¡Buenos días from Greenway Parks! This is the Rorshok Argentina Update from the 19th of February twenty twenty-six. A quick summary of what's going down in Argentina.

Let’s start with a major update on a story we’ve been following closely. Early on Thursday the 12th, the Senate approved President Milei’s labor reform after a marathon twelve-hour session. The bill passed with forty-two votes in favor and thirty against.

This law aims to overhaul employment rules by making contracts more flexible and reducing severance costs. Key changes include replacing overtime pay with an hours bank system where employees work up to twelve hours a day and take that time off later, and stripping extra income like bonuses from severance calculations.

While lawmakers debated, thousands of protesters filled the streets around Congress. Security forces used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators who threw stones and Molotov cocktails, resulting in dozens of arrests.

In a late-breaking change, the government admitted to an error in the initial text regarding sick leave. Senator Patricia Bullrich confirmed that they will modify the bill to ensure workers with severe or degenerative illnesses still receive their full salary, rather than the 50% cut originally proposed for non-work-related injuries. The bill now heads to the lower house for final approval, with the administration hoping to sign it into law by the 27th of February.

Because of that legislative move, the CGT—the country's largest union federation—announced a twenty-four-hour nationwide general strike on Thursday the 19th. Transportation unions, including those representing trains, subways, and buses, halted all services.

Union leaders argue the reform will not create new jobs but will instead make existing ones more precarious for workers.

In a follow-up to the protests outside Congress, the security ministry filed terrorism charges against seventeen people. Authorities used a twenty eleven anti-terrorist law to accuse them of trying to destabilize the constitutional order. Alejandra Monteoliva, the Security Minister, specifically named four men, alleging they carried gasoline and explosives. While human rights groups called the police response brutal, the government insists that anyone committing violent acts against the state must face the harshest legal consequences.

In other news from Congress, the lower house gave initial approval to a bill that lowers the criminal responsibility age from sixteen to fourteen. As we’ve covered in previous episodes, the proposal establishes a new juvenile justice system where teenagers could face up to fifteen years in prison for serious crimes like homicide or violent robbery. Supporters argue the current system fails to address modern crime, while critics say that the government is ignoring the root social causes of youth violence. The bill now heads to the Senate for a final vote.

Since we are talking about government priorities, a technical team from the International Monetary Fund (or IMF) finished a one-week audit in Buenos Aires. The IMF’s representatives reported significant progress in their talks with local officials. Argentina needs to pass this review to unlock a 1.1 billion dollar disbursement. Even though the country is roughly thirteen billion dollars behind its target for international reserves, experts believe the IMF will grant a waiver because of President Milei’s close alignment with the US.

On the topic of economic targets, INDEC, the national statistics agency, released the latest figures on the cost of living. In January, a typical family of four needed over 1.3 million pesos (about 900 US dollars) to stay above the poverty line. This marks a nearly 4% increase in just one month. Meanwhile, those same families need at least 620,000 pesos (450 US dollars) just to afford basic food and avoid falling into extreme poverty.

Meanwhile, a new report from Transparency International shows that the perception of corruption in Argentina has reached its worst level since twenty nineteen. The country now scores thirty-six out of 100 points, ranking 104th globally. Denmark ranks first, while South Sudan comes last.

For Argentina, the report specifically mentioned the bribery investigation at the ANDIS disability agency and a cryptocurrency project promoted by the president as reasons for the decline.

Local watchdogs worry that a lack of interest in anti-corruption policies is making the country a riskier place for business.

Speaking of business, YPF, the state-run energy giant, signed a massive new deal with Italy’s Eni and a firm from the United Arab Emirates called XRG. Together, they plan to build two enormous floating units to export liquefied natural gas from the Vaca Muerta shale region in Patagonia. The project aims to produce 12 million metric tonnes of gas per year.

The three hope to make a final investment decision by mid-twenty twenty-six, which would represent a huge step in turning Argentina into a major global energy exporter.

While the energy sector looks up, the textile industry is unraveling. More than 18,000 workers have lost their jobs in the sector since twenty twenty-three. Local factories are now running at only a third of their capacity as they struggle to compete with a flood of cheap imports. While the government argues that cheaper clothes benefit consumers, manufacturers warn that without protection, the domestic industry may disappear entirely.

Next, an update on the police unrest in Santa Fe in northeastern Argentina that we mentioned last week. The provincial police finally ended their strike on Wednesday the 11th. Maximiliano Pullaro, the governor, agreed to raise the minimum monthly wage for every officer to 1.3 million pesos (900 US dollars). Beyond the pay raise, the province also promised better mental health care for the force.

From Santa Fe to the northern province of Misiones, environmental prosecutors are investigating the disappearance of two jaguar cubs. Nearly four months ago, authorities moved a mother jaguar named Pará to a protected reserve with her two two-month-old cubs, but her children haven’t been seen since. Conservationists worry the cubs may have died during the move, which they called a serious improvisation. With fewer than 250 jaguars left in Argentina, the loss is a major blow to local wildlife efforts.

Looking toward the future of the country, a new study reveals that primary school enrollment in Argentina will drop by 27% by twenty thirty. Because of a falling birthrate, there will be 1.2 million fewer students in classrooms by the end of the decade. Experts say this demographic shift could be an opportunity to spend more resources per student, but only if the government starts planning for fewer classes and teachers right now.

In sports, tennis player Francisco Cerúndolo gave the local fans something to cheer about on Sunday the 15th. The top-ranked Argentine star beat Luciano Darderi in straight sets to win the Argentina Open for the first time. After losing two previous finals in Buenos Aires, Cerúndolo finally hoisted the trophy at the Guillermo Vilas center court, solidifying his spot as the country’s best player.

Last week, we recommended an op-ed about Bad Bunny’s political philosophy, and this weekend, the superstar brought that energy to the River Plate stadium for three sold-out shows. He played to 80,000 fans each night, making history with a massive production of fireworks and LED screens. He even wore a Lionel Messi jersey and played a snippet of a Soda Stéreo classic to show his love for the local crowd.

On that note about musical collaborations, the Argentine duo Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso just released a new track featuring the legendary British musician Sting. The song, titled Even Jesus had a bad day, is a preview of their upcoming album. This international team-up comes just after the duo won their first Grammy and performed on the Jimmy Fallon show in the US.

To wrap up, a recommended read about urban life in the Argentine capital. Food writer Allie Sivak shared a personal essay titled The Promises and Pitfalls of Grocery Shopping in Buenos Aires. The piece was published in English in The Buenos Aires Herald and it’s a reflection on the steep learning curve of relational living.

Sivak draws a contrast between the anonymous, high-efficiency superstores you can find around the world and the fragmented, intimate circuit of neighborhood shops in Buenos Aires.

Check the full piece with the link in the show notes!

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

For those who may want to find out if we get any of the other updates that we do going again, go to https://rorshok.com/updates/. It's also in the show notes. There, you can give us your email address, and we will let you know if anything changes. And of course, you can always just send us an email to info@rorshok.com and let us know to keep you informed. But most of all, thanks for the outpouring of support.

¡Nos vemos la próxima semana!