Argentine Mondays: September 11th, 2017

Welcome to Argentine Mondays, your Monday morning update on what happened in Argentina while you were otherwise engaged over the weekend.

Sit back and enjoy while the morning caffeine kicks in.

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Chiara Paéz femicide sentence

It was the femicide that tipped the balance and sparked the Ni Una Menos movement against gendered violence in 2015: the murder of 14-year-old Chiara Paéz, whose body was found in her boyfriend's patio and two months pregnant at the time of her death. On Saturday, said boyfriend Manuel Ignacio Mansilla was sentenced to 21 years in jail for the crime for which "he showed no signs of guilt or remorse," according to the judge for juveniles Javier Prado. Mansilla is now 19 and was found guilty of femicide in August last year.

Paéz’s parents have said that “there’s still some way to go” before there is justice for their daughter because there were four adults present at the time of the murder that have yet to answer for their actions, or lack thereof. They do consider the sentence, however, as good news.

Source: Infobae

Santiago Maldonado update

As the whereabouts of the 28-year-old protester Santiago Maldonado continue to be a complete mystery, the investigation into his disappearance is now turning towards gendarmería or Border Patrol as there are suspicions surrounding the information provided by the force — or lack thereof, as key footage is allegedly missing from the forceful eviction of the Mapuche protest where Maldonado was last seen.

Over the weekend, the federal judge in charge of the Maldonado case Guido Otranto spoke to the media for the first time, saying that the upcoming DNA results are "essential to see in what situation the gendarmes are in." This is in reference to the fact that 40 agents are expected to testify in the upcoming week: the DNA results of the hair and blood found in a gendarmería van will define whether they are interviewed as suspects or witnesses. Otranto also said that "all eyewitnesses of [Maldonado's alleged] capture [by Gendarmería] must come forward."

Milagro Sala

The jailed Tupac Amaru social leader Milagro Sala has made headlines once again, as she continues to give interviews questioning her house arrest and criticising the government. Over the weekend, she revealed that she was thinking of running against the governor of Jujuy, Gerardo Morales, who has been a political enemy for quite some time. However, Sala clarified that they should run "as equals," i.e. "not [her campaigning] from prison and [Morales] running everything in Jujuy."

Sala also alleged that Border Patrol is “stealing her electricity” to power their vans stationed outside while they stand guard. She has to present herself before them three times a day, along with the two daily medical visits — for which she has repeatedly questioned the use of the ankle monitor designed to keep her movements in check in the first place.

Some sports

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin del Potro’s time at the US Open came to a close on Friday night’s semi final against Rafael Nadal with a 4-6 6-0 6-3 6-2 defeat. Del Potro's stunning performance against Roger Federer last week was considered the antidote to the Argentine football team's sub-par performance against Venezuela. Nadal then went on to win the tournament.
The Argentine national rugby team los Pumas were beaten by the All Blacks after putting up a great fight: they were up in the first half by 16-15, but the New Zealanders finished the match with a 39-22 victory, leaving Argentina at the bottom of the table. Still better than the Argentina-Venezuela football match.

Maradona

The Hand of God is now on Instagram and its thumbs would seem to be very active, too. The football legend has uploaded 50 photos and videos in the past two days as well as hosting two live videos with 167,000 followers and counting. Follow Maradona for photos of football, Dubai and horses at @_diegomaradona_10.

What to look out for this week

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made history today after landing in Argentina, making him the first Israeli leader to visit the country. Aside from the political itinerary and press conferences, the next 48 hours are important to AM readers because there will be roadblocks across the city. Make sure to check them out before moving around!
As aforementioned, we are expecting DNA test results to come out this week regarding Santiago Maldonado and the search by Border Patrol in the area where he was last seen. This is not the last you'll read about the Santiago Maldonado case, for sure.
Tuesday in Congress may see the Lower House discuss a law on gender parity. Last year, both the Lower House and the Senate presented similar gender parity bills: the one set to be discussed on Tuesday is the one put forward by the Senate.
Also in Congress, the National Treasury Minister Nicolás Dujovne is set to present the 2018 National Budget on Friday, in keeping with the tradition of putting forward the bill on September 15th.