Human rights organisations joined civil society outside the Masacre de la Carcova trial in San Martín. (Photo: Gustavo Amarelle/Télam/lz)
‘Masacre de La Carcova’ Trial Begins: The trial against Buenos Aires Province policemen Gustavo Rey and Gustavo Vega opened today in San Martín, Greater Buenos Aires. The pair are accused of having killed two teenagers who they believed were involved in the looting of a train than had derailed in La Carcova, José León Suárez in 2011. Franco Almirón and Mauricio Ramos, aged 16 and 17, were both killed in the incident on 3rd February 2011, and their friend Joaquín Romero, 19, was seriously injured. The police are also accused of covering up the killings. Investigations by the Centre for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) human rights organisation unveiled that on the day of the incident, the three friends were riding their bikes to look for cardboard in the nearby CEAMSE rubbish dump and had stopped to see what had happened as the train had derailed. When they tried to get close to the train, officers responded disproportionately by shooting at them. Romero was injured, and Almirón and Ramos took cover behind a pile of junk. But after a tear gas cannon was fired they were forced out of their cover, and were both shot fatally whilst attempting to flee the scene. CELS, whose investigation revealed the police cover-up, has called for a case to be opened into the officers’ disproportionate response to the lootings and also that more senior officials, likely to have given the orders to the policemen to use deadly force, also be charged. The trial is expected to last until 11th March.
Western Union Announces Changes to Ease Money Sending: The local subsidiary of Western Union has increased the amount of money it is possible to send to some countries from $1,150 per month to $4000 – or US$500 – per day. The countries included are the United States, Canada and the rest of Latin America. However, tighter restrictions remain for those wanting to send money to other continents, who are limited to $1,800 per day. Tourists and foreigners living temporarily in Argentina will not be able to use the new system, and are advised to go to the tax office AFIP to send or receive money. Argentines and permanent residents must take a photocopy of their CUIT or CUIL and a copy of their DNI. Those wishing to send money will have to pay 35% commission on the value of the money being sent, which would mean a cost of $10.90 per dollar, higher than the official exchange rate, which is hovering around $8, but lower than the ‘blue’, which is nearer $12.
Man Forced to Pay Damages for Leaving Pregnant Ex: The Supreme Court of Corrientes province has ruled that a man must pay damages to his former partner for the “moral damage” he inflicted after suddenly leaving her while she was pregnant. The ruling sets a new precedent in the province, although judges Guillermo Horacio Semhan, Fernando Augusto Niz and Juan Carlos Codello have yet to calculate the level of damages that will be awarded. In their decision, they highlighted that the woman “spent the entire pregnancy without the company or spiritual support of the progenitor”, and that the man had demonstrated “abandonment, denial of paternity, irresponsibility, and bad faith”. They highlighted that these were things suffered by the mother, and that their daughter was not the victim in this case.
The post Argentina News Roundup: 20th February 2014 appeared first on The Argentina Independent.