The accused sit in court on the first day of the Once train crash trial (photo: Gustavo Amarelle/Télam/lz)
Once Train Crash Trial Begins: The trial for the Once train crash, which killed 51 people and left 700 injured on 22nd February 2012, began today in Buenos Aires. The tragedy occurred when the train, whose working brakes were not activated, entered its final station of Once at 26 kmph, hitting the buffers at the end of the line, crushing the motor carriage and following two carriages. The accident occurred at 8.30am and around 1,000 people were on board the eight-carriage train. Among the 29 accused are the two former national transport secretaries, Ricardo Jaime and Juan Pablo Schiavi, as well as the train driver, Marcos Córdoba, and various businessmen and officials. All of the accused could receive sentences of of up to six years in prison for “defrauding the public administration” and ”culpable damage”. Some 380 witnesses will be called during the course of the trial, which is expected to last up to a year.
Child Labour Uncovered in Corrientes: The Corrientes regional delegation of the Ministry of Labour (MTSS) has uncovered child labour in horticultural production fields. The discovery came after an operation by the MTSS on Friday, in an area some 235km from the provincial capital, in Colonia Esteban Martínez y Lavalle. Justo Zapponi, the regional delegate of the MTSS, said that child labour was a violation of article 148 bis of the penal code, and as such the corresponding criminal charges have been brought. According to the International Labour Organisation, 60% of the world’s child labourers between the ages of 5 and 17 work in agriculture. In Argentina, an estimated 450,000 children and adolescents under the age of 17 are working, and some 366,245 are between the ages of 5 and 14.
Unasur Summit Closes in Buenos Aires: Today, the Regional Meeting for the Exchange of Good Practices for Access to Justice closed in Buenos Aires. Representatives from the Unasur countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela met in the Argentine capital to advocate for access to fair justice for all, ratifying their commitment to the integration in justice and security in South America. The event was organised by Argentina’s Ministry for Justice and Human Rights and was an exchange of public policies, particularly in the areas of gender violence and the role of the State as guarantor of access to judicial information and alternatives for conflict resolution for vulnerable populations.