Argentina Roundup: Embassy power outage, life sentences, Pan American Championships

Argentina accuses Venezuela of embassy power outage

Argentina on March 26 accused Venezuela of cutting the electricity supply to its embassy in Caracas after hosting a meeting with Venezuelan opposition leaders. The embassy's power was cut off on March 25 in a "deliberate action that endangers the safety of Argentine diplomatic personnel and Venezuelan citizens under protection," according to a statement from the Office of Argentine President Javier Milei. This move is seen as a sign of souring relations between the two ideologically opposed governments. Tension between the two countries has been rising since Venezuela's socialist leader Nicolás Maduro criticised far-right President Milei's election victory, CNN reported.

Ten Argentines sentenced to life

Ten Argentinians on March 26 were sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping, torture, rape, and disappearance of over 400 victims during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship. Six of the defendants have died since the trial began three years ago. Victims included 23 pregnant women, some given forced abortions, and their newborns given to regime loyalist families. The accused, who all maintained their innocence, included military physicians, police officers, and jail officers, as well as a former province minister.

Hosting of Pan American Championships 2024

The 2024 GAMMA Pan American Championships will be held in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina from 5-7 July. The three-day tournament, hosted by GAMMA ARGENTINA, will feature 17 senior weight categories in MMA and Striking MMA. The event will also include the Pan American MMA Youth Championships for 16-17-year-olds. "It will be a pleasure to welcome the best athletes from all over the continent to a city with as much sporting significance as Rosario. We firmly believe that it will be a great boost for all combat sports in Argentina," GAMMA Argentina Secretary and Sport Director, Lucio Gianni said.

Protest against dismissal of science workers

The Association of State Workers of Argentina (ATE) is planning a protest at the Scientific Pole in Buenos Aires against the dismissal of science workers. According to Prensa Latina, the protest will condemn the termination of labour contracts of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development, and Innovation and the cuts promoted by the Government of Javier Milei in the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET). Over 60 Nobel Prize winners have expressed concern about the impact of these measures on Argentina's development. Renowned scholars from different countries alerted the president in a letter that these sectors in Argentina are on the verge of "a dangerous precipice," which might have an impact on both the people and the rest of the world, Prensa Latina reported.  On March 26, President Milei announced that over 50,000 employees in the national public administration had lost their jobs during this period. He also verified that the contracts of an additional 70,000 employees would not be extended.

Surge in beef export

Argentina's beef exports reached their highest level in over five decades, reaching 82,548 metric tons in February. This is the largest monthly haul since 1967. The government of the Latin American nation ended export restrictions for some meat cuts, resulting in a record 160,478 tons of beef shipments in the first two months of the year. Argentina's farm sector is a major supplier of grains and beef. More than 75% of the nation's beef exports in January and February went to customers in China, followed by the European Union and Israel.