Posts tagged Argentina
Falklands or Malvinas?
Mar 20th
1982 veterans show support in Plaza de Mayo
Look at any map printed in Argentina, and you’re told in no uncertain terms that the Falklands are called the Malvinas and its main city is named Puerto Argentino, rather than Stanley. Of course, it’s still and always a British territory and has never been legally part of Argentina.
Argentina’s claim over the islands is based on an 1826 accord between Britain and a territory that wasn’t yet Argentina, the United Provinces. This treaty granted them the right to start a settlement on the islands, but soon after, the United Provinces violated the agreement and declared its sovereignty over the archipelago. Britain regained control in 1833 without a shot being fired, and it wasn’t long before these cold barren rocky isles in the South Atlantic stopped being of interest to the nation to the west. That is, until 1982, when Argentina’s military dictator, Leopoldo Galtieri decided to make the Falklands his cause célèbre, sending a makeshift force to invade the islands. Galtieri severely misjudged the British and its Iron Lady, prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who sent an expeditionary force that quickly ousted the Argentine forces. Galtieri hoped to distract public attention at home from the disastrous economy, but instead the fiasco ended his and all future military rule.
Fast forward to 2010 and the imminent beginning of oil exploration drilling in the Falklands territorial waters, and the controversy was hauled back to the surface. The extremely unpopular Argentinean president, Cristina Kirchner, decreed that any vessels traveling to the Falklands must register with the Argentinean authorities, This in effect, constitutes an embargo against the UK, and it wasn’t long before British war vessels were dispatched to the area.
Kirchner may have obtained the support of virtually every other Latin American nation, but Argentina’s argument for its historic sovereignty over the “Malvinas” is extremely weak, and the current protest may seem hypocritical in view of its timing. It does appear to be an attempt to stir up patriotism to distract attention from a disastrous domestic policy, a move which most Argentineans aren’t buying into. It would be unthinkable for Argentina to launch another armed conflict which the UK would be sure to win again, and the order to request permission to sail to the islands is unenforceable and sure to provoke an immediate and forceful reaction from the British if it was applied. Not one to be taunted, the Royal Navy has already begun expelling any Argentinean war ships that stray into Falkland waters.
The latest salvo from Buenos Aires is the threat that any company participating directly or indirectly in the Falklands’ oil exploration might be barred from doing business in Argentina. On a less serious note, Argentinean veterans of the 1982 war say they’re ready to invade the islands again. The Kirchner-friendly Argentinean media report that there are 60 million barrels in offshore oil reserves in the Falklands, but this is completely speculative, as the current drilling is strictly exploratory and may in fact reveal that there is no economically viable deposits in the area. What’s certain is that there are a lot of sheep in the island chain, just as in 1982!
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Buenos Aires in a Nutshell
Mar 16th
Buenos Aires is one of the great capitals of the world and one of my favorite cities. Let me lead you on a quick but concise tour of this unique place…
The Big Avenues:
9 de Julio – The world’s widest boulevard and the most emblematic of this city, with the enormous obelisk at the intersection of Corrientes.
Avenida de Mayo – A street full of old elegant buildings in the best Parisian style shooting out from the Plaza de Mayo. It’s on this street that you’ll find the famous Cafe Tortoni.
Corrientes – The Broadway of Buenos Aires, plus the obelisk, of course! You’ll get your dose of tango here!
Santa Fe – The very, very long shopping street.
Calle Florida & Lavalle – Intersecting pedestrian concourses, actually, both chock-full of shops and department stores.
The Barrios (Districts):
San Telmo – The Bohemian neighborhood, replete with antique shops, flea markets, tango and restaurants. The focal point is the Plaza Dorrego. The crowds can be overwhelming on weekends.
Recoleta – The rich neighborhood: mansions, embassies, museums and the cemetery. Yes, the cemetery is a big tourist attraction, thanks to Evita’s grave. The museum of Fine Arts has an excellent collection from classical artists.
Palermo Viejo / Palermo Soho – The hip, young area just outside of downtown. It offers an incredible array of chic restaurants and bars and is the preferred destination at night. You can start at the Plaza Serrano and explore the streets fanning-out from there.
Boca – The barrio with the wildly painted corrugated metal houses. Very picturesque, but be forewarned that it’s the worst tourist trap in the city, much more expensive than in the rest of Buenos Aires, so plan to dine and get your souvenirs elsewhere, and don’t let the many hustlers charm you into buying!
Puerto Madero – a series refurbished warehouses in the port area, now housing scores of restaurants. Walking along the endless wharves is a popular activity for both visitors and residents alike.
Belgrano – An elegant residential neighborhood a fair distance from the city center. I mention it because of its small Chinatown.
