Hundreds of People Evacuated Due to Heavy Rain: At least 2,000 people had to be evacuated today as torrential rains hit the province of Buenos Aires. A woman died after being dragged by the water of a creek which had burst is banks in the Greater Buenos Aires district of Almirante Brown, where over 100 people were evacuated. A similar number of people had to be evacuated in Berisso, near La Plata, and around 60 in Luján due to flooding. The towns of San Nicolás, San Pedro, Arrecifes, and Ramallo are also amongst the worst affected, according to Infobae. In the capital, several neighbourhoods flooded, over 100 traffic lights stopped working, and subtes and trains suffered delays and service suspensions throughout the day. In the neighbourhood of Villa Lugano, a service station was struck by lightning, causing a small fire that was quickly put out by firefighters.
Consumers Boycott Supermarkets in Protest at Price Hikes: Groups of consumers today took part in a collective boycott of supermarkets and petrol stations in protest at recent price hikes. The movement, named ’7F Apagon al consumo’ (consumer ‘black out’), was shared by thousands on Twitter and Facebook since being created last weekend, though there are no reliable measures of how many people took part today. The president of the Union of Consumers in Argentina, Fernando Blanco Muiño, today supported the measure, saying it was “educational” for consumers. “It is important to make consumers aware of they power they have to unite under a single banner and form a social front against the abuses of economic powers,” Muiño told Télam.
In a separate measure, the director of the Federation of Chinese Supermarkets and Associations in Argentina, Miguel Angel Calvete, announced today that over 1,100 Chinese-owned supermarkets in Greater Buenos Aires and Rosario would boycott meat suppliers until next Tuesday to protest “excessive” price increases.
Policemen Prosecuted Over Drug Trafficking Links: Eight policemen and an informant were prosecuted in Córdoba yesterday due to alleged links with drug trafficking organisations. They have been accused of seizing drug shipments from drug trafficking groups and handing them over to rival gangs. Two of the officers involved are the former heads of the Anti-Drug Trafficking Division of the Córdoba police between 2009 and 2013. The on-going investigation into the relationship between policemen and drug traffickers has already caused a former security minister and police chief to resign.
Vice-President Boudou Submitted Statement Over Ciccone Case: Vice-President Amado Boudou appeared before a judge today over the Ciccone case. After prosecutor Jorge Di Lello requested Boudou be called in to declare yesterday, the vice-president decided to spontaneously appear before the judge and submit two statements detailing his position. In one of the statements, Boudou said that “the process of lifting Ciccone Calcográfica S.A.’s bankruptcy and the payment plan [awarded to it] was the product of a judicial decision, on one hand, and of the discretionary faculties of the head of [tax agency] AFIP.” According to his lawyer, Boudou “will face the court like any other citizen”, rather than requesting immunity due to his elected position. This morning, Chief of Cabinet Jorge Capitanich defended the vice-president and said he is being the victim of a “media lynching”.
The post Argentina News Roundup: 7th February 2014 appeared first on The Argentina Independent.