🇦🇷 Argentina Episodes

The Liberty Advance lost by over 13 points in Buenos Aires legislative elections, strengthening Peronism in the province, causing market instability. The dollar rose nearly 7%, stocks fell up to 20%, and bonds, 9%. "The Government fared much worse than I thought. What the market reads with this result is that Kirchnerism is still alive and terrifies investors, because it is a movement that aspires to the nationalization of companies, price controls and fiscal deficit," said Iván Carrino, economist, on Heads or Tails. "The problem for the future is how you pay the International Monetary Fund, how are you going to convince investors that you are going to pay the debts, especially because you have people who already said at the polls that they do not want more adjustment," he added. On the other hand, Sebastian Pascual, provincial deputy in the province of Buenos Aires for The Liberty Advance (LLA), maintained that the defeat "was a blow and we did not expect it to be so great" and called for self-criticism: "We are all responsible, we are in the same boat, internally we must know what was done well and what was done wrong," he emphasized. "The president has already said that he is not going to change anything about the economic course. In 2023 a line was chosen and it will not be changed," he concluded. Robert Kennedy Jr. appeared before the US Congress for his anti-vaccine policy. The Secretary of Health and Human Services of the United States faced Democratic senators in a harsh interrogation in the Senate Finance Committee, where he was repeatedly accused of undermining confidence in vaccines and causing a crisis within federal agencies. "Kennedy Jr. decided to oppose in such a way that a disastrous effect on the collective health of the American people is feared. Many decades ago it was certified that vaccines save lives. Now there will be no such certainty, because they want the will to be in the hands of citizens," said Juan José Gutierrez, political analyst from the US, on Heads or Tails.

Marco Rubio, Secretario de Estado, atacó nuevamente al presidente venezolano, Nicolás Maduro, durante su visita a Ecuador como parte de una gira latinoamericana. "EEUU ve que el mundo está cambiando y busca regionalizarse. Las imágenes recientes muestran un aislamiento total autoprovocado, visible en los BRICS, en la Cooperación de Shanghai. Ahora más que nunca quiere condicionar y ordenar a América Latina", dijo Oscar Laborde, exembajador argentino en Venezuela, en Cara o Ceca. "EEUU necesita más bases militares en el continente. Las quiere en la ciudad argentina de Ushuaia, también en Ecuador. La droga es su justificación para imponer sus fuerzas en otros países, pero una base militar no frenará el narcotráfico", continuó. Por primera vez, la oposición logra mantener una ley vetada por Milei. El Senado asestó un nuevo golpe al oficialismo argentino, en vísperas de las elecciones en la estratégica provincia de Buenos Aires este 7 de septiembre, al rechazar el veto presidencial a la Ley de Emergencia en Discapacidad, obligando al Ejecutivo a promulgarla en 10 días. "Fue reconfortante. Hay que recalcar el valor de los senadores que acompañaron al Gobierno, pero ayer marcaron su disidencia. Ni hablar de la situación económica", declaró María Inés Pilatti Vergara, senadora nacional por Chaco de Unión por la Patria, en Cara o Ceca.

The European Commission initiated the trade agreement ratification process with Mercosur, despite French resistance. It must now be approved by the bloc's 27 countries and the European Parliament. "There's a possibility of blocking this agreement. Sixty-five percent of the European population must be contained in the ratification. That is, if France opposes and achieves the support of three more countries, the advancement of this agreement may end," said Gabriel Fuks, Parlasur legislator and former Argentine ambassador to Ecuador, on Cara o Ceca.

Following incidents in the province's last election, Javier Milei closes his campaign in Moreno. Governor Axel Kicillof stated he cannot guarantee his safety and held him responsible for any incidents. "If as governor you anticipate the president shouldn't go to Moreno because security conditions aren't met, it means Buenos Aires province is a 'no man's land'; if we can't guarantee that to the Executive, we can less protect the people who live there," said Florencia Retamoso, provincial deputy and candidate for La Libertad Avanza's Third Section, in dialogue with Cara o Ceca. "We are working on a strong cultural battle in Buenos Aires province, trying to implement the National Government's economic, health, and security measures. Today there is a giant [provincial] state, with many useless ministries and no return of the money, collected from taxes, to Buenos Aires residents," she concluded. China displayed its military might with a grand parade in Beijing. The Asian country, accompanied by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and showcased its latest technological jewels: nuclear missiles, underwater drones, and laser weapons, seeking to mark a before and after in the global arms race. "With this event, China seeks to clarify a dominant narrative about World War II that has tended to privilege the Western perspective. The important role that China played in that history has always been invisibilized," said Jorge Malena, director of the Asian committee of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), in Cara o Ceca. The analyst also referred to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China: "Global governance is an important initiative. Xi Jinping completes what he has been doing since 2021 with the global initiatives of development, security, civilization, and now governance. All of that constitutes the four pillars of building a new international political and economic order."