The Grand Old Shopping Malls:
Abasto – A renovated central train station that has a ferris wheel in it!
Patio Bullrich – The mall of the very rich, in Recoleta
Galerias Pacifico – Another elegant mall, just off the calle Florida, corner Cordoba.
The Old Monuments:
Plaza de Mayo – Here you’ll find the Casa Rosada (Yes, where Evita would wave to the crowds), and the San Martin cathedral, among other things. Almost always some group protesting in the square, although peacefully these days.
Plaza Congreso – The square with the imposing national congress building on one end, and a variety of other interesting old buildings.
Other interesting things:
- During the day, try to get a ride on the subway. Wait for one of the trains with old cars that are almost a hundred years old and have all wooden interiors. Your best bet to catch one is on the Avenida de Mayo line.
- You can actually get a view of the surrounding city from the top of the obelisk, reachable by climbing 206 steps.
- Stop for a leisurely stroll through the Jardin Japones, a big Japanese garden in the middle of the city, then have sushi in its authentic restaurant.
Restaurants and Cafes of Note:
Cafe Tortoni – The historic and lavish cafe where tango greats like Gardel would hang out. They also offer top notch tango and brass jazz shows. Avenida de Mayo 825
Las Violetas – The other celebrated grand old cafe, all mahogany and tiffany, famous for its desserts. Almagro area. Rivadavia, 3899
El Balcon – Typical Argentinean food, a charming environment and a fabulous free show (tango, gaucho, etc) in the heart of San Telmo. Humberto Primo 461
Palitos – The best Chinese food you’ll ever have, in Belgrano chinatown. Arribeños 2243.
Chan Chan – A favorite Peruvian restaurant in Congreso area. Hipólito Yrigoyen 1390.
Quick Facts:
Language: Castilian Spanish. English is widely spoken in the tourism trade.
Exchange rate: You’ll get around 3.80 Argentine pesos per US dollar.
Meals: Expect to spend at least 35 pesos per person for a regular meal. Food prices have increased as much as 100% in the last two and a half years. Porteños eat dinner very late, so don’t expect to find many restaurants open before 8:30 pm, because most people will dine at 11 pm or later, and go dancing at 3 am!
Hotels: They run the gamut from grand luxury such as the Alvear, to the horrid such as the Lion d’Or. A good, clean room with breakfast can be had for about 280 pesos per night. The Once (“Ontsay”) area is where you’ll find the cheapest hotels, but you’ll waste the difference in taxi fares. I usually stay at the Howard Johnson in Congreso, (Bartolomé Mitre 2241) which is semi-luxurious yet very affordable. Note that the star rating used in Argentina reflects not the quality, but the size of the hotel, so a five star could actually be a big dump!
Taxis: the black and yellow cabs have meters and are economical. About 35 pesos for a run from downtown to Belgrano. Remisses don’t have meters and are usually only used to go to the airport.
Subways, regional trains and buses: Public transportation is cheap and reliable, but the filth that goes with it may shock. Avoid using them at night, and be wary of thieves at all times.
Tipping: Argentineans typically don’t tip, but be generous — their wages are a pittance!
Airports: Ezeiza (“Eyssayssa”) International lies about 40 kilometers from downtown, while the Aeroparque, used for national and Uruguay flights, is about 5 minutes away. Note that if you fly into Ezeiza and are from Canada, USA or Australia, you’ll be hit with a hefty arrival tax. Avoid using taxis for your safety. Use the fixed rate remisses (“raymeessayss”) that have kiosks at the arrivals exit.
Crime: Be careful. Organized groups of pickpockets and street urchins abound. Avoid walking after dusk. Only use ATMs inside malls. If you’re a victim of crime, know that the police here won’t do much for you after the fact. Most unsafe central areas: Retiro and Once.
Souvenirs: typical souvenirs include leather goods, mate gourds, and wines.
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Beware of the Buenos Aires Mustard Squirters!
Mar 4th
Plaza del Congreso
I had visited one of my favorite cities, Buenos Aires, dozens of times before without incident, but this particular trip at the end of February, 2010 was to prove different. Barely had I left my hotel to venture out in the Plaza del Congreso, a small backpack containing my laptop computer and digital camera slung over one shoulder, that some band of miscreants attempted to turn my holiday into a fiasco. Suspect number one, a young man, approached me in the middle of the square and asked me for the time, oblivious to the obvious fact that I’m not wearing anything on either wrist. I shrugged and continued walking at my usual rapid pace. A little further ahead I noticed the same fellow running by my side and then turning away.
