Before I move on to telling you all about my time at the in-laws, I need to tell you about San Telmo how I love San Telmo and how I haven’t spent enough time there. Sundays in San Telmo are lovely.. they get a bit touristy but the street music and street theatre are just really charming. There’s a student orchestra that plays in the middle of the street in Defensa and I can listen to them forever.
San Telmo is very very tango, has gorgeous antiques and an antiques market on Sunday, but also a shop where I found my new favourite bag, made out of a recycled inner tube. It’s made beautifully and the strap is made out of a bicycle inner tube. Love this stuff, and goes well with my crazy bag collection.
While I’m here I’m also trying to watch ALL the Bueno Entonces episodes I have in my iTunes. We’re upto the telo part, which is very funny...
I flew Andes Air during the July vacation period when I had family in town. We flew from Buenos Aires to Salta during the high-season and paid around 800 pesos round trip which was a significant savings from other airlines. (FYI: Taking the 22 hour bus was about 650 pesos round trip.)
Andes serves the Northwest Region, Iguazú and Puerto Madryn. I was initially pretty nervous to fly an airline that I had never heard of before, but after talking to a travel agent friend they assured me that it is a legit company.
Although their website is pretty terrible and they sometimes don´t answer their phone (oh Argentina!) I am satisfied with the service. The plane was much bigger than expected -- 3 seats on each side of plane!
Even better is that they did not charge a different price for foreigners, it was all the same fare! If you travel in low season they had some excellent promotions as well.
Description: The YouPlanet Ambassador program enables you to earn money while traveling. As a YouPlanet ambassador, you will approach hotels, restaurants and experience providers and offer them the opportunity to become partners which will enable them to reach travelers worldwide. The Partner pays a yearly fee of which you as an ambassador get a large share, transferred directly to your online e-wallet account.
By being a YouPlanet ambassador, you can travel to places around the world earning instead of spending money. With only a few sign-ups every week you will earn more than enough money to explore the world.
Highlights: We want three things with YouPlanet:
- Enable our users to earn money while they are out traveling
- Our users to have access to a great travel community where they, among other things, will be able to find updated information from smaller hotels, hostels, restaurants and experience providers
- Let these smaller hotels, hostels, restaurants, and experienced providers get online with tools they manage themselves and reach an international base of travelers that has not been accessible before.
Therefore we have created the YouPlanet ambassador program. You will get the chance to finance your trip - while you are on the road!
Qualifications: Social, English language skills
Job Types :
Marketing, Ad, PR
Sales
Tourism
Salary / Pay: Provision based salary - up to 60 euros per sale!
Experience Required: no
This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.
This is Maradona as the two-time Palme Dor winner Emir Kusturica sees him: the revolutionary, the footballer, the man, the God, the family man, the drug-addict, the legend. Acclaimed filmmaker Emir Kusturica traces the remarkable story of soccer legend Diego Maradona in this documentary featuring music by composer Manu Chao and Sex Pistols. Maradona has a reputation as the people's champion, an athlete who rose from humble beginnings to achieve worldwide fame, and who has overcome incredible adversity to become a living legend. As the director and his subject grow increasingly intimate, Maradona reveals details about his life that have never come to light in the public eye. A tour of the places that mean the most to Maradona offer a unique look at the way the soccer star was shaped by his surroundings, and conversations with the people closest to him offer a unique glimpse into his colorful personality. A conversation with Cuban leader Fidel Castro highlights how even the most powerful personalities become awestruck while speaking with Maradona. This is Kusturica's most expressive in form and the most radical in content since at least Black Cat, White Cat where Kusturica values Maradona not only as a virtuoso player but as man with a political view.
1. Make The ClassesInteresting & Engaging Engaging students is crucial to learning and remembering material. Using wit and charm, Bueno, entonces… not only engages; it keeps you thinking about the last lesson and looking forward to the next one. Like your favorite teachers, David & Jimena know learning doesn’t have to be dry and boring.
2. See The Words As You Hear Them Some people are audio learners, others learn visually – most people need both, absorbing different concepts in different ways. With Bueno, entonces... every word is on-screen so you see the spelling while hearing it pronounced.
3. Color-Coding. Words on-screen are color-coded in Spanish and English to help you understand word usage and sentence structure. You’ll quickly see, hear, and understand how words in Spanish correspond with English ones, and how they are used in sentences.
4. Symbols & Illustrations. Verb tenses and grammatical concepts are represented by clear symbols so you quickly learn and understand their usage. Iconic illustrations easily associate images and words, burning vocabulary into your brain.
5. REPETITION - The Key To Languages.
Any teacher will tell you this, and here’s the problem with old audio books and language software – they’re mind-numbingly boring, making them painful to repeat. Bueno, entonces… is engaging, fast-paced, and fun. You’ll repeat all 30 classes over and over, learning more each time – as your Spanish progresses, you pick up more of the humor, making it easier to repeat.
Find a job in Argentina is not easy, there are many Argentines scrambling for work, although there are plenty work opportunities in Non-governmental Organizations in Buenos Aires, almost always is a voluntary work, by example, in the national parks system. There are occasionally opportunities as a paying volunteer in environmental and archaeological projects with the Earth-watch Institute, 57 Woodstock Rd, Oxford OX2 6HJ,
There are no restrictions or quotas for the employment of foreigners in Argentina, while they fulfill immigration regulations.
Foreigners need to have a valid residence permission, local regulations on immigration establish three sorts of residence: permanent, temporary and transitory. To set up any business in Argentina its necessary to have permanent or temporary residence.
