“Seed Week,” a demonstration in Asunción held by farming, social, and indigenous rights groups began today in protest of the likely commercial release of five varieties of genetically modified (GM) corn seeds. The protesters advocate the alternative use of native varieties and agricultural diversity as essential to the nation’s food security and sovereignty.

Protests reportedly began with about 70 people marching through Asunción’s downtown area before being stopped by police. There have been no reports of violence or arrests so far.

President Federico Franco’s government is widely expected to finalise the authorisation of GM seeds this week. “It is my understanding that, with much certainty, [they will approve the release of these five corn varieties] next week,” said Santiago Bertoni, an agricultural engineer from National Commission on Biosecurity (Combio), told Reuters. Nevertheless, details of exactly when Combio and the Health Ministry will finalise the approval process have to yet to be announced.

The varieties in question include: VT Triple Pro, NK 603, MON810, BT11, and TC1507, three of which belong to the transnational agricultural company, Monsanto. A demonstration that will directly target the US-based agriculture giant is expected to be one of the most notable activities of “Seed Week.” Monsanto is the subject of protests based in over 60 different cities worldwide taking place this week citing concern for the environment and human health.

According to Combio, the authorisation of genetically modified corn will increase Paraguay’s agricultural yield from the 876,000 hectares of crops sowed during the 2012 agricultural cycle to one million. In the beginning of August, National Health Department head Antonio Arbor approved the use of one type of genetically modified corn in question.

Paraguay already allows genetically modified soy and cotton production. The production of genetically modified cotton was approved earlier this year and still attracts much controversy.

Story courtesy of Agencia Púlsar (link to http://www.agenciapulsar.org/), the AMARC-ALC news agency.

It’s Friday again!

And as the cognitive dissonance in both sides of the political spectrum continues to split the Argentine society into two big antagonist magnets, here comes the Weekly News Roundup (click there and like our Facebook page, yes?) trying to maintain a level-headed opinion, a resort purposely designed to piss you off.

So, in order to escape the sad fate of becoming a cliche, I’m actually not going to take a position on what happened last night and will let you, my loyal scholars, choose one for me.

We all know confirmation bias is what makes you pick a newspaper over another. Knowing that you will agree with what the paper says beforehand grants you a false sense of momentaneous security. You need someone to tell you that your opinions are indeed accurate and it’s the others who are wrong.

Whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess.

So you know how I’m always saying this country is like a Choose Your Own Adventure book? I think it’s time we put that into practice:

• 

  Probably your hand. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  If you think President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is a hate-mongering “yegua” who deserves to be overthrown at all costs, proceed to the Anti-Government bullet point.

• If you think those repugnant Recoleta denizens are nothing but coup-mongers whose only concern is their inability to purchase US dollars and therefore deserve to die, proceed to the Pro-Government bulletpoint.

• Anti-Government rant: After years of unbearable oppressiveness and fearing the cold, metallic touch of Cristina’s iron fist, the destitute masses of Argentina finally made their voices heard and led a multitudinous, successful protest that spread all over the nation. People engaged in pot-banging activities (sounds like a junkie’s favorite sexual position but trust me, it’s not) to protest the current administration and course-correct the destiny of this country before it is too late (click here for the Indy’s awesome photo gallery on the story). TN was the only news network brave enough to show the ramifications of such an astounding social protest while over 100,000 people from all social strata took to the streets of Buenos Aires to oppose the Government’s plans to turn this country into Cuba or Venezuela. Yeah, that’s what happened. Now repeat after me: Zurdos! Vagos! Chorros! Use those insults on random people and evaluate their reaction. If you don’t end up in a coma, let me know what you learned.