A few more steps and a very old man taps me on the shoulder and tells me I have something on my back. I stop and reach behind me, touching my lower back and looking at my hand, now smeared in bright white paint. What the…? I didn’t go anywhere near any painted surface and the many pigeons in the vicinity don’t typically poop paint. An instant later an elderly woman appears on the scene proffering tissues to clean the offending material off my person. I tell her “no thank you”, which is when their little plan began to unravel. That, and a passerby who told me “Beware, that’s how they rob you”. I then glanced over and saw both elderly phony Samaritans standing together, looking like deer caught in the headlights.
I quickly returned to my hotel, furious that I had almost been mugged. The only other time something like this had happened, and I had also had managed to escape any loss, was when street urchins accosted a girlfriend and I on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. After changing out of my clothes, which had a white streak from top to bottom, I returned to the square in an attempt to identify the thieves to the police. However, none of the many federal policemen in the area would accompany me and after milling around in the park for about 15 minutes and seeing that the culprits were nowhere to be seen, I gave up waiting for the phantom foot patrol the other cops had supposedly radioed.
After speaking to a fair number of people living here, it became evident that the robbers’ scheme is a popular one in this city, although they typically squirt you with mustard rather than paint. I’m certain now that the lad who asked me for the time was the one who “marked” me (as I mentioned, I walk fast), and the two seniors attempted to distract me, which would have resulted, had they been successful, in my backpack or wallet, or both, being lifted. I was targeted because I was alone, as such a scheme could not work if the victim was accompanied.
The “helpful citizen” distraction scheme comes in many different forms, this being just one of them. Sadly, you have to be suspicious of anyone offering help you didn’t ask for.
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Argentina’s New Tourist Tax Targets Canada, Australia, and USA
Jan 15th
As a result of yet another ill-timed law passed by Cristina Kirchner’s government, travelers visiting from Canada, the US and Australia are now required to pay a tourist tax upon arrival in Argentina. The law went into effect late in December, 2009, and has raised grave concerns from the Argentinean tourist industry, already reeling from the effects of the last recession.
Photo courtesy of Brian Lary
US citizens are asked to pay 138 USD for the right of entry. Although the fee is collected once every 10 years, this isn’t a visa, and it isn’t clear how it will be tracked by Argentinean authorities. Meanwhile, Canadians and Australians will be the hardest hit, since they have to forfeit seventy and 100 US dollars, respectively, each time they disembark in Argentina. The amounts can be paid in US currency or the equivalent in Argentinean pesos. Note that this new tax is in addition to the 29 USD departure tax you have to pay upon leaving. If you have dual Argentinean citizenship, then you’re exempt from paying the new tax.
The explanation given by the government for this new policy is that it’s an act of reciprocity for the costly and complicated process imposed on their own citizens when they apply for a visa to one of the three countries. Brazil was one of the first to impose reciprocity several years ago, although I should point-out that what you get is a real visa, good for five years. It’s absolutely true that Argentineans are discriminated against by several economically rich countries, and the fees they’re charged for their application isn’t refunded if it’s refused. I agree this is unjust, but on the other hand, before the 2001 economic meltdown in Argentina, visas weren’t required of them – this changed when the flow of illegal immigrants from Argentina became an exodus of millions.
The real concern here isn’t whether this policy is justified, but what effect it will have on the already battered economy, where tourism is one of the most important sources of growth and foreign income. If you read the postings on this subject in online forums, you get a definite sense that the sector will take a big hit, judging from the virulent reactions of would be travelers to Argentina. If an American family of four was planning to go to Buenos Aires for a once in a lifetime vacation, they might reconsider upon discovering that their tab just went up by 552 dollars.
This tax will also have a negative impact on neighboring countries, particularly Uruguay. Many combine their visit to Uruguay with Argentina, typically landing in Buenos Aires, then traveling by Buquebus to Colonia or Montevideo. If you’re a Canadian, are you going to visit any neighboring countries knowing that you’ll be tagged for yet another 70 dollars upon returning to Argentina? The same problem arises for Canadians living in Argentina who have to renew their 3 month tourist visa, typically by crossing over to Uruguay for a brief visit. That, my friends is at least 280 dollars a year!
Currently, the tax is only collected in Ezeiza airport (Buenos Aires), probably because they haven’t fully worked-out the logistics of collecting the fees country-wide, but their plan is to extend it to all entry points, be it by land, air or water. The Kirchner administration predicts it will collect forty million dollars a year from this tax, but that is probably very optimistic in view of the dampening effect it will have. More importantly, the tourism industry will lose ten times that, thus making it a net tax revenue loss.
The Kirchners are almost guaranteed to be voted-out in the next presidential elections, so we can only hope that the next government reverts this law.
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