Voter intention survey, the MEC high court case, the second presidential debate, the Norway Visa Application Center, the SandFest festival, 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.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

The former Brazilian president faces accusations of leading a coup conspiracy to stay in power following the violent events of January 8, 2023, which allegedly aimed to annul the election result that declared Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the winner. The Federal Supreme Court scheduled sessions from September 2 to September 12 to decide if the former leader is guilty of trying to ensure his "authoritarian permanence in power" after the 2022 presidential elections. "The final stage of the trial begins. From the Bolsonarista side, they accuse Supreme Judge Alexandre de Moraes of abusing his power to punish the former president excessively, when there is not enough evidence. Meanwhile, from the side of the Government and the Justice system, they say that we must be categorical in the face of an attempted coup d'état," said Augusto Taglioni, an international journalist, on Cara o Ceca. "Bolsonaro still has strength in different parts of Brazil. He is the only opponent who can face Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In addition, he has the support of the US. Let us remember that Trump decided to impose tariffs because of this situation," he added. A painting stolen by the Nazis appeared in the house of an Argentine family. A valuable painting stolen by the Nazis was found in a chalet in the city of Mar del Plata, as a result of an international investigation that seeks works of art stolen by Nazism from a Jewish gallery owner in the Netherlands. Patricia Kadgien, a descendant of the Nazi hierarch Friedrich Kadgien, who owned the stolen painting, and her husband, were placed under house arrest for 72 hours for obstructing the investigation. "We are talking about the fact that this painting was owned by a red circle of Nazi businessmen. During the presidency of Carlos Menem [1989-1999], Argentina made a document about the Nazis who entered the country. Here, Hitler's collaborators were allowed to move with impunity," said Abel Basti, a journalist and author of books on the presence of Nazi Germans in South America, on Cara o Ceca. The painting Portrait of a Lady, by the Italian artist Giuseppe Ghislandi, from the late 17th century, was owned by the Dutchman Jacques Goudstikker, who died fleeing the German regime. An investigative journalist in the case saw the photo of the painting in a sales advertisement for a house in Mar del Plata, and from there the investigation began. Irregularities denounced in the social work of Argentine retirees. The Association of State Workers (ATE), one of the two state unions with representation throughout the country, warned of overpricing in the purchase of intraocular lenses from the social work of the elderly (PAMI). "What is happening is alarming. The price of these lenses has quintupled compared to the market value and it was through a public tender in 2025 for more than 80,000 million pesos (around 60 million dollars), awarded to five companies," said Rodolfo Aguiar, general secretary of ATE Nacional, on Cara o Ceca.

Carlos Pagni's analysis on Argentine Odyssey aired on LN+ on September 1, 2025.

Tras la muerte del portavoz de Hamás, Abu Obeida, se agrava la situación humanitaria dentro del territorio, atendida por organizaciones internacionales. Según el Ministerio de Salud gazatí, las víctimas ascienden a 63.557 y 160.660 heridos desde el 7 de octubre de 2023. "Hoy, la situación es inconcebible, la vida se ha convertido en un infierno para la población palestina. Hay un bloqueo total de la ayuda humanitaria, eso hace que lleguen pocos insumos médicos, de alimentación, de combustible", dijo en Cara o Ceca Carolina Heidenhain, directora de Comunicación de Médicos Sin Fronteras Latinoamérica. "Al igual que otras organizaciones, venimos denunciando la manera militarizada con la que distribuyen los recursos. Hay personas heridas y asesinadas por ir a buscar comida. Alrededor de 11.000 personas fueron afectadas", agregó. "No hay ningún hospital que esté operando completamente. Todos funcionan de manera parcial porque están afectados por los ataques. No hay respeto al derecho a la protección humanitaria. Tuvimos que evacuar más de 18 equipos de ayuda y perdimos a 12 colegas", cerró. El Banco Central argentino sube los encajes bancarios para contener el dólar en la antesala electoral. El equipo económico apunta a conseguir que el dólar no sufra sobresaltos en su valor hasta las elecciones legislativas en la estratégica provincia de Buenos Aires, el 7 de septiembre. Desde el 1 de septiembre entra en vigencia la suba de encajes al 53,5% para los bancos, una jugada para "blindar" el tipo de cambio. "En un hipotético caso de derrota, el Gobierno argentino analizará por cuántos puntos pierde para tomar las medidas, que muchas se pensaban que serían después de las elecciones [nacionales] de octubre", comentó en Cara o Ceca Miguel Ponce, economista. "Puede haber una devaluación, pero no se sabe cuándo ni de cuánto, va a depender del acuerdo con el Fondo Monetario Internacional", cerró.

