Letter from Buenos Aires - no 7.

Who do you think informed on Argentine Senator Edgardo Kueider - who in recent times has parted from his Kerchnerite party to side with President Milei? On Wednesday, having driven over La Amistad bridge from Brazil into Paraguay Kueider was promptly arrested in possession of an undeclared US$ 200,000 and the equivalent of US$ 60,000 of pesos. The money was seized pending an inquiry by the Secretariat for the Prevention of Money Laundering and he was required to remain in Paraguay.

Last week Russia opened their Vostok Base in Antarctica - a new winter complex, supposedly for the Institute of Arctic and Antarctic Studies. This comes just eleven months after being announced in a video link by Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. It will accommodate up to 35 ‘seasonal specialists’ and a winter maintenance crew of up to 15. It’s one to keep an eye on, for Russia is clearly trying to reverse their lack of purchase on Antarctica.

On the subject of Antarctica, do you fancy a cruise on the Swan Hellenic’s ship, Diana? With the failure of its second propeller on day 5 of a 20 day cruise the ship came to an abrupt halt two days short of Antarctica with the sound of ‘grinding, a clunk and juddering’. Much to the alarm of passengers it then turned round mid-ocean to make a 6 day trip at half speed to Ushuaia. Passengers were told that they could choose 50% refund on the voyage - or a 65% off a future trip. Some just resolved to claim on travel insurance or accepted the offer, but seemingly several Russians went on a hunger strike. Chatting with Xiomara, we cannot imagine why they would do this. Perhaps they would prefer to starve at sea than return to Putin’s Russia?

The South American Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union announced Friday in Montevideo the final signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between both blocs, thus creating the largest and most populated commerce zone worldwide. It followed 25 years of negotiations.

“It is a historic milestone,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Montevideo. “We stand together on a world stage as partners... it means more jobs and good jobs, more choices and better prices,” she continued. “Mercosur will bring significant benefits to consumers and businesses on both sides, it will facilitate European investment... this will bring great business opportunities.”

The deal might be an excellent one for Germany, but French newspaper L’Opinion says Emmanuel Macron took the news ‘very badly’ and retaliated by disinviting von der Leyen from the reopening of Notre Dame and claiming that ‘the agreement has neither been signed nor ratified. So this is not the end of the story’. Macron versus von der Leyen though? I wonder who will win that one!

Talking of rifts, Paraguay expelled Chinese delegate Xu Wei after accusing him of undermining their relationship with Taiwan and that he had “interfered in internal affairs.” Xu Wei had meetings with Paraguayan lawmakers where he insisted that Paraguay should choose who Paraguay should have diplomatic relations with. “It's either China or with Taiwan,” he apparently said. There is no possibility of both countries simultaneously maintaining relations with Paraguay, so they cancelled his visa and told him to leave.