The Latin American Report # 584
In a display of how tense and irascible the Argentine political scene is right now, President Javier Milei had to be evacuated this Wednesday from the zone known as Lomas de Zamora, in the capital, as he was traveling in a motorcade as part of a campaign event. Opposing residents threw stones and other objects, in an event that—beyond the strong anti-Milei spirit of the center-left electorate—seems to be closely related to the latest alleged corruption scandal shaking the Balcarce 50, which involves Karina Milei, the president's sister and indeed a very top official in his government. "Everything they [say] is a lie, and we will take it to court, and we will prove that he lied," Milei told a local television channel in reference to the former official—a close collaborator of his—whose voice is supposedly heard in leaked audio that is the basis of the entire scandal.
According to the leftist newspaper Página 12, the influential congressman from La Libertad Avanza, José Luis Espert, who appears in a photo next to Milei in the motorcade, "fled" on a motorcycle from the scene and blamed Mayor Federico Otermín for what happened, even though the latter had called for peaceful protest and to wage the decisive battle at the polls.
The throwing of objects at Milei's open-top truck was followed by a confrontation between the angry protesters from Loma de Zamora—which has traditionally, according to EFE, been a Peronist stronghold—, on one side, and government supporters and police officers on the other, with a preliminary tally of two arrests and at least three injured. The provincial legislative elections in Buenos Aires will be followed by the national parliamentary election at the end of October, both seen as a kind of referendum on Milei's administration.
Regional news briefs
In Uruguay, business owners state that the recent measure to impose a 22% VAT on purchases made through the Chinese e-commerce giant Temu is "adequate but insufficient." The considerably lower prices compared to other "competitors" found on this platform—as well as on Shein—have caused retail users in the region to redirect their spending towards these controversial alternatives, threatening the sustainability of the old import and commercial apparatus. Representatives of the latter said that even with this tax, the price difference can be enormous, so the price increase is not deterrent enough. The question here, ultimately, is always: who should be favored in the market: the customer or the local producer?
The two finalist presidential candidates in Bolivia are reaffirming several important aspects of their foreign policy, which they will seek to realign with the United States. There are also new ways to manage the lithium—until now, an opportunity very favorable to investment from China and Russia—and natural gas, regardless of which candidate wins. The centrist Rodrigo Paz anticipates that, if he wins, he will reestablish diplomatic relations with Washington, suspended by Evo Morales 17 years ago. He was the winner of the first round and also has the important backing of Samuel Doria Medina, who surprisingly—after always being a favorite in the polls—ended up out of the race, but will try to transfer him his electoral capital. Paz also plans to approach relations with Chile with a pragmatic style.
