April 4th, 2025
1. The Senate rejected the nominations of Ariel Lijo and Manuel García-Mansilla for the Supreme Court
The Senate overwhelmingly rejected the nominations of federal judge Ariel Lijo and professor Manuel García-Mansilla, proposed in the middle of last year by Javier Milei as judges of the Supreme Court of Justice, and dealt a hard political blow to the national government and to presidential advisor Santiago Caputo, the architect of the political strategy of the libertarian administration to fill the vacancies in the highest court. The pronouncement of the Senate was lapidary and was made with the vote of most of the Kirchnerist, UCR and Pro blocs, who coincided in questioning the Government’s decision to appoint both candidates by decree. Lijo’s nomination was rejected by 43 votes against and 27 in favor and the abstention of the ruling party’s Juan Carlos Pagotto (La Rioja). García-Mansilla’s nomination, on the other hand, attracted even more opposition and ended up vetoed by 51 senators, and supported by only 20. Both needed the support of two thirds of those present to become judges of the Court. In the case of the professor, he obtained that aggravated majority, but against his aspirations.
2. Milei travels to the United States again
Last Wednesday, April 2nd, when Argentina commemorated the Day of Veterans and Fallen Soldiers in the Malvinas War, President Javier Milei embarked on another trip to the United States. The official reason for the trip was the President’s reception of the “Lion of Liberty Award” for his defense of economic freedom and conservative values. This trip, which includes the company of Economy Minister Luis Caputo and the Secretary General of the Presidency Karina Milei, comes at a key moment in Argentina’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), adding a strategic background to the president’s agenda.
La Nación: Javier Milei llegó a Estados Unidos y busca su foto con Donald Trump
3. Candidates for the CABA elections have been defined
Porteños will once again have an appointment at the polls on May 18. On that day, the elections for legislators will take place, where half of the 60 seats in the City’s legislature will be renewed. For the first time in several elections, it does not seem to be an easy scenario for the ruling party of the City of Buenos Aires. The frustrated alliance of PRO with La Libertad Avanza (LLA) and the most visible differences between Javier Milei and Mauricio Macri will mark the first electoral round of 2025 between the two possible allies at a national level. Then there is Kirchnerism, with Leandro Santoro at the head, which seeks to take advantage of this division to gain ground in the elections. Precisely, the block of Unión por la Patria is the one that puts at stake the largest number of members: 8 of its 18 current legislators. As a founding member of LLA, Ramiro Marra will try to win the libertarian vote and impose himself on a strong figure such as Manuel Adorni. Meanwhile, the reappearance of Horacio Rodríguez Larreta outside the PRO poses an unprecedented challenge for Jorge Macri, who will have to prove that he can hold together a party that seems to be on the verge of fracture. Lousteau’s radicalism, with Luciana Levy as first candidate, Paula Oliveto’s Civic Coalition and the Frente de Izquierda-Unidad with Vanina Biasi, among many other spaces, complete a scenario in the City of Buenos Aires that promises to be one of the most tense of the last years.
La Nación: Todas las listas de las elecciones CABA 2025
4. New poverty data was released
This week, INDEC reported that poverty affected 38.1% of the population at the end of 2024. The official indicator thus showed a considerable drop compared to the 52.9% recorded in the first half of 2024, influenced by the acceleration of prices in the first half of the year, and also a drop compared to the 41.7% that the statistical agency had set for the end of 2023. On the other hand, indigence, that is, the portion of society that does not manage to cover the basic food basket expenses, was 8.2% at the end of 2024. This implied a decrease compared to the first half of that year (18.1%) and to the end of 2023 (11.9%). Thus, compared to the peak in the first half of 2024, some 6.9 million people were lifted out of poverty and, within this universe, 4.64 million people ceased to be indigent. Poverty, measured in number of inhabitants, was the lowest since the first semester of 2022.
INDEC: Incidencia de la pobreza y la indigencia en 31 aglomerados urbanos
5. The government made official the reduction of import tariffs on clothing and footwear
Through Decree 236/2025, the national government reduced import tariffs on textile products, footwear, yarns and fabrics, which had been set by Mercosur 18 years ago. Specifically, the tariffs on clothing and footwear will be reduced from 35% to 20%; on fabrics from 26% to 18%; and the different types of yarns from 18% to 12%, 14% and 16%, as appropriate, returning to the tariffs prior to 2007. The Executive made the decision with the need to “encourage competition and lower textile prices in Argentina,’, and seeking to reach the tariffs of neighboring countries, such as Uruguay, which charges 20% on imports, in addition to a 5% consular fee.
Infobae: El Gobierno oficializó la baja de aranceles a la importación de indumentaria y el calzado