Long lines of commuters wait for the bus (photo: Carlos Brigo/Telam/dsl)
Buenos Aires Bus Drivers Go On Strike: The bus drivers’ union, UTA, called for a strike today between noon and midnight in the City and Greater Buenos Aires. Roberto Fernández, Secretary General of UTA, announced the measure this morning, after the death of a bus driver in the Greater Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Villa Madero. “We can no longer stand the daily insecurity in our work,” said Fernández, explaining that “we’re going on strike so that authorities will finally protect bus drivers as they should.” The 22 year old driver from the 56 bus line was shot last night when he got caught in a shootout between two thieves and a police officer. The strike affects the service of bus lines that circulate both in the city and the province, whilst those that begin and end their route within the city are not affected. The commute has been further complicated by intense rain, and users have reported delays in some subte lines, such as the D line.
Bus lines that circulate both in the city and province: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 32, 33, 36, 37, 41, 45, 46, 49, 50, 51, 53, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63, 67, 68, 70, 71, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 80, 85, 86, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 100, 101, 104, 105, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 117, 123, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 133, 134, 135, 136, 140, 141, 143, 146, 148, 150, 152, 153, 154, 158, 160, 161, 168, 169, 172, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 184, 185, 188, 193, 194, and 195.
Rosario Drug Lord Sentenced to Two Years in Prison: One of the leaders of the Rosario drug trafficking gang ‘Los Monos’, Ariel ‘Guille’ Cantero, was sentenced to two years in prison for possession of firearms. The two-year suspended sentence will be appealed, confirmed Canteros’ lawyer, Carlos Varela. Cantero was arrested in June last year and was prosecuted last month, together with 35 other people (including 12 police officers), for heading a drug-related criminal organisation accused of having committed murders, threats, and other violent acts.
First University Modelling Degree: The University of Palermo (UP) will offer Latin America’s first professional modelling degree from April. The one-year diploma will aim at developing students’ “full personal potential, not just the physical and artistic side, but also their intellectual capabilities, which is what will make them professional models,” said the programme’s General Director, Argentine top model Valeria Mazza. The programme will be divided into two cycles of four workshops each, called ‘Practising to model’ and ‘Knowing to model’. Oscar Echevarría, Dean of the Faculty of Design and Communication, explained that it is the inclusion a theory component that makes this programme “unique”. “There isn’t a programme like this in the whole continent,” said Echevarría. Classes will begin on 21st April.