• Pro-Government rant: Absolutely nothing happened last night. In fact, if you tuned in Canal 7 (state-owned channel) they were showing a documentary on birds (not a joke). But if something had actually happened, I’m sure it wouldn’t have mattered. It was just a bunch of dollar-hungry, rich, greedy, fascist, lame-excuse-of-a -human-being people trying to overthrow godsend President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her humble cabinet and replace them all with Emperor George W. Bush and Viceroy Queen Elizabeth II. Yeah, that’s what happened. Now repeat after me: Fachos! Cipayos! Gorilas! Use those insults on random people and evaluate their reaction. If you don’t end up in a coma, let me know what you learned.

• Also, if the Middle Class is looking to prove that their protests are legitimate, and that this is not related to the restrictions on the dollar, but is in response to the existing non-existing-inflation, the rise of criminal activities and Cristina’s unapologetic bullying attitude towards anyone who dares to dissent with her, let me just say that this is not helping.

• Oh, and neither does this.

• In case you’re wondering, “gatear” is what a female escort does. You’re welcome.

• Your favorite source for quotable information – besides this column – finally published an article on the ridiculous urban myth saying that you only need six pesos a day in order to eat in this country. Now, don’t get the Government wrong: their studies say that even though you can eat for such a risible amount of money, it still means you’re very poor. Let’s think of what we can buy with six pesos: a cheeseburger in Mc Donald’s a can of tuna a super pancho a bottle of beer a salad a banana a bottle of water. Fuck it, I give up.

• Or you can move to the San Juan province, where in their little parallel universe that urban myth seems to be working just fine.

• At least the people in the cacerolazo protests get to make fun of it.

• The average hard-working man continues to be ostracized and vilified by the system, as now due to the severe government restrictions in the currency exchange market sector, PayPal Argentina has announced that it is disabling all transactions between domestic accounts. It seems locals, smart as they are, had found a way to bypass the restrictions and withdraw dollars in the US from their accounts in Argentina. And since this probably makes the AFIP tax agency sad, PayPal decided to react accordingly against the seven Argentines who actually know what PayPal is.

• Oh and don’t worry expats, foreign transactions are still active. So your parents can still transfer money into your local accounts. Stop whining.

• This one’s for you, girls: You know how your parents always warn you about checking your drinks when going out because of the rape drug? Well now you have something else to fear when drinking that tasty caipirinha. In the city of Santa Fe, a girl suffered severe internal burns after a bartender mistook dry Lye for sugar and put it in her drink. Smart move, bartender! “I’ll just leave this acid that looks like sugar right next to the actual sugar.” It’s like the Itchy & Scratchy show, only less original.

• Did you guys have fun last Sunday afternoon pretending that controlling your breathing for fifteen minutes in Palermo was somehow going to change your life for the better? Well I’m glad you did. But you know who didn’t have a good time though? Your very own (im)personal guru and messiah of meditation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who was questioned by the AFIP tax agency as he was trying to escape leave the country.

• Also, if the more than 100,000 people who spent last Sunday afternoon relaxing in the park are the same who four days later were foaming at the mouth because of the Government policies, then not to be a party pooper but whatever it is you did to relax didn’t actually work.

• Remember disgraced boxer Rodrigo “Hiena” Barrios, who in 2010 caused an accident while driving inebriated in
  

  You’ll never look at a caipirinha the same way again. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  Mar del Plata and ended the life of a pregnant woman and her unborn child? It turns out that as he appeals his four-year sentence, a local court decided to give him back his driver’s license. I mean, come on, it’s not like the guy did it on purpose! He was drunk! You can’t blame him for that! Oh, but the public outrage was too much, so the Government decided to ban him from sitting behind a wheel again, and all of this in just one day! So now he is forced to hop on the bus completely drunk and sit on his own vomit until he gets home, just like the rest of us (expect for the killing part).

