August 7th, 2026
1. The government secured preliminary approval for the Private Property Inviolability bill, but without the most controversial sections
The ruling party in the Senate secured the votes (37 to 33) to pass the Private Property Inviolability Bill in its first reading, but it was only a partial victory because it agreed to remove, in draft number 18, not only the chapter that sought to relax the limits on foreign land ownership, but also, just minutes before the vote, the amendments to the Fire Management Act. Inside the chamber, there were heated exchanges among senators over the possibility of remote voting (which was ultimately not permitted), while outside the Congress, there was fierce police repression. As on other occasions, when the ruling party saw the approval of a chapter in jeopardy, it preferred to announce its withdrawal rather than face defeat. The chapter on fire management was one of the most contested, as it proposed, on rural lands, lowering the prohibition on land-use changes from 60 to 30 years. It did not protect wetlands or natural areas; only native forests remained protected. Prior to the session, and to ensure a quorum, the government had completely withdrawn the chapter on foreign land ownership, which had shifted from eliminating the cap on land saleable to foreigners to merely raising it from 15% to 25% during negotiations with allied caucuses. As a result, the bill now has only three main provisions: it narrows the definition of “public utility” in expropriation cases and increases compensation by including lost profits; it expedites eviction proceedings for urban and rural properties; and it introduces reforms to property registries to allow for the submission of digital documents and digital signatures. It now moves to the Chamber of Deputies.
2. Milei held a bilateral meeting in Ecuador and continues his tour in the presidential inauguration of an ally in Colombia
Javier Milei began the first stop of a new international tour in support of the Latin American right yesterday in Quito, where he met with President Daniel Noboa, accompanied by Karina Milei and Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno. Yesterday’s agenda included a wreath-laying ceremony at Plaza Independencia, a bilateral meeting with Noboa which involved the signing of agreements and progress on cooperation in security, trade, mining, renewable energy, and biotechnology , as well as a meeting with Argentine automotive industry associations and the opening of the Economic Forum. Today, Friday, the president has already arrived in Cali, Colombia, where he will first hold a bilateral meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saár and then with President-elect Abelardo De la Espriella, whom he had congratulated on social media following his victory in the runoff election over Gustavo Petro’s candidate, Iván Cepeda. In addition to Javier Milei, other prominent figures from the right are expected to attend De la Espriella’s inauguration , such as José Antonio Kast (Chile), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), Keiko Fujimori (Peru), José Raúl Mulino (Panama), Nasry Asfura (Honduras), Rodrigo Paz Pereira (Bolivia), Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), and Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic), in addition to Noboa himself. The tour comes amid growing tensions with Brazil, after Lula da Silva recalled his ambassador to Argentina and requested the return of the Argentine ambassador, following Milei’s controversial statements in São Paulo in support of Flavio’s candidacy.
El Cronista: Milei se reunió con su aliado Noboa en Ecuador: firma de acuerdos y sintonía ideológica
3. Escalation of the diplomatic conflict with Brazil
A series of offensive statements by President Javier Milei against his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, led to the most severe diplomatic sanction in bilateral relations since the return of democracy in Brazil in 1983. After summoning him to Itamaraty, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira presented Argentine Ambassador Daniel Raimondi with a formal protest that included the decision to downgrade diplomatic relations for the first time in decades to the level of chargé d’affaires, limiting representation to commercial matters, and to indefinitely postpone the return of Ambassador Julio Bitelli to Buenos Aires. Brazilian government officials stated that repeated insults against the president made the measure inevitable. The trigger for the escalation of the diplomatic conflict was Milei’s latest media appearances, in which he reiterated that he considers Lula a “thief” and a “convict,” claiming that his conviction was overturned due to an “administrative error” without proving his innocence. Milei also expressed his hope that Bolsonaro would win the October election and revived his allegation that Brazil’s Workers’ Party (PT) aided Sergio Massa in 2023, a claim that Itamaraty dismissed as fantasy. Tensions have escalated since July 25, when Milei participated in the Liberal Party convention that nominated Flávio Bolsonaro as its candidate; Brazil initially reacted by summoning Bitelli for consultations, in a de-escalation effort that broke down when Milei brought up the issue again. In response, the Argentine Foreign Ministry, led by Pablo Quirno, lamented Brazil’s “unilateral” decision to “continue isolating itself” for ideological reasons, clarified that it would not order the return of its ambassador, and ruled out an official apology.
4. Pope Leo XIV’s Visit to Argentina
The Holy See Press Office confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will visit Argentina from November 8 to 11, 2026, as part of his first tour of South America since the beginning of his pontificate, which also includes Uruguay and Peru (three days in Uruguay, four in Argentina, and seven in Peru, from November 6 to 17). The trip marks the first papal visit to Argentina in 39 years, since John Paul II’s visit in April 1987. The itinerary includes stops and large-scale Masses in the City of Buenos Aires, Luján, and Córdoba; according to Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, the selection was based on pastoral rather than security criteria: Luján because of its significance for Argentine Catholicism and Córdoba because of the size of its religious community and its strategic location. In addition to the ecclesiastical agenda, an official meeting between the Pope and the President will take place at the Casa Rosada, scheduled for November 9. The Holy See will release the detailed itinerary closer to the visit, once coordination with local authorities is complete. The government welcomed the news with “enormous joy,” and the Executive Branch will issue a decree declaring the trip “of national interest.” The Ministry of Security will oversee security operations through a unified command involving federal and provincial forces.
Infobae: El Gobierno celebró la confirmación de la visita del Papa León XIV a la Argentina: “Enorme alegría”
5. The government repealed the decree that started the portuary conflict after a four day strike
The Government formalized, through a new decree signed by the Chief of Cabinet Diego Santilli and the Minister of Deregulation, Federico Sturzenegger, the suspension of the effects of Decree 690/2026, the regulation promoted by the latter, which had modified the pilotage and harbor piloting regime on the country’s rivers, ports, and canals. The initial decree exempted shipping companies from the obligation to hire harbor pilots, and extended that role to allow any other personnel to perform it, with the intention of reducing port costs and fostering greater market competition. The measure led to a four-day strike and millions of dollars in economic losses for port activity. The government’s reversal came after negotiations between national officials and representatives of the pilots and harbor pilots, in which the central points agreed upon were the suspension of the regulation, the immediate resumption of service, the creation of an intersectoral roundtable to draft a new regulatory framework, and a 20% reduction in harbor piloting fees.