A new statue of cartoon favorite Isidoro Cañones by Dante Quinterno was unveiled Friday 20th July in San Telmo on the corner of Chile and Balcarce. This is the second such statue to be placed in San Telmo, the first being Mafalda in 2009 just up the block, at the corner of Chile and Defensa. Eventually, there will be ten statues through San Telmo, leading to Moreno and Paseo Colon where you can pick up a free city bike to ride across Puerto Madero to the Museo del Humor along Avenida de Los Italianos. Along with cartoonist Manuel Garcia Ferre, the Buenos Aires city government was out in full force, with city mayor Mauricio Macri, deputy mayor María Eugenia Vidal, minister of culture Hernana Lombardi, and Cabinet Chief Horacio Rodríguez Larreta all in attendance to unveil the statue. Manuel Garcia Ferre, a famous Argentine cartoonist, responsible for ‘SuperHijitus’, ‘Ico, the brave horse’ and ‘Anteojito’ and more was on hand to represent cartoonists and the Museo del Humor. A dixieland jazz style music band, dressed in red and white pin-striped suits, set the jovial tone for the afternoon’s event. Photographer Beatrice Murch snapped these up.

The Argentine government released an ad campaign informing that after 10 February bus passengers who do not pay for their tickets with a SUBE card will not get subsidised. Official authorities have not yet disclosed the price of bus and train tickets without the subsidy.

“From 10 February on, if you want to travel by train or bus in the metropolitan area and you do not have a SUBE card, you are going to miss on the subsidy and your ticket will be more expensive,” says an official advertisement from Casa Rosada.

“But if you have your SUBE card, you are going to pay the same you are paying today.” The advert also warns passengers: “For a while now we have been telling you to get your SUBE card. If you have not done it, do it now.”

The announcement has already caused long queues in both train and bus stations to get the card today.
Fernando Blanco Muiño, president of the Argentine Consumers Union (UCA), said the implementation of the SUBE cards in public transportation is developing in an “unorganised and uninformed” way.

Muiño also claimed that an increase in bus and train tickets is “almost certain”.

The conflict between the Buenos Aires government and the Federal Police continues. Firstly originated by the spying accusations to Ciro James, earlier this week, Guillermo Montenegro, Justice Minister of the city, claims the federal Police “can’t stop caring the Buenos Aires population because, it’s its job”.

The justice minister made allusion to the decision of national government to withdraw federal forces from the city’s executive buildings entrances. This is meant to partly cover the $40m debt the city owes to the Federal Police.

The home secretary, Florencio Randazzo, confirmed that the withdrawal was due to “a problem of inefficiency or political will” from Mauricio Macri’s government. Randazzo claimed the polemic was used by the City’s Executive to “hide the actions of ex-federal police members, as the ones of Ciro James. This is a real shame”.

From 1^st November, the Federal Police will stop keeping watch on 72 of the 233 places and dependences of the city government. The mission of the Metropolitan Police which is to be launched later this year still has to be coordinated with the action of the Federal Police.

Many criticise the point of having a new Police force when the Federal Police is already supposed to operate it the capital. Montenegro said he was disposed to dialogue, although he claimed that “it’s a bit shocking that the city, where the Federal Police gives services, has to pay an additional police service”. “We have to forget political conflicts and act for the people”.

Buenos Aires governer Daniel Scioli, the head of the Buenos Aires government Mauricio Macri and the president of the Mercosur committee Carlos Chacho Alvarez are the three representatives of Argentine politics at the 13th Conference of the Americas in Miami, US. Beginning on Tuesday 29th September the conference is considered one of the key meetings of its kind between leading economists and government functionaries.

The principal topic at the Conference is “the new challenges” the Americas will have to face in light of the international economic crisis. Considerable debate has arisen between Scioli and Macri. Scioli has defended the measures taken by the Argentine government, stressing ”Argentina’s effort and intention” to push things forward in economic affairs. On the other hand, Macri has declared that there “incomprehensible things” in both Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her predecessor Nestor Kircher’s administrations. He alluded specifically to the recent campo crisis as well as to INDEC. Nevertheless, Macri referred to Scioli as a “friend”, while Scioli responded by justifying agricultural policies and explaining that changes were being introduced regarding INDEC.

Displaying considerable optimism, Macri declared at the conference that despite the crisis, Argentina continues to profit from “a great opportunity, because we are in the position to respond to the global increase in demand for food supply.”