Latest news with #Adorni
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Argentina's Javier Milei closes agencies for roads, road safety
AP Image BUENOS AIRES: Argentine President Javier Milei's government on Monday announced fresh cuts to public spending, one day before the expiration of special powers granted by Congress. State agencies in charge of roads and highways will be shuttered to make way for a new entity created to oversee private road construction, government spokesman Manuel Adorni said, without specifying if layoffs would ensue. The government "will open bidding for 9,120 kilometres (5,667 miles) of roads," Adorni said. The measures were announced one day before special powers Congress granted Milei for one year are set to expire. The administration has said it will not seek an extension of those powers, which enabled the executive branch of government to take actions usually reserved for Congress. Some 65 measures enacted during this period "represent savings of $2 billion annually," the spokesman said. Milei, a self-declared "anarcho-capitalist," came to power in December 2023 wielding a chainsaw as a symbol of his plan to restore fiscal discipline and rein in inflation. He has since slashed public spending, yanked subsidies, halted public works and dismissed tens of thousands of public employees. Milei's order to close three agencies overseeing road maintenance and construction, traffic, and road safety will be published in the government gazette on Tuesday, Adorni said. A separate government statement on Monday announced the restructuring of seven state agencies, including institutes devoted to industrial and agricultural technology. Their functions will be brought under the Ministry of Economy. Workers at both institutes protested Monday, resulting in clashes with police. Last year, Argentina recorded its first budget surplus in a decade, and monthly inflation reached its lowest rate in five years at 1.5 percent in May. But the collateral damage has been a loss of purchasing power, jobs, and consumer spending. For months, Argentine citizens bearing the brunt of the cuts have mounted a weekly march on Wednesdays to protest the austerity measures, amid a heavy security presence.
The Sun
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Argentina says Russian spy ring promoted disinformation
BUENOS AIRES: Argentina said it has detected Russian spies operating in the country to promote Moscow's interests through disinformation campaigns and fake news. Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni said intelligence officers identified an organisation called 'The Company,' allegedly linked to Russia's government and Project Lakhta, which the United States says is a Moscow-based operation conducting political interference. Russian citizen Lev Konstantinovich Andriashvili, based in Argentina, allegedly headed the organisation with his wife Irina Yakovenko, also a Russian. Both were responsible for 'receiving financing and promoting links with local collaborators,' Adorni said in a statement Wednesday. The group's goal was 'to form a group of people loyal to Russia's interests' to carry out disinformation campaigns against the Argentine state, the spokesman added. The Russian spy network created and disseminated content on social media, influencing local civil organizations and NGOs, developing focus groups with Argentine citizens and obtaining political information for Russia, he added. 'Argentina will not be subjected to the influence of any other nation,' Adorni said, adding that 'the safety of Argentines is not a secondary matter.' According to the US Treasury Department, Project Lakhta is a Russian disinformation campaign targeting audiences in the United States, Europe, Ukraine and even Russia itself.
Epoch Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Argentina Tightens Borders and Benefits for Foreigners in Immigration Policy Shake-Up
Argentina has issued an emergency decree tightening its immigration policies, including those regarding foreigners with criminal convictions and the use of the country's public health system by nonresidents. Argentinian President Javier Milei's office announced the changes on May 14, with presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni detailing the changes at a press conference at the Casa Rosada. 'Since a long time, we have had regulations that invite chaos and abuse by many opportunists who are far from coming to this country honestly to build a prosperous future,' Adorni The presidential statement The decree establishes that no foreigner who has been convicted of a crime will be allowed to enter the country and that those who commit crimes will be deported. The changes also establish the requirement of medical insurance as a condition of entering Argentina. The changes also include stricter restrictions on obtaining Argentine residency, the end of free medical care for foreigners in public hospitals, and the implementation of a fee for nonresident foreign students. Related Stories 2/5/2025 10/3/2024 Adorni said the country's immigration policies allowed 1.7 million foreigners to enter illegally over the past 20 years. He noted that Argentina's previous policy 'was too permissive with those who enter legally' regarding people convicted of a crime. Regarding medical care for nonresident foreigners, he said that their free access will be ended 'in order to guarantee the sustainability of the public health system,' while 'payment for health services will be required for temporary and irregular residents.' The deputy chief of staff of the interior, Lisandro Catalán, Adorni said the country's universities will be able to charge tuition fees to foreign students who are temporary residents if they decide to do so on the basis of their autonomous status. The Argentine government also tightened its requirements for obtaining Argentine citizenship. Foreigners who wish to obtain a citizenship card will have to reside continuously in the country for two years, prove sufficient means of livelihood, and demonstrate that they have no criminal record. It stated that those who make a significant investment in the country will be eligible for Argentine citizenship. The changes to the country's immigration policy will come into effect once they are published in the Official Gazette in the coming days, according to the EFE news agency.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Argentina orders immigration crackdown with new decree to 'make Argentina great again'