The opposition unlocked the investigative commission of the alleged cryptocurrency scam case $LIBRA involving President Javier Milei and appointed National Deputy Maximiliano Ferraro of the Civic Coalition to chair it. "The ultimate goal of this commission is to develop a report saying whether or not crimes were committed by any official. From there, it would go to the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies and they will decide if it is necessary to initiate an impeachment trial," said Maximiliano Firtman, journalist and programmer, specialist in the subject, in Cara o Ceca. "Neither Javier Milei nor those closest to him technically did this project; that is Hayden Davis' responsibility. But, in a certain sense, they would be necessary participants because they were the ones who disseminated it," he added. "What is being investigated is the movement of funds from the alleged scam. There, payments appear with Hayden Davis' and Mauricio Novelli's [Argentine trader and accused] virtual wallet. There are indications that Davis sent money to Novelli," he concluded. Nigel Farage proposes anti-immigration plan in the United Kingdom. The proposal of the leader of the Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, includes the immediate detention and deportation of any asylum seeker who arrives in boats or remains in the country without official documentation. "The United Kingdom has a long history of supporting multiculturalism, but there are different visions of society: one part that supports diversity and another, with a traditional English view, does not agree so much. These proposals of Farage ignite the spark in the white Anglo-Saxon citizen who reaffirms the problem that exists in immigration," said Federico Vaccarezza, member of the Commission of Studies of the North Atlantic of the Argentine Network of Professionals for Foreign Policy (RedAPPE), in Cara o Ceca. "It is difficult for [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer, because his party has always supported English customs. But society is demanding something else. After 14 years of conservative government, the United Kingdom stopped growing economically, plateaued and Starmer is not able to solve it," he added.

US added 25% extra as punishment for buying oil from Russia. The measure compromises the Asian country's exports worth 48.2 billion dollars and further strains the relationship between the American president and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "This can hit India very hard because its competitors have received lower tariffs, for example in the textile area. It will have to diversify its export basket so that the effect is not so harsh," said Lía Rodríguez de la Vega, international analyst and deputy director of the Committee on Asian Affairs of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), in Cara o Ceca. "India and China are the main buyers of oil from Russia. But since the US cannot counteract China's attitude, it goes against a strategic partner like India. It is the way Trump finds to penalize this," he added. "In response, India suspended the purchase of planes and technological equipment from the US. In any case, Modi intends to restore relations because that is a market that interests him, although without losing the sovereignty to decide what to do with his economy," he concluded. "It was an attempted assassination": Strong repudiation of the attack on Javier Milei at a campaign event The Argentine president was attacked with stones along with a delegation that included his sister Karina Milei, while he was carrying out a caravan in the town of Lomas de Zamora in the province of Buenos Aires, whose local legislative elections will be on September 7. "It is unfortunate that we continue with this type of intolerance. It cannot be that if you don't like the other's idea, you attack him. This was an attempted assassination, because the stone almost reached the president's head. And not only that, it could have ended in a tragedy because of the number of people who were there," said Sebastián Pascual, deputy of La Libertad Avanza in the province of Buenos Aires for the third electoral section, in Cara o Ceca. "The opposition's aggressions against Javier Milei are constant. And it's not just now: it's been going on for years, because of Kirchnerism," he concluded.

The Gaza war offers no respite. Following the Israeli attack against Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, where at least 20 people died, including five Palestinian journalists working for international media, Benjamin Netanyahu conceded that it was a "tragic accident." "The Israeli government prefers the death of its enemies over the freedom of its compatriots. It will not stop its offensive until it finishes its plans, but I believe that as of today even they do not know what they are," said Ezequiel Kopel, an Argentine journalist specializing in the Middle East, in Cara o Ceca.

National deputy of the new Coherence bloc and former member of La Libertad Avanza Lourdes Arrieta, visited Sputnik studios and highlighted her differences with the Government of Javier Milei. "I hope that [the president, Javier Milei] has nothing to do with it, that in some way his responsibility is not central and that he has no responsibility whatsoever," she said in Heads or Tails.

The Kabambe fraud case, election campaigns, independent observers, the petition against COSOMA, the Chief Kachindamoto Award, 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.Livestream of The First 2025 Elections Presidential Debate: https://web.facebook.com/Times360Malawi/videos/1934494480672828/ 

Carlos Pagni's analysis on Odyssey Argentina aired on LN+ on August 25, 2025.

