Argentina Senate Votes Down Bill Barring Former Leader Kirchner
Argentina's Congress rejected a bill authored by President Javier Milei Wednesday, leaving open the possibility that former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner could again run for the nation's top office.
Senators voted for the bill 36 votes to 35, just short of the 37 needed to pass, with no abstentions, after the lower house approved the same bill in February. Known locally as ficha limpia, or 'clean slate,' the bill would have effectively barred Fernandez de Kirchner and others convicted of corruption charges from running for or being appointed to any national office.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Milei says Argentina to move embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2026
Argentinian President Javier Milei has announced that his country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem next year, as the populist leader signalled his support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's increasingly isolated government. Argentina's embassy is currently located in Herzliya, just outside Tel Aviv. But in a speech to Israel's parliament on Wednesday, staunchly pro-Israel Milei said he was 'proud to announce' his country will move its 'embassy to the city of west Jerusalem' in 2026. 'Argentina stands by you in these difficult days,' Milei said. 'Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about a large part of the international community that is being manipulated by terrorists and turning victims into perpetrators,' he told the Knesset. The Argentinian leader, currently on his second state visit to Israel since taking office in 2023, said Buenos Aires will continue to demand that Israeli captives held in Gaza be released, including four with Argentinian citizenship taken during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack. Milei also criticised Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who was detained and deported by Israeli authorities this week after being taken with other activists from a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship attempting to break Israel's naval blockade on Gaza. Thunberg has been a vocal critic of Israel's war crimes in Gaza and deliberate starvation of the territory's Palestinian population. '[Thunberg] became a hired gun for a bit of media attention, claiming that she was kidnapped when there are really hostages in subhuman conditions in Gaza,' Milei said, according to a translation of his remarks from Spanish provided by the Knesset. Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with the overall death toll after more than 20 months of war surpassing 55,000 had pledged to move Argentina's embassy during his first visit in February 2024, in which he also prayed at the Western Wall, a revered religious site for Jews in Jerusalem. Speaking in advance of Milei's address to parliament this week, Prime Minister Netanyahu said 'the city of Jerusalem will never be divided again'. The status of Jerusalem is one of the most delicate issues in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, with Israel claiming the entirety of the ancient city as its capital, while Palestine claims its occupied eastern sector as the site of any future Palestinian state. Israel first occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War, before unilaterally annexing it in 1980 in a move rejected by the United Nations Security Council. Due to its disputed status, the vast majority of the 96 diplomatic missions present in Israel host their embassies in the Tel Aviv area to avoid interfering with peace negotiations. Currently only six countries – Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and the United States – have embassies located in West Jerusalem. During his first term in 2017, President Donald Trump made the shock decision to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital before moving the US embassy there a year later, prompting Palestinian anger and the international community's disapproval. This status was not revoked under the Biden administration and Washington continues to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital today.
Washington Post
6 hours ago
- Washington Post
Colombia's president bypasses lawmakers and issues decree to let voters decide on labor reform
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday bypassed legislative opposition and signed a decree summoning voters to the polls in August to decide changes to the country's labor laws, including whether workdays should be limited to eight hours. The decree fulfilled Petro's threat to Congress to put his labor system overhaul before voters should senators not approve the 12-question referendum themselves. He issued the measure in a tense political climate following the Saturday shooting of opposition senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay during a public event. The referendum has become the crux of long-running tensions between the executive and legislative branches. After Congress rejected Petro's labor reform twice , most recently in March, he sent lawmakers a 12-question referendum proposal on May 1 as Colombian law requires that the Senate rule on the advisability of referendums. The legislative body two weeks later voted 49-47 against the measure, prompting Petro to accuse lawmakers of fraud. Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, has accused Congress of working against the interest of workers and has asked them to demonstrate across the country. The referendum's questions include whether workers should receive double pay if they work during holidays; whether daytime workdays should end at 6 p.m.; and whether open-ended contracts should be offered to workers to prioritize job stability. The disagreements between Petro and Congress date back to the start of his term in 2022, but they have heightened as he seeks to consolidate his legacy ahead of next year's legislative and presidential elections. Uribe remained in critical condition Wednesday following his shooting in broad daylight Saturday during a political rally in the capital, Bogota. Authorities investigating the motive have not ruled out the possibility that it was a targeted attack on the opposition. They are also considering whether it was an attempt to destabilize the current government, or retaliation by illegal armed groups. In anticipation of court challenges, Petro on Wednesday said his government will send the decree to Colombia's Constitutional Court for review. At the same time, the Council of State is considering a lawsuit seeking to annul the Senate's vote.
Associated Press
6 hours ago
- Associated Press
Colombia's president bypasses lawmakers and issues decree to let voters decide on labor reform
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday bypassed legislative opposition and signed a decree summoning voters to the polls in August to decide changes to the country's labor laws, including whether workdays should be limited to eight hours. The decree fulfilled Petro's threat to Congress to put his labor system overhaul before voters should senators not approve the 12-question referendum themselves. He issued the measure in a tense political climate following the Saturday shooting of opposition senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay during a public event. The referendum has become the crux of long-running tensions between the executive and legislative branches. After Congress rejected Petro's labor reform twice, most recently in March, he sent lawmakers a 12-question referendum proposal on May 1 as Colombian law requires that the Senate rule on the advisability of referendums. The legislative body two weeks later voted 49-47 against the measure, prompting Petro to accuse lawmakers of fraud. Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, has accused Congress of working against the interest of workers and has asked them to demonstrate across the country. The referendum's questions include whether workers should receive double pay if they work during holidays; whether daytime workdays should end at 6 p.m.; and whether open-ended contracts should be offered to workers to prioritize job stability. The disagreements between Petro and Congress date back to the start of his term in 2022, but they have heightened as he seeks to consolidate his legacy ahead of next year's legislative and presidential elections. Uribe remained in critical condition Wednesday following his shooting in broad daylight Saturday during a political rally in the capital, Bogota. Authorities investigating the motive have not ruled out the possibility that it was a targeted attack on the opposition. They are also considering whether it was an attempt to destabilize the current government, or retaliation by illegal armed groups. In anticipation of court challenges, Petro on Wednesday said his government will send the decree to Colombia's Constitutional Court for review. At the same time, the Council of State is considering a lawsuit seeking to annul the Senate's vote.
