May 16th, 2025
1. Inflation was 2.8% in April
Following the lifting of exchange rate controls in the middle of last month, inflation resumed a path of deceleration after peaking in March. The April price index was 2.8%, below what the market expected and with the help of smaller increases in food. Prices gained 11.6% in the first four months and 47.3% in the last 12 months, according to Indec.
La Nación: La inflación se desaceleró en abril y fue de 2,8%
2. The government announced the elimination of taxes on electronic products
The presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, announced that the executive branch will publish a decree that will completely eliminate tariffs on the import of cell phones, which until now were 16% and will become 0%. This will occur in two stages: in the first stage, tariffs will be lowered from 16% to 8%, and this will take immediate effect upon publication of the decree. In the second stage, tariffs will be completely eliminated, that is, they will be reduced to 0%, and this will take effect as of January 15, 2026. Additionally, internal taxes paid on imported cell phones, televisions, and air conditioners will be lowered from 19% to 9.5%. On the other hand, for those produced in Tierra del Fuego, they will go from 9.5% to 0%. The National Government estimates that the prices of imported electronic products will decrease by an average of at least 30%, and that the smuggling and theft of cell phones will be reduced.
Ministerio de Economía: El Gobierno Nacional eliminará impuestos a productos electrónicos para alentar la baja de precios y fomentar la competencia
3. The electoral schedule in the province of Buenos Aires was confirmed
The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies met successively this Monday and passed into law the bill to reform the Electoral Code which advances the deadline for list closures to 50 days before the elections – instead of the 30 established by current regulations – and sets the deadline for the presentation of ballots 30 days in advance – instead of the current 20 – in view of the legislative elections on September 7th. Thus, we will know the candidates for the Buenos Aires chambers on July 19th, and on August 7th the design of the ballots will be made public.
La Nación: Cuándo se vota en la provincia de Buenos Aires en las elecciones legislativas 2025
4. Elections will be held on Sunday in the City of Buenos Aires
This Sunday, May 18th, 2025, legislative elections will be held in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, where 30 of the 60 seats of the Buenos Aires Legislature will be renewed by means of the single electronic ballot system. Preliminary results will be available on the same day of the election, while the definitive scrutiny will begin on May 20 and the elected legislators will take office on December 10th. These elections take place amid local political reconfiguration, with the fragmentation of traditional alliances and the emergence of new coalitions seeking to position themselves for the October national elections. Among the main competing forces are Buenos Aires Primero (PRO) with Silvia Lospennato as head of the list; Es Ahora Buenos Aires (Kirchnerism and PJ) with Leandro Santoro; Volvamos Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta’s new coalition; Evolución (UCR, GEN and PS), with Lucille Levy; and La Libertad Avanza, which is running Manuel Adorni without alliances. The Frente de Izquierda also participates, with Vanina Biasi. The result will serve as a political thermometer of the City and could redefine the balance of power in the Legislature.
5. The results of the provincial elections held so far
The first provincial elections of 2025 in Salta, Chaco, San Luis and Jujuy confirmed the strength of the local ruling parties, which were able to retain power in different contexts, showing their capacity to adapt and build up their territories. In Salta, Gustavo Sáenz consolidated his leadership by obtaining a majority in the Legislature, although the political highlight was the triumph of La Libertad Avanza (LLA) in the capital city, a key district which marks the libertarian irruption in territories governed by Peronism or provincial fronts. In San Luis, Claudio Poggi achieved a resounding victory with his Ahora San Luis front, comfortably beating the local Peronism, in an election where LLA did not participate directly, reflecting its still limited structural capacities outside the big urban centers. In Chaco there was a particular experience: the alliance between the radical governor Leandro Zdero and sectors related to LLA clearly won over Peronism, marking an experience of convergence between traditional forces and the libertarian space, which could be replicated at the national level. In Jujuy, the ruling party retained the legislative majority with the radicals, while the LLA had a discreet but significant performance, with a second place in the provincial capital. These results reflect a consolidation of the provincial ruling parties, which, despite the general erosion of politics, manage to sustain their power thanks to consolidated local structures and an electorate more inclined to vote for management than for national alignments.
La Nación: Quién ganó las elecciones en Salta, Chaco, Jujuy y San Luis, en vivo