• Check your calendars, everyone! Because 2010 is making a comeback and it ain’t pretty. You see, the once invincible Dancing With The Stars is suddenly tanking in the ratings, and Marcelo Tinelli is not happy. It seems that after a 6-year slumber, the Argentine population has said “Enough!” to cheap scandals and mediocre dancing and begun changing to channel to happier, more preppy story lines, like the hit show of the moment “Graduados,” which is like Beverly Hills 90210, only worse (and I’m not talking about the recent series reboot, I’m talking about the original one. Seriously, who could you watch that crap?). In a desperate attempt to regain his squandered glory, Tinelli decided to bring back current nemesis and former pariah Ricardo Fort, who was exultant to retake the place he was fired from two years ago, even if only for a day. So in all honesty I’m not really sure what this post is all about. I just wanted you to know that Bailando por un Sueño is losing big, and it feels really good. The only way they’ll ever have another peak in the ratings is by bringing on stage some huge international star like, I don’t know, Madonna.

• DAMN IT!!!!

• And in case you haven’t been following Ricardo Fort’s recent incursions into the realm of legitimate musical theater, here he is doing The Lion King and Jesus Christ Superstar. You’re welcome to decide which one is more offensive.

• No, yeah, definitely the Jesus one.

• Also, thank God for this.

• And by the way, someone needs to edit the Graduados Wikipedia page in English. That thing is a mess.

• [Warning: shameless plug coming up] Before we finish, have you RSVP’d to attend our Buenos Aires Underground Market event tomorrow? We’re all going to be there sampling food and drinking like crazy, so why not join us for a while? It starts at noon and finishes at 5 pm. You have no excuse. [End of shameless plug].

• I know, I’m such a corporate whore.

• Have you noticed how I haven’t talked much about football lately? Either nothing is happening (unlikely) or I’m not paying enough attention (pretty likely). Whatever the case may be, here you go:

• This is hardly news because it happens every day, but one of the leaders of the Independiente hooligans has been shot. Now, that link is four days old so I’m not sure if he made it or not. Honestly I’m having brunch in an hour and can’t be bothered to find out. You figure it out yourself, mk? Consider it homework.

• Argentina gave us a lackluster performance in a game against Peru this week, which according to my sources (Wikipedia) was a World Cup qualifying match. The game ended 1-1 and everyone engaged in some fun, harmless homophobic behavior, with a fake photo of Lionel Messi telling Peruvians to go “eat it” via Twitter and some Peruvian player I never heard of calling him and Gonzalo Higuaín “little girls.” Whatever.

• No wonder I never talk about football.

Send Adrian your comments, thoughts or tips at adrbono@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @AdrianBono

And don’t forget to like the Weekly News Roundup on Facebook, so we don’t have to keep reminding you about this every Friday.

Judicial, municipal, and electricity workers in Córdoba have called for a 24-hour strike to protest against the police’s violent repression of yesterday’s rally, which left 26 people wounded, including ten policemen, and four arrested.

Later this afternoon, protesters will march to the provincial court to demand that responsibilities for the repression are investigated. The secretary-general of the judicial worker’s union, Irina Santesteban, explained that the aim of the strike and rally is “to repudiate the repression and the lack of action by the court” and said that the provincial government is the main responsible for the acts of violence.

The government, in turn, pointed at “people wearing hoods and with their faces covered by scarves” as the starters of the riots. Córdoba’s chief of cabinet, Oscar González, said that the government doesn’t have “a conspiratorial vision of politics,” but insisted that “what we saw yesterday in Córdoba, which we weren’t used to seeing, is people with hoods, with their faces covered by scarves, which the union leaders say don’t belong to their structures, generating violence.”

At the same time the incidents were taking place yesterday, Córdoba governor José Manuel De la Sota met with Buenos Aires mayor Mauricio Macri at the opening of the Buenos Aires house in the provincial capital. Whilst a political deal between the two has not been sealed, as they both hope to run for president in 2015, both politicians smiled for the camera as they agreed on criticising the national government. González said that if yesterday’s protest was spurred by the meeting, then “Argentine democracy is in trouble.”

However, the protests were, according to the organisers, held against the reform to the pension system carried out by the Córdoba government, which froze all increases to state workers’ pensions. The government justified the measure by accusing the national government of not sending them the required funds. The national government replied that Córdoba was not meeting the requirements for the promised funding, which included a reform to the pension system to make it sustainable in the long term.