Amidst the scandal over the alleged corruption case in the Argentine National Disability Agency, Javier Milei's government denied the fact. The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, stated that he puts "his hands in the fire" for those involved, Karina Milei and Eduardo Menem. "When I told Javier Milei about the corruption, he stopped answering my messages and I was removed from my position. I already had a team assembled," said Viviana Aguirre, former official of the Comprehensive Medical Care Program (PAMI) in the city of La Plata, who denounced similar maneuvers in that organization, on Cara o Ceca.

Argentine Disability Agency raided over alleged bribes, following leaked audios where its now former head, Diego Spagnuolo, discusses alleged bribe requests and mentions the president's sister, Karina Milei, and her secretary, Eduardo “Lule” Menem. After this became known, the Government dismissed Spagnuolo. "It had already been reported that ANDIS was illegally buying high-cost, low-incidence drugs from the [Swiss Argentine] laboratory, but now we see that behind this operation there were bribes," said Ariel Zak, an Argentine journalist specializing in judicial issues, on Cara o Ceca.

Political scientist Pablo Touzon, co-founder of Panamá magazine, visited Sputnik studios, where he analyzed the Argentine political system and where the country is headed with the current leadership, in the midst of an election year, key for the Government of Javier Milei. "Kirchnerism today is an expression mostly of the province of Buenos Aires and a little of the City of Buenos Aires. The threat it represented over its rivals at the federal level has been minimized to the extreme. It only has strength in Buenos Aires territory and could only generate electoral polarization there," the analyst said in Heads or Tails.

Argentine opposition lawmakers achieved quorum to challenge presidential vetoes of pension increase and disability emergency declaration, measures Milei rejects for affecting fiscal balance. "It's an important day for the country. Many politicians cross electoral issues with parliamentary ones, and it shouldn't be like that. Congress will be a cauldron in the next two months," said Gabriel Chumpitaz, national deputy for the Futuro y Libertad bloc, which supports the official position, in Cara o ceca. "The pension system is one of the most important issues, not only from the human factor, but also for what it implies administratively: it has more than 50% of the total public spending budget. Argentina must carry out labor and tax reform so that the businessman or merchant can more easily bring employees into the formal system," he added. "Regarding the disability emergency law, it is necessary to audit the system to determine the abuse in aid. Based on that information, I would increase the budgets to benefit the real cases and take them away from those who do not need them. You cannot go from 99,000 disability pensions or subsidies to one million in four years," he concluded. Lula diversifies its international trade: "Brazil's exports to China increased 15% in one month." Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva seeks to face Donald Trump's tariff advance through the Sovereign Brazil plan, which will allocate more than 5.5 billion dollars in credit lines to protect national industry, and with the expansion of markets for its exports. "They are credits at very low rates. One of Lula's objectives is to find new markets to reduce the weight that the US has in Brazilian exports," said Eleonora Gosman, a journalist from Brazil, in Cara o ceca. "Brazil's exports to China increased 15% in one month. There was a very important collection of dollars. Now we have to wait for these measures to give results. However, Lula continues negotiating with other countries, he wants to resume the Mercosur-EU agreement," he added.

Many independent candidates in the general elections, the COSOMA controversy, Senior Chief Kachindamoto’s death, an anti-tuberculosis drugs shortage, MANEB results, 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.Nominated Candidates For Parliamentary Seats By Affiliation: https://web.facebook.com/share/p/16VaMk1rnG/ 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

Peronism finally achieved unity and presented a single list for national deputies and senators in the upcoming Argentine legislative elections in October. In 'Heads or Tails' we spoke with Juan Carlos Molina, a priest who was close to Pope Francis and is the first candidate for Fuerza Patria in the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz. "I am the point of unity of Peronism. Also, Santa Cruz is a complex province and new faces were requested. I have been working for more than 20 years with children with addiction and economic problems, not only here, but also in other parts such as in Haiti," he said. "We have to do a mea culpa to understand what happened so that [Javier] Milei won the elections in 2023. We are responsible for the policies we proposed not representing society," he added. "When we were in Government we did not do what we promised in the campaign. Instead, Milei does. We stopped being credible to the people," he concluded. **Concern in Spain over out-of-control forest fires** The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, visited areas affected by the fire and raised again the need to reach "a State pact against the climate emergency". So far there are more than 40 active fires and more than 150,000 hectares have been burned. Four fatalities have been counted to date. "We still have many fronts to put out. It has been the longest heat wave in history. It was not something predictable. There have been many imprudences and intentional fires," said Domingo Molina, Doctor of Forestry Engineering from Spain, in Heads or Tails. "We have received aerial resources from France, Italy and Germany because there are too many fires. International cooperation has worked, but the Government was slow to activate it. It should be more alert," he continued.