Argentina 's right-wing President Javier Milei issued a decree on Wednesday curbing immigration to the South American nation, a move coinciding with the immigration restrictions put in place by the Trump administration. Milei's abrupt measures and declaration that newcomers were bringing "chaos and abuse" to Argentina - a country built by millions of immigrants that has long prided itself on its openness - drew criticism from his political opponents and prompted comparisons to US President Donald Trump . Milei's government welcomed those comparisons to its close American ally, with presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni saying it was "time to honor our history and make Argentina great again." Wednesday's executive order tightens restrictions on citizenship, requiring immigrants to spend two uninterrupted years in Argentina or make a significant financial investment in the country to secure an Argentine passport . (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Immigrants seeking permanent residency must show proof of income or "sufficient means" and have clean criminal records in their home countries. Live Events The decree makes it much easier for the government to deport migrants who enter the country illegally, falsify their immigration documents or commit minor crimes in Argentina. Previously, authorities could only expel or deny entry to a foreigner with a conviction of more than three years. It also asks the judiciary to fast-track otherwise lengthy immigration court proceedings. "For some time now, we've had regulations that invite chaos and abuse by many opportunists who are far from coming to this country in an honest way," Adorni told reporters. The presidential spokesperson is also the top candidate for Milei's La Libertad Avanza party in the key Buenos Aires legislative elections on Sunday. Their hard-right bloc is trying to win over conservative voters from Argentina's center-right in the high-stakes midterm-election year. That timing fueled criticism, especially as the country has seen no recent surge of migration. Argentina's most recent national census, from 2022, showed that the nation of 46 million had just 1.93 million foreign residents - the lowest share of immigrants since record-keeping began in 1869. "Once again, politicizing migration for electoral purposes and distorting reality," Pablo Ceriani Cernadas, vice president of a UN committee that protects the rights of migrants, wrote on social media. In a big shift, the new decree also charges foreigners to access Argentina's public health care and education while mandating that all travelers to the country hold health insurance. Adorni claimed that public hospitals had spent some $100 million on treating foreigners last year, without offering evidence. "This measure aims to guarantee the sustainability of the public health system, so that it ceases to be a profit center financed by our citizens," he said. Despite bouts of xenophobia in moments of political turmoil, immigration is rarely a matter of debate in Argentina, a nation largely developed by waves of European immigrants in the 19th century. In more recent years the country has welcomed foreigners across the region, the Arab world, Asia and, lately, Russia, offering newcomers a path to citizenship and ensuring their free access the nation's extensive and decent public education and health systems. Public universities and hospitals are now buckling under Milei's sharp spending cuts as he seeks to reverse years of massive budget deficits. Adorni said the decree allows universities to introduce fees for foreign students. Right-wing politicians long have railed against what Adorni described Wednesday as "health tours," in which patients hop over the border and get treatment before returning home. Already, several northern provinces and the city of Buenos Aires have started charging non-resident foreigners to access health care.
15-05-2025
- Politics
Argentina orders immigration crackdown with new decree to 'make Argentina great again'
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentina's right-wing President Javier Milei issued a decree on Wednesday curbing immigration to the South American nation, a move coinciding with the immigration restrictions put in place by the Trump administration. Milei's abrupt measures and declaration that newcomers were bringing 'chaos and abuse' to Argentina — a country built by millions of immigrants that has long prided itself on its openness — drew criticism from his political opponents and prompted comparisons to U.S. President Donald Trump. Milei's government welcomed those comparisons to its close American ally, with presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni saying it was 'time to honor our history and make Argentina great again." Wednesday's executive order tightens restrictions on citizenship, requiring immigrants to spend two uninterrupted years in Argentina or make a significant financial investment in the country to secure an Argentine passport. Immigrants seeking permanent residency must show proof of income or 'sufficient means' and have clean criminal records in their home countries. The decree makes it much easier for the government to deport migrants who enter the country illegally, falsify their immigration documents or commit minor crimes in Argentina. Previously, authorities could only expel or deny entry to a foreigner with a conviction of more than three years. It also asks the judiciary to fast-track otherwise lengthy immigration court proceedings. 'For some time now, we've had regulations that invite chaos and abuse by many opportunists who are far from coming to this country in an honest way,' Adorni told reporters. The presidential spokesperson is also the top candidate for Milei's La Libertad Avanza party in the key Buenos Aires legislative elections on Sunday. Their hard-right bloc is trying to win over conservative voters from Argentina's center-right in the high-stakes midterm-election year. That timing fueled criticism, especially as the country has seen no recent surge of migration. Argentina's most recent national census, from 2022, showed that the nation of 46 million had just 1.93 million foreign residents — the lowest share of immigrants since record-keeping began in 1869. 'Once again, politicizing migration for electoral purposes and distorting reality,' Pablo Ceriani Cernadas, vice president of a U.N. committee that protects the rights of migrants, wrote on social media. In a big shift, the new decree also charges foreigners to access Argentina's public health care and education while mandating that all travelers to the country hold health insurance. Adorni claimed that public hospitals had spent some $100 million on treating foreigners last year, without offering evidence. 'This measure aims to guarantee the sustainability of the public health system, so that it ceases to be a profit center financed by our citizens,' he said. Despite bouts of xenophobia in moments of political turmoil, immigration is rarely a matter of debate in Argentina, a nation largely developed by waves of European immigrants in the 19th century. In more recent years the country has welcomed foreigners across the region, the Arab world, Asia and, lately, Russia, offering newcomers a path to citizenship and ensuring their free access the nation's extensive and decent public education and health systems. Public universities and hospitals are now buckling under Milei's sharp spending cuts as he seeks to reverse years of massive budget deficits. Adorni said the decree allows universities to introduce fees for foreign students. Right-wing politicians long have railed against what Adorni described Wednesday as 'health tours,' in which patients hop over the border and get treatment before returning home.