The secretary-general of Córdoba’s teachers’ union, Juan Monserrat, said that they will continue to carry out protests, and that the next steps will be decided within the next few days.

This morning, YPF workers blocked a refinery in Luján de Cuyo for almost six hours. The protestors demanded a salary raise between 25% and 35%.

The protest lasted from 4:30am to 10:15am, whereupon the company agreed to negotiations and promised to present a new salary proposal. According to Jorge Córdova, director of the United Petrol Workers Union (SUPE), the protest arose “spontaneously”.

Over 3,200 workers participated in today’s protests. The workers blocked both trucks and people from entering or leaving the plant.

The strike was lifted when the company agreed to renew negotiations and present a new proposal. The Luján de Cuyo plant is located in the province of Mendoza, but negotiations are underway in the capital city of Buenos Aires.

SUPE maintains that the requested increase is proportional to inflation.

Córdova noted that negotiations with YPF have been ongoing for over a month. The union leader stated, ¨The directors took seven hours to fix their own salaries, but we have been in discussions for a month and a half and a resolution still has not been reached.¨

Córdova stated that if no solution is reached in today’s negotiations, more protests could be planned for the future.

As a second round of strikes unfold in the province, Buenos Aires Vice Governor Gabriel Mariotto has stated that a draft bill proposed by Governor Daniel Scioli is “unnecessary” because the province already has similar legislation in place.

Scioli called for the provincial legislature to consider a bill that would bring provincial legislation in line with the national Emergency Law, Law 25.561. This law, which has been in place for ten years, allows the executive to make certain decisions directly during times of economic crisis. The governor’s Chief of Staff Alberto Pérez sent the proposed bill to the provincial legislature yesterday.

The national Emergency Law was passed in 2002 under former president Eduardo Duhalde, and has been renewed twice since, most recently in 2011. Scioli’s administration had hoped to use the Emergency Law as a pathway out of the financial crisis plaguing the province.

Writing to Pérez, Mariotto stated that the provincial government was already in compliance with Law 25.561, and had been for ten years, since the province passed Law 12.858 in February 2002. This provincial law is renewed along with the national law, which is currently valid through the end of 2013.

Mariotto’s letter was published this morning in Página/12. The relationship between the provincial governor and his vice governor is known to be strained.

In an interview this morning, Governor Scioli responded that the Law 12.858 “could be in force” and called for a report from provincial lawyers to determine whether the present legislation would be sufficient.

The law that Mariotto referenced – provincial Law 12.858 – does not bring the province into full compliance with the national law. Instead, it applies articles 8, 9, and 10 of the Law 25.561. These articles offer three courses of action for the government in times of economic emergency: all public contracts can be converted from dollars to pesos, the executive has the power to renegotiate relevant contracts, and the executive can order companies providing public services to continue with their contractual obligations.

Today is day two of the second round of protests in the province. State workers from a variety of sectors – including teachers, court officials, and public health workers – have organized a series of demonstrations against the decision to pay this period’s bi-annual bonuses in installments.

The Buenos Aires Supreme Court and the Legislature have both refused to recognize Scioli’s order to pay out the bi-annual bonuses in installments. Both bodies have ordered the full payment of their employees’ bi-annual bonuses this coming Monday.

Yesterday, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner stated that the Province of Buenos Aires is “privileged” amongst the provinces and has received $4 billion pesos from the federal government since 2003. Although she did not mention the Governor Scioli by name, she emphasized the importance of responsible administration of funds and alluded to the provincial leader.

In this morning’s interview with C5N, Scioli simply stated, “we have always recognized the importance of national investment in the province” and confirmed the figures presented by President Fernández.

The governor also said that the provincial government is attempting to pay the bi-annual bonuses ahead of the proposed installment schedule, and that some sectors of government workers will receive their bonuses more quickly than originally stated.

