The project was a work that reflected more than 30 years of scientific cooperation between both countries. "People protest relying on religion" Fortunato Mallimaci, PhD in Sociology specializing in Society, Culture and Religion, described the interference of creeds in society in recent years, from Sputnik studies. "For a long time it was said that religions were going to disappear because they were the result of ignorance or peasant people. But today we discover that, in Latin America, the person protests against the established by relying on religion," he said.

Colombia punishes US for its attacks in Caribbean waters. Its president Gustavo Petro decided to stop sharing intelligence with Washington temporarily until the situation changes. In Heads or Tails, Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo stated that this communication has been used to violate human rights. "This is a government that suffered when the discourse of national security was used to persecute leaders. Petro himself had to go into exile for this reason. Intelligence has been used to violate human rights. And I don't have to go back 50 years, but it happened in the government of Iván Duque: there were illegal follow-ups of journalists and union members there," Jaramillo emphasized.

The Argentine government convened extraordinary sessions in Congress and seeks to define key projects such as the 2026 Budget and reforms called "second generation." "The most urgent thing is the Budget and then structural reforms such as labor or tax, so that the country begins to grow. With the new cabinet and the new Congress, a more friendly panorama opens up for us to deal with important issues," said Senator Bruno Olivera of La Libertad Avanza in Cara o Ceca.

The government’s austerity measures, no MANEB fees, more blackouts, men’s mental health, child marriage statistics, and much more! Thanks for tuning in!Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at [email protected]. You can also contact us on Instagram @rorshok_malawi or Twitter @RorshokMalawiLike what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.Video - Locals Celebrate Opening Of Lilongwe Bridge:https://web.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=1510182810020156 ESCOM Scheduled Blackouts: https://www.escom.mw/loadshedding-program/ We want to get to know you! Please fill in this mini-survey: https://forms.gle/NV3h5jN13cRDp2r66Wanna avoid ads and help us financially? Follow the link: https://bit.ly/rorshok-donate

El mandatario llamó "chorro" (ladrón) a Emanuel Alvarez Agis, por proponer un impuesto al efectivo como parte de un esquema para formalizar la economía argentina eliminando otros tributos. Agis había sugerido reemplazar el impuesto al cheque por un tributo a las operaciones con dinero en efectivo y, al mismo tiempo, reducir las cargas a las pequeñas y medianas empresas. "El impuesto al cheque es distorsivo. Hay que buscar alguna forma de reemplazarlo, pero antes habría que hacer una reforma tributaria que de más recaudación y que permita tributar sobre impuestos directos", dijo en Cara o ceca Alejandro Vanoli, expresidente del Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA).

Carlos Pagni's analysis on Argentine Odyssey aired on LN+ on November 10, 2025.

Ocho demócratas moderados llegaron a un entendimiento con los republicanos tras 40 días de cierre, el más largo de la historia. "Lo que se hizo fue una votación para destrabar la discusión en el Senado. Todavía falta que se apruebe ahí para que pase a la Cámara y después sea firmado por el presidente. Esto va a tener un efecto importante para aquellos funcionarios del Estado. Fueron 40 días sin tener un presupuesto", dijo en Cara o ceca Eduardo Aleman, profesor de Ciencia Política en la Universidad de Houston. "Este cierre afecta al Gobierno federal. Además, hay impactos directos, muchos trabajadores no reciben su paga, se redujo el personal y muchos han tenido que buscar otro tipo de trabajo. También esto trae impactos indirectos como, por ejemplo, la gente que depende del Gobierno federal o aquellos que usan servicios del mismo. Lo de los vuelos afecta económicamente a un montón de empresas", agregó. "Todo indica que se resolvería una semana antes del Dia de Gracias. Pero desde la Administración Federal de Aviación advirtieron que no se van a poner al día de inmediato. Hoy se cancelaron cerca del 6% de los vuelos y eso afecta a unos 40 aeropuertos", cerró. Los bancos argentinos ajustan las tasas y se reactivan los créditos hipotecarios y prendarios Las primeras señales de la baja de las tasas de interés luego del triunfo electoral del Gobierno de Javier Milei ya se sienten en el costo del crédito, dos bancos ya recortaron las tasas en sus líneas para la adquisición de viviendas y las automotrices vuelven a otorgar préstamos a tasas subsidiadas para la compra de autos 0 kilómetro. "Estamos en un muy buen año. Solo hubo un pequeño parate cuando fueron las elecciones legislativas. Desde enero a septiembre de este año se dieron 32.500 créditos hipotecarios. Hoy, la tasa más baja está en un 4.5%", dijo en Cara o ceca Fernando Álvarez de Celis, Director de la Fundación Tejido Urbano. "Volvió el interés de los bancos de prestar dinero. Antes de las elecciones, si bien no se había paralizado, el Banco Nación, Ciudad y Provincia seguían dando créditos, pero habían puesto trabas administrativas. Ahora se levantaron esas restricciones y vamos a ver un flujo mayor que viene de abril y mayo", cerró.

A Central Bank report revealed that the US Treasury would have sold the pesos it bought in October in the electoral run-up to support the Argentine currency. The operation, initially seen as a gesture of financial support, was reversed after the elections, raising doubts about the true scope of the agreement with Washington. "The operation maintained the exchange rate bands established by the Central Bank –BCRA– through a loan, but then the Treasury took the dollars and the Central Bank is left with a debt of some 2 billion dollars, which would be from the activation of the swap," said Christian Buteler, an Argentine economist, in Cara o Ceca. "The operation guarantees the Treasury the profit from having intervened in the market in the other weeks. If it had gone to the market, the price would have risen and, surely, it would have bought more expensively than it sold, that is, it would have lost money," he concluded. Kazakhstan joined the Abraham Accords The decision was confirmed by the country's president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, during a meeting with US President Donald Trump. This agreement aims to normalize Israel's relations with countries in the Arab and Muslim world. "In regional terms, Kazakhstan is not very important on the Middle East board. The most significant thing is that it is a country of the former Soviet Union. It is one more gesture towards Donald Trump," said Martín Schapiro, lawyer and international analyst, in Cara o Ceca.