Buenos Aires News: Edition 12

The biggest news by far in the past week is that Argentina has approved gay marriage, making it the first country in Latin America to do so. The bill was passed by the senate after much debate and opposition by the Catholic church in the country. It is expected to be signed into law shortly.  Gay couples now have the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts, including the right to adopt children. The passing of this bill makes Argentina one of the most liberal countries in the world and is sure to enhance its reputation for being a gay-friendly tourist destination.

Argentina legalizes gay marriage [Los Angeles Times]
Argentina on Thursday became the first nation in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage, turning aside protests from the Roman Catholic Church to give gay couples the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts.

Doctor: Maradona OK and mulling choices [USA Today]
Maradona’s doctor said Monday the Argentina coach was doing well and had not slipped back into using drugs and alcohol since his team was eliminated from the World Cup with a 4-0 loss to Germany in the quarterfinals. (whew!).

Garbage Disposal an Overpowering Problem in Buenos Aires [Latin American Herald Tribune]
Buenos Aires has no idea what to do with its garbage – at least that seems to be the gist of the current controversy about what to do with all the trash in the Argentine capital, whose city dumps could collapse in two years from the increasing amount of waste it churns out.

Argentine ‘dirty war’ general gets life sentence [Associated Press]
Some of the most notorious figures of Argentina’s “dirty war” were convicted Thursday of kidnapping, torturing and murdering 22 people at the beginning of the 1976-1983 military dictatorship when the country cracked down on leftist dissent.

Argentina gay marriage row serves broader government aim [Washington Post]
Argentina’s government is fighting to get a gay marriage bill through Congress to shore up its leftist credentials ahead of a 2011 vote and to steal the limelight from opposition-led proposals.

Argentina Government Increases Minimum Income Tax Threshold By 20% [FOX Business]
Argentina’s government has increased the minimum threshold for paying income tax by 20%, Economy Minister Amado Boudou said Thursday.

How to spot a fake $100 peso bill [La Nacion]
This is a good video on how to spot a fake bill. This can especially be a problem for tourists and new expats.

Lawmaker proposes Maradona monument [AP]
An Argentine legislator has proposed building a monument to honor Diego Maradona, whose future as coach of the national soccer team has been uncertain since it was eliminated in the World Cup quarterfinals by Germany.

Adoption Scandal: Argentina Hounds a High-Profile Mom [Time]
This is the tale of the enmity of three women: the first is perhaps the richest in Argentina; the second is the President of the country; the third, a grandmother in search of the children of desaparecidos,” the 30,000 or so mostly young people who disappeared in the military junta’s death camps from 1976 to 1983. The object of their contention are two adopted children, a brother and a sister, who stand to inherit an immense fortune — or see it shrink if their genes betray a past that might help dramatically diminish their mother’s business empire.

Argentina claims victory on bond deal [Inquirer.net]
More than two-thirds of Argentina’s creditors have accepted a deal with Buenos Aires ending their long-running debt dispute, the Economy Ministry said Monday.

Argentina’s Government Vows To Maintain Stakes In Companies [Fox Business]
Argentina’s government says it has no plans to sell the stakes in local companies that it inherited when it nationalized private-sector pension funds in late 2008, as it would damage the interests of both the state and the companies.

Honda to start making automobiles in Argentina in 2011 [More Tech News]
Honda will start manufacturing automobiles in Argentina in 2011, when the Japanese automaker”s plant opens in Campana, a city on the outskirts of Argentine capital Buenos Aires, company executives said.