Several protests brought the city of Buenos Aires to a standstill last week. On Tuesday 26th June, protestors commemorated the ten year anniversary of the Avellaneda Massacre where two young men, Darío and Maxi were killed by police during a protest by the piqueteros demanding better living conditions at the peak of the social and economic crisis. On Wednesday 27th June, protestors began gathering in the morning in the Plaza de Mayo and around the Obelisk for what the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) hoped to be a 150,000 person demonstration in the afternoon. Photographers Diego Espinosa, Patricio Guillamón, and Patricio Murphy were on hand to cover the events.

The motorway stands empty at Puente Pueyrredón during the protest commemorating the ten year anniversary of the Avellaneda Massacre. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

The motorway is blocked off at Puente Pueyrredón. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

The students' union of the University of Buenos Aires protests at Puente Pueyrredón (Photo: Patricio Guillamón)

Piqueteros cut off Puente Pueyrredón. (Photo: Patricio Guillamón)

Choripan vendors set up shop in the center during the protests by CGT on Wednesday June 27. (Photo: Diego Espinosa)

A mother carries a sign saying 'Cristina I want to provide for my children, not yours' during the CGT protest. (Photo: Diego Espinosa)

Banners and protestors cut off the streets during the CGT protest. (Photo: Diego Espinosa)

A woman wears an involved protest banner during Wednesday's CGT protest. (Photo: Diego Espinosa)

The CGT protest fills up Plaza de Mayo. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

CGT protestors enjoy a festive afternoon. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

Wednesday's CGT protest fills Plaza de Mayo and the surrounding streets, bringing the city-centre to a standstill. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

CGT protestors set off coloured smoke bombs during Wednesday's protest. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

The CGT protest organized by Moyano brought the city-centre to a stand-still with their demands for income tax reform. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

Plaza de Mayo is filled with people and the skies above are filled with balloons and markers. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

Diagonal Norte is filled with protestors from Plaza de Mayo to the Obelisk. (Photo: Patricio Murphy)

In the face of escalating unrest, the Bolivian government reopened negotiations just before midnight yesterday with the thousands of police officers that have been striking in the country for over five days.

As of this morning, no solution has been reached.

On-going negotiations are focused on the protesting police officers’ central demand, an increase in monthly salary from 1,200 bolivianos (US$171) to 2,000 bolivianos (US$285).

The police officers on strike represent the lower levels of the Bolivian police force. This increase would make their salary equivalent to military officials of similar rank.

On Sunday, former representative of the protestors Edgar Ramos signed an agreement with Minister of the Interior Carlos Romero that would have seen a monthly salary increase of 220 bolivianos (US$31).

Yesterday, Police Director Victor Santos Maldonado called for protestors to accept this agreement and terminate strikes. The protestors, however, claimed that the agreement was made without consultation and selected new representation.

At last night’s negotiations, Esther Corzón appeared as leader of the protestors.

Sergeant Corzón stated, “We are ready for dialogue, we do not want confrontation,” as quoted by El Día.

The Ombudsman’s office has offered to mediate the negotiations.

Yesterday, over a thousand police officers and their wives marched in the streets of La Paz.

The protest escalated turning violent when police officers clashed with government supporters in the Plaza Murillo in La Paz. The police officers ultimately took control of the plaza.

Striking police officers have also burned documents and computers at the central intelligence agency and taken over buildings. The BBC reports that the on-going insecurity has forced some banks and businesses to remain closed.

The police officers are also calling for the creation of a Police Ombudsman, a pension raise to be equivalent to their salary, and for the removal of the law presently regulating the discipline of the Bolivian police.

Finally, they are requesting that police participants in the protests not be punished.

This list of demands was reduced yesterday with the change in protest representation. Earlier in the protests, demands also included improvements in infrastructure, uniforms, arms and life insurance.

