Martín Sabbatella, director of AFSCA, the organisation in charge of implementing the media law. (Photo – Wikimedia Commons)
AFSCA Approves Clarín Compliance Plan: The Federal Administration of Audiovisual Communication (AFSCA) announced today the approval of the divestment plan presented by Grupo Clarín last November, a requirement to comply with the media law. According to the plan, the company will be divided into six independent business units which will keep the conglomerate’s existing TV, cable TV, and radio licences. The media group will now have 30 days to inform whether it will divide these units amongst its shareholders or sell some of them, and 180 days to fully execute the divestment plan. “We are pleased to have got this result: that all media groups, even the most powerful and dangerous for democracy, have to abide by the law,” said head of AFSCA Martín Sabbatella. Another large media group, Grupo Uno, and other smaller groups also had their proposals approved today and will have to carry them out under similar terms. AFSCA is yet to approve the plans presented by Telefé-Telefónica, Telecentro, and Prisa-Radio Continental.
Argentina to Lodge Final Appeal before US Supreme Court: With private negotiations still underway, the Argentine government will today file an appeal before the US Supreme Court on the case against the so-called ‘vulture funds’. This time, Argentina will be represented by former US Solicitor General Paul Clement, who will join the existing legal team. The country is appealing a sentence that orders the state to pay holdouts US$1.3bn, on the grounds that re-opening the debt swap -as the government has proposed- would satisfy the pari passu clause, according to which all bondholders must be treated equally, as demanded by the previous rulings. Whilst the government has expressed optimism regarding its chances, especially with the incorporation of Clement to the legal team, it continues to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the holdouts. If the Supreme Court decides to review the case, it could take up to a year to reach a final verdict. If it rules against Argentina, the country would enter a ‘technical default’.
Judges to be Tried for Crimes Against Humanity: A landmark human rights trial began today in Mendoza, where four judges are facing charges for their alleged complicity with crimes against humanity committed during the last military dictatorship. A total of 38 people are being prosecuted by the federal court in Mendoza, including judges Luis Miret and Otilio Romano. This ‘mega-trial’ brings together a dozen cases involving 207 victims of human rights abuses and is being conducted via video conference, since many of the accused are in different parts of the country, such as Tucumán, Buenos Aires, and Rosario. The importance of this trial, highlighted prosecutor Dante Vega, lies on the fact that it is starting to try the civilian component of the last dictatorship. “And this is so because it’s impossible to think about state terrorism without [taking into account] the role that the judiciary played. The hypothesis of the prosecution is the complicity of the judicial structure with state terrorism, and we’re going to try and prove this during the trial.” It is expected that 660 witnesses will be called to testify, and that the trial will last at least 18 months.
The post Argentina News Roundup: 17th February 2014 appeared first on The Argentina Independent.