February 28th, 2025
1. The government appointed Lijo and García-Mansilla as judges of the Supreme Court by decree
The national government appointed Ariel Lijo and Manuel García-Mansilla as judges of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (CSJN). The appointment was made by Decree, which noted that after the retirement of Juan Carlos Maqueda, the Supreme Court had only three justices, complicating its operation and decision making since at least three votes are required to resolve cases. The text argues that the Senate did not deal with the nominees sent in May 2024, putting at risk the normal functioning of the judiciary. The executive therefore decided to move forward with the appointment in committee, under Article 99, paragraph 19 of the National Constitution, remarking that it is a constitutional presidential power and that it has been used in other administrations. Finally, the Decree clarifies that the measure will be in force until the Senate issues its final decision on their nomination. La Nación: Javier Milei designó por decreto en la Corte Suprema a Ariel Lijo y Manuel García-Mansilla
La Nación: Javier Milei designó por decreto en la Corte Suprema a Ariel Lijo y Manuel García-Mansilla
2. Telecom bought Telefónica’s Argentine subsidiary, and the government opposed it
Grupo Clarín, through Telecom, completed the acquisition of Telefónica’s Argentine subsidiary, which would make it the owner of the brands Movistar, Movistar TV, Tuenti and Telefónica, which would be added to Personal (which provides cellular telephony and home Internet) and Flow, which offers cable TV and streaming. The acquisition brought an immediate reaction from Javier Milei’s government, which questioned its viability. Through a press release, it warned that the approval of the Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (ENACOM) and the Comisión Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia (CNCD) ”to evaluate if this operation does not constitute the formation of a monopoly” is still pending. “This acquisition could leave approximately 70% of the telecommunications services in the hands of a single economic group,” says the statement, adding that ”if so, the National State will take all pertinent measures to avoid it.” The statement highlights that “the regulatory framework in force establishes a control system on the transfers, assignments and acquisitions of the licensees of information and communications services.” According to experts, the merger is contrary to the Argentine Digital Law and the Antitrust Law, so the acquiring group will have to explain to ENACOM and the CNCD what measures it will take to comply with the regulations
Clarín: Con una inversión de US$ 1.245 millones Telecom compró Telefónica de Argentina
3. Government created UTI to investigate the $LIBRA case
Resolution 72/2025 of the Ministry of Justice established the creation of the Investigation Tasks Unit (UTI) to investigate possible irregularities related to the “$LIBRA” crypto-asset. The resolution appointed María Florencia Zicavo as president of the UTI, who is the head of the Cabinet of Advisors Unit of the Ministry. Zicavo will be in charge of collecting and submitting relevant information to the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as making requests to national and international organizations. The UTI will have several responsibilities, such as requesting information from national and international organizations, receiving judicial requests and managing documentation related to the case.
4. Argentina’s economic activity contracted by 1.8% YoY
In 2024, Argentina’s economic activity contracted by 1.8% compared to the previous year, according to INDEC’s Monthly Economic Activity Estimator (EMAE). However, in December 2024, the economy showed signs of recovery, registering a year-on-year growth of 5.5% and a monthly increase of 0.5% compared to November. When analyzing the economic sectors, it was observed that nine of them experienced increases in December, with financial intermediation standing out with an increase of 18% year-on-year and wholesale, retail and repairs with 7.4%. On the other hand, six sectors recorded declines, with fishing (-25% year-on-year) and construction (-7.2% year-on-year) being the most affected. Despite the annual contraction, the manufacturing industry and commerce managed to reverse previous negative trends, registering increases of 6.7% and 7.4% year-on-year, respectively.
El Economista: La economía recuperó todo lo perdido desde las PASO de 2023, pero todavía se encuentra 1,9% por debajo del nivel de 2017
5. Alejandro Oxenford was appointed ambassador to the US
The Argentine government officially appointed Alejandro Oxenford as Argentine ambassador to the United States. The appointment was made under Article 99, paragraph 19, of the Argentine Constitution, and after the Senate did not consider the request sent by the Executive at the beginning of the year. Oxenford has been in office since November 2024, when he was appointed just a few days after Gerardo Werthein was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Diana Mondino. With a degree in business administration from the Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) and an MBA from Harvard, he began his career founding Deremate.com in 1999 and later created two unicorns: OLX and LetGo, companies that surpassed the US$ 1 billion market valuation barrier. He is also an art collector and directed ArteBA.