Both President Morales and his vice president Álvaro García Linera have accused opposition of manipulating the protesting police officers in order to prompt a coup.

Nevertheless, the police, opposition, and UN officials have denied these claims.

Protests took place yesterday on the eve of the Group of 20 (G20) Summit, which began today in Los Cabos, in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Yesterday, thousands of representatives from different organizations marched through Mexico City to express their opposition to the G20 conference and the economic policies it represents.

Protestors denounced the role of neoliberal policies in the creation of social inequality and poverty throughout the world. Many citizens also used the march to express their rejection of current Mexican President Felipe Calderón, pointing to the rise in unemployment and the thousands of deaths due to organized crime that have taken place during his presidential term.

Another march of around 500 protestors took place in La Paz, which has become the headquarters for an international meeting of organizations and individuals determined to show their opposition to the economic, environmental, and social policies upheld by the G20. The Group of 20, the leaders of the most important industrialised and emerging economies, are meeting at a luxury beach resort in Los Cabos to discuss the most recent financial crisis. The majority of activists and organizations dedicated to opposing G20 policies were not allowed into Los Cabos due to security regulations established for the conference, but decided to carry out peaceful protests, forums, and workshops in the city of La Paz.

Some larger civil society organizations like Oxfam have expressed their concerns with the G20 to the press and in meetings with officials from participating governments. In an interview with CNN, Director of Oxfam Mexico Carlos Zarco asked that conference leaders think not only about how to rescue Greece and Spain, but to also think about long-term economic solutions that could help combat poverty in developing countries.

Two separate protests today have brought disruption to commuters in Buenos Aires.

The first, organised by staff of Emprendimientos Ferroviarios SA (EmFer), cuts off the road at Avenida Rivadavia and Reconquista, as well as at Avenida General Paz and Constituyentes.

EmFer, which belongs to the Cirigliano Group, is protesting the loss of the company’s service contracts on the Sarmiento and Mitre lines following the February train accident in Once in which 51 people died. The workers are demonstrating to defend the stability of their jobs.

The second protest is led by veterans of the Malvinas/Falklands War, which came to an end 30 years ago today. The veterans have also mobilised at Avenida Rivadavia, from Plaza Miserere to Congreso.

A final group has blocked off several lanes of Avenida Maipu, on the side of Vicente Lopez at the Saavedra Bridge.

Fighting between demonstrators and national police in the Cusco region yesterday left two people dead. Protestors claim this morning that four people have been killed in total since Monday during protests against the mining company Xstrata Copper.

The violence escalated yesterday when protestors tried to take over a camp of mining company workers in South Eastern district of Espinar.

Around 1,500 police guarding the camp fought off demonstrators, leaving two protestors dead and 15 injured, while more than 30 police were injured. Many buildings were burnt down.

Rudecindo Manuelo Puma, 27, died on the way to hospital in Espinar after being shot by a bullet in his heart. The other victim has yet to be identified.

“I want to investigate four deaths,” Óscar Mollohuanca, the Mayor of Espinar who led the demonstration, told Peruvian radio station Radio Programas. He added that police while had shot point blank at protestors, “we only used stones to defend ourselves when we were attacked.”

Official government reports contradict the mayor’s accusations, stating the police only used weapons in self-defence. Interior Minister Wilver Calle claimed that only two people have died in fighting so far. The government also claimed that 70 police have been injured in total.

After eight days of clashes in anti-mining protests, the Peruvian government has called for a state of emergency in the district of Espinar, Cusco Province. Oscar Valdes, the Peruvian prime minister, announced the state of emergency on the grounds that “it is no longer a peaceful demonstration, but one with extremists.”

The state of emergency will provide police with special powers for 30 days to restore peace, but also suspends the civil liberties of the people of Espinar. This is the second state of emergency since President Ollanta Humala took office 10 months ago.

Protestors claim that the Swiss company, Xstrata Copper, who are the fourth largest copper producer in the world, are harming the environment and do not provide enough for the local economy.