August 2nd, 2024
1. At Javier Milei’s request, Brazil assumed the representation of Argentine interests in Venezuela
After days of great tension in Venezuela’s domestic and foreign policy, the government of Lula Da Silva accepted Argentina’s request to represent the interests of the country in Venezuela and to maintain under its diplomatic protection the six opposition leaders who are under asylum in the ambassador’s residence in Caracas. This is a decision of enormous importance in the international agenda of the Casa Rosada, after the expulsion of the diplomats ordered by the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro due to the refusal of Javier Milei to recognize his victory in the fraudulent elections of Sunday. This gesture was appreciated by the Argentine president, since due to ideological issues he does not have a good relationship with the Brazilian president. María Corina Machado, leader of the opposition in Venezuela, celebrated the handover: “We thank the government of Brazil for its willingness to assume the diplomatic and consular representation of the Republic of Argentina in Venezuela, and the protection of its headquarters and residence, as well as the physical integrity of our comrades in asylum in said residence. This could contribute to advance in a constructive and effective negotiation process such as the one Brazil has supported,” he explained in a message published on X.
Ámbito Financiero: Brasil asumió la representación de los intereses argentinos en Venezuela
2. Javier Milei will travel to Chile next Thursday and meet with Boric
After 8 months in office, Javier Milei is getting ready for his first official visit to a South American country. On Thursday, August 8, the President will travel very early in an Air Force plane to a tour of several border “hydrocarbon stations” near Neuquén, and will end the day in the afternoon in Santiago de Chile, to participate in the ceremony for the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship to be celebrated this year. He will be there with Gabriel Boric, his Chilean counterpart. The initial invitation to the President came from Eduardo and Hugo Eurnekian, from Corporación América to visit on Thursday the GasAndes celebration of the first TCF (Trillion Cubic Feet, equivalent to 28 billion cubic meters) of natural gas transported from Argentina to Chile through the gas pipeline that crosses the mountain range. And it will be celebrated on August 8, with Milei present at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Santiago de Chile. There may be other guests such as former President Eduardo Frei, who shared his presidency with Carlos Menem, and numerous border conflicts that were resolved in the 90s.
3. Mauricio Macri re-launched PRO
Mauricio Macri relaunched the PRO with an act in La Boca, where he emphasized the autonomy of the party and the constructive criticism to Javier Milei’s government. Macri underlined the need of a solid team for Milei’s leadership and rejected a merger with the libertarians without a previous coexistence. At the same time, Guillermo Francos, Chief of Ministers, met with nine governors of Juntos por el Cambio to discuss pending issues such as funds for public works and financing of pension funds. Although the meeting was cordial, no concrete solutions were achieved. The governors demanded differential political treatment and criticized the distribution of transport subsidies in the AMBA. The discussion also addressed the compensation of debts between provinces and the Nation, highlighting the need for future electoral agreements.
Infobae: Mauricio Macri: “Javier Milei sigue teniendo pendiente el desafío de construir un equipo”
4. Guillermo Francos met with CAME businessmen
Guillermo Francos, Chief of Ministers of the Nation, met with businessmen of the Argentine Confederation of Medium-Sized Companies (CAME). CAME brings together 1,491 entities and more than 400,000 companies with more than 2.5 million registered workers. Francos was accompanied by Marcos Ayerra, the government secretary of the sector. During the meeting, the businessmen raised their concerns about the negative impact of tariffs and labor fines on their businesses. Francos pledged to review these issues and seek solutions to alleviate the burden on SMEs, stressing the importance of supporting the sector to foster economic growth and job creation.
5. Investments for gas development in Rio Negro
After several back and forth and tensions between the national government and the Governor of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, the oil company YPF and its Malaysian partner Petronas chose the port of Punta Colorada, in the town of Sierra Grande, in Río Negro, as the probable place to analyze the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, which will allow exporting the production of Vaca Muerta in liquid form. Thus, Bahía Blanca, which was the other maritime terminal that was being analyzed, was ruled out. This Tuesday morning the Governor of Río Negro, Alberto Weretilneck, traveled to the city of Buenos Aires, perhaps in anticipation of the information that would come out of the board meeting. The choice of Punta Colorada port was unanimous. In the governor’s entourage, Axel Kicillof, on the other hand, was not aware of the meeting. After the announcement, Kicillof described the vote as “inopportune” and a “capricious” decision of the president, Javier Milei, whom he blamed for making this decision based on the upcoming elections.
La Nación: YPF y Petronas eligieron al puerto de Río Negro para hacer la mega inversión de gas