The scene after the assassination of Martín Luis Paz (photo: José Granata/Télam/ef)
Drug Gang Leaders and Policemen Prosecuted: A court in Rosario prosecuted 35 people allegedly involved in drug trafficking operations in the province of Santa Fe, including 14 members of the security forces. The accused were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, and include members of the ‘Los Monos’ drug cartel -some of them members of the Cantero family- as well as 12 Santa Fe police officers, one federal police officer, and one coast guard officer. The 500-page ruling released today comes after an 18-month long investigation into the murder of Martín ‘Fantasma’ Paz, believed to have been killed by members of Los Monos, which has also exposed alleged links between drug traffickers and police officers. Carlos Varela, defence attorney for various members of the Cantero family, said that they will appeal the prosecutions.
New Centre for Victims of Trafficking in Tucumán: The Defence Ministry will transfer the building of a former military hospital in Tucumán to the María de los Angeles Foundation, which will set up a care centre for children of victims of people trafficking or gender violence. The agreement was reached yesterday between Defence Minister Agustín Rossi and the head of the Foundation, Susana Trimarco, during a meeting. A statement by the Defence Ministry indicates that, during the meeting, Trimarco “explained the need to create a space to contain and care for the children of survivors of people trafficking, of women who are subject to prostitution, or who have been victims of any gender violence related crime.” In response, Minister Rossi “committed to carrying out the necessary procedures for the ex Military Hospital in Tucumán to be refit in order to house a new assistance centre by the María de los Angeles Foundation.” The contract, which will stipulate the conditions of the loan for use, will be signed within 20 days.
Government Calls Teachers to Negotiate Wages: Chief of Cabinet Jorge Capitanich announced today that collective wage negotiations for teachers will begin on Friday 21st February. Capitanich highlighted that “the national state is not an employer, therefore it established the beginning of wage negotiations to set the initial wage for the 2014 school year.” In effect, the national negotiation will establish a minimum that will have to be respected in future provincial wage negotiations. Sergio Romero, spokesman for the Argentine Teachers’ Union, told Infobae that he hopes to achieve a positive result from the negotiations with the government, but warned that the union is willing to execute an “action plan”, which would include strikes, if they cannot reach an agreement. According to Romero, “no teacher should earn less than $5,500 per month.”