A storm which tore through the centre of the country yesterday left two dead and hundreds homeless. The provinces of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba were the worst hit by intense rains and high winds. In Gran Rosario, 200 were evacuated, with the number predicted to rise in the aftermath of the extreme weather.

Power cuts were seen in various towns and the swelling of the River Carcaña flooded a motorway near Córdoba. Trees fell, lampposts were torn down and rooftops were blown off, with granite rockslides also causing much damage. In the town of Capitán Bermudez, a man was electrocuted and killed when a power cable came loose, and in the town of Victoria in Entre Ríos a 25-year-old pregnant woman was killed by a tree falling on her home. In total, the area saw more than 100 homes affected and seven injured in the storm.

This heavy rainfall, with as much as 100mm falling in some areas, serves only to increase the problem of flooding in the provinces; in the region of Marcos Juárez in Córdoba it is estimated that almost 10,000 hectares are under water threatening agricultural production in the region.

At 8am today, the Weather Service ordered the cessation of the weather alert for Capital Federal, Buenos Aires province and the provinces of Córdoba, Entre Ríos, La Pampa and Santa Fe.

Buenos Aires province governor Daniel Scioli announced today that he will pay salaries and bonuses in two instalments, just days after confirming the payment would be rolled out in four payments. Scioli confirmed that the annual half bonus due for payment in July will be completed on 15^th August.

Scioli’s statement follows a meeting this morning between himself, Buenos Aires infrastructure minister Alejandro Arlía and the head of the provincial labour ministry, Oscar Cuartanga in La Plata. Scioli also met with the the Civil Workers union (UPCN), whose workers will receive the payments .

The union responded this morning by announcing on their website “governor Daniel Scioli has announced that the Buenos Aires state will pay provincial state workers the total of their remaining salary and bonus before the 15^th August.”

Last Friday, the government paid 25% of all state workers’ bonuses. The remaining 75% will be paid by the new August deadline.

Scioli had claimed in June that he would not have enough money to cover the payment of salaries and bonuses in the province. Despite being given $1bn by the national government, he claimed he needed a further $1.8bn to make payments on time.

Argentine workers receive an annual bonus, split into two installments across the year. The first of this year was due in June. The national government’s refusal to give more money to the province prompted Scioli to announce the payment of both salaries and bonuses across four segments, with the first paid on the 14^th July.

The announcement last week was followed by a 48 hour strike and teachers threatened not to begin classes until after the winter break. Pressure also mounted on Scioli following a demand from judge Luis Arias to pay the salary payments in one go.

A 24-hours strike called for by the Argentine Workers’ Union (CTA) began today due to conflict between state workers and the provincial government. These workers reject Provincial Governor Daniel Scioli’s decision to split the bi-annual bonuses (usually paid in the state workers’ June salary) into four separate instalments.

After the CTA announced the strike, they were joined by workers from several other unions, including the Association of State Workers (ATE) of Buenos Aires, the Judicial Association of Buenos Aires, and the Labor Association of Health Professionals of the Province of Buenos Aires (CICOP). The CTA-led actions also include protests at the Casa de Gobierno in La Plata and at the Casa de la Provincia in the city of Buenos Aires.

Actions expressing workers’ discontent with Scioli’s decision are expected to continue during the next few days. The Teachers’ Union of the Province of Buenos Aires (UDOCBA) has announced that they will lead a 48-hour strike beginning tomorrow. Other public education workers, like those associated with the Federation of Educators of Buenos Aires (FEB) and the Union of Education Workers (SUTEBA) have announced a 24-hour strike on Friday.

Leader of the SUTEBA Roberto Baradal stated in an interview with Radio Mitre that workers do not want to “negotiate” with the provincial government, but rather “demand that [the government] change its mind and turn this decision around.” In a statement today, the Association of State Workers (ATE) announced that many workers had adhered to the strike, because “state workers are showing that they are fed up” and that actions would escalate if the government did not reverse their decision.

Provincial elections recently took place in Chubut and Catamarca, but there have been accusations of corruption in the vote counting. With other provinces due to vote over the next few months, in the build-up to national elections in October, the Argentine population is wary of how the votes are held.

Regarding the elections in Chubut and provincial elections in general, a few people shared their opinions with the Argentina Independent, on Friday, just two days before the province of Salta also went to the polls.

Roberto Molino, 64, Parapsychologist, Congreso

“I think that the most important thing is that the person knows how to govern a region. Someone with social policies and financial plans, but this is very hard to find nowadays. The elections in Chubut don’t appear to have been conducted in an honest way, but hopefully they will be in Salta this weekend. I think that this is a political problem. I am nor sure about elsewhere, but the governors here act for their own personal interests, not the wider social interests. If you are a governor, you have to think about all the things that people need, such as social issues, finances, education and health. Argentina is a great country, that has everything, from the north to the south, but for many years the governors have failed to use this for the benefit of everyone.”

Jorge Martín, 56, Banker, Ramos Mejía

“It seems as if the election in Chubut was very close, because the results are still not certain, but the impression has been created that the provincial government has been involved in fraud, by manipulating the count. I think that it is a problem with this recent election, not a widespread one. These provincial elections are important because they are part of the build-up to the national elections, like steps.”

Génesis Pilla, 18, Student, Gonzalez Chávez

“This year I am going to vote for the first time. We all have the right, indeed the obligation, to vote and that is good. It is important that we do this minimum, because every vote counts. However, it should be done correctly, not like in Chubut. I have confidence in the process, although not complete confidence. It is a very bad story, what occurred in Chubut. I hope that this does not occur in all the provinces. It could happen, maybe even probably it will happen, but I hope not. It would be a regression in the democratic process, while we are trying to consolidate it.”

Maria-Louisa Lezana, 60, Cleaner, Avellaneda

“We can all have our opinions, but they do what they want. Have you seen the state of this country? This week, one can not take a bus, the hospitals are on strike, it is a disaster. I am no expert in politics, but in all my years, I have never seen a situation like what we have today. It is catastrophic. I think that this is the best country in the world, but the people in charge, the governors of the provinces, do not serve it. I do not understand what is happening in Chubut. The truth is that I have not voted in 15 years, neither in provincial nor national elections. They told me that when I try to get hold of my DNI I would be fined for not voting, and I was prepared to pay this fine, because I do not want to be a part of this corruption. They do not ask for our opinion of what they do. When I went for my new DNI, they did not say anything. There was no fine or anything. I went with the money to pay, because I did not vote, because I never relate to any of the candidates. None of them serve for the people.”

Hernán Pinerda, 24, Carpenter, Partido de Malvinas Argentinas

“I do not have much confidence in the system now, but we do not have other options. For example, the events in Chubut, destroy confidence. I have my candidate and I will vote, but many people do not believe in the system, they do not have faith in any of the candidates and so they will not vote. They do not want to vote for any of them, because they all appear to be the same.”

Photos by Melissa Riggall