Visas issued for short term work in Argentina (if initial validity of 15 days and can be extended for another 15 days once);
Temporary Residence Visa, for labour contract, this visa is issued for employees on internships contracted by companies in Argentina, employees will be treated a local employees; by example,a Unique Code of Labor Identification CUIL (Código Único de Identificación Laboral) has to be applied as well, the minimum duration is 6-12 months;
Secondment-Temporary Residence Visa, this visa es issued to employees send abroad by their companies for at least 6-12 months. A labour contract is not required.
To engage foreign workers the work contract shall obey with current labour legislation in all the national territory.
To apply for a work visa, is necessary fulfill the following requirements:
Work contract with the company in Argentina.
Birth certificate, translated into Spanish by a certified translator.
Marital certification, translated into Spanish by a certified translator (if an application is being made for a spouse).
Passport with a minimum validity of 18 months remaining (for each family member).
Three passport photo’s for each family member (4x4; preferably light blue background; ¾ profile right side).
foreigners with previous work contract must fulfill the following requisites to get into the country:
Labour contract signed by the employer and the contracted foreigner, with the signature certified by public attorney or agent of the National Immigrations Office.
Statutes or company’s incorporation contract, duly recorded.
Proof of payment to pension fund by the employer for all employees in the last six (6) months.
Proof of record in the tax system and compliance of the last three (3) due payments.
Tax Revenue Office Form stating payroll at the beginning of the company’s activity.
Municipal authorization to operate (if applicable).
Doing business in Argentina means living with uncertainty. Due to the foibles of each government, long-term planning isn't really possible and one could even say shouldn't be attempted. Anyone initiating any kind of business venture in Argentina needs to think about recovering all the money invested (and making a profit) in fewer than 5 years. A few examples I can think of businesses that have been destroyed by the government's administrative decisions:
Lunch ticket companies (the government began to tax these tickets as normal wages and thus caused their elimination from the market)
Private pension funds (the government appropriated all "AFJP" funds)
All producers of products in the consumer price index (price controls)
Farmers (brutal increase in export taxes)
Utilities (price controls)
Airlines (price controls & official interference by the Transport Ministry)
Public transit (price controls / constantly changing subsidy regimes)
Energy (price controls)
The list goes on and on. These are just some recent examples I thought of in about a minute or two. If I were to put together a comprehensive list, it would be much larger. All these industries have seen their conditions change dramatically through decisions by the government to either impose price controls, increase taxes to confiscatory levels, or in the case of Aerolineas Argentinas, destroy the company outright by fomenting union agitation to a level that renders the company totally inoperable.
"Normal" Surprises In addition to brutal government changes that can effect an entire sector (such as what I described above), businesspeople should be prepared for more "normal" surprises that can arrive in the form of union negotiated pay raises or government decrees giving pay raises or special bonuses to employees.
One of the joys of adjusting from life in the US to life here in Buenos Aires is learning how to convert our screwy imperial units of measure (pounds, degrees Fahrenheit, feet and miles) into those handy metric units (grams, kilograms, degrees Celsius, meters and kilometers). Since at first this task can be just a bit perplexing, here are a few quick hints to making these adjustments yourself:
Weight (1 pound = 450 grams) You will most frequently need to be familiar with the conversion between pounds and grams while visiting your local fiambrería (deli meat seller), carnicería (butcher) or verdulería (vegetable seller). Ordering meats and vegetables are the easiest, as you can just request “dos pechugas” (two chicken breasts), or “tres zanahorias” (three carrots), and be on your merry way. Ordering deli meat is a little trickier, however, as the density of the meats varies by type. As a rule of thumb, I typically buy 100 grams of dense salted meats, such as salami, but opt for 200 grams when ordering the more common sandwich companions, including cheese, ham or turkey. These portions are just right, as they are enough to sustain me through several lunches, but won’t last too long and go feo.
Weight (1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds) When I moved into my first apartment here in Buenos Aires, I was also pleasantly surprised to see a scale in the bathroom. Only problem? It weighed me in kilograms. If you are watching your weight while you’re here, this simple conversion is handy to keep in the back of your mind.
Temperature (°C = (°F -32) x 5/9) The conversion between degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit is not only the measure that you will most frequently encounter, but also the one that can be the most perplexing. As you can see, the formula for making this conversion is a doozy!
Thanks to a dear Argentine friend that I met while still in the US, I now know a simpler way to get a ballpark figure for the conversion: just take the temperature in Celsius, double it, and add 30. This figure will always be slightly off from the exact temperature reading, but it works in a pinch.
Weather, Seasons and Average Temperatures If you don’t already know, the seasons south of the equator are the opposite of those to the north. That means, that when it is summer in the northern hemisphere, it is winter in the south, and vice versa.
From almost everywhere, South America is a relatively costly destination, but discount fares can reduce the bite considerably. Contacting a travel agency that specializes in Latin American destinations often turns up the cheapest fares.
Sea
Arriving in Argentina by sea is uncommon indeed, although Chilean company Navimag (www.navimag.com) operates the famous ferry from Puerto Montt, Chile (near Bariloche), down the length of Chilean Patagonia to Puerto Natales, Chile, near Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (due west of Río Gallegos).
Water
River
There are several river crossings between Uruguay and Buenos Aires that involve ferry or hydrofoil, and often require combinations with buses.
Buenos Aires to MontevideoHigh-speed ferries carry passengers from downtown Buenos Aires to the Uruguayan capital in only 2¾ hours.
Buenos Aires to Colonia Daily ferries (50 minutes to three hours) head to Colonia, with bus connections to Montevideo (additional three hours).
Tigre to Carmelo Regular passenger launches speed from the Buenos Aires suburb of Tigre to Carmelo (services also go to Montevideo from Tigre).
Land
Border crossings
There are numerous border crossings from neighboring Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay; the following lists are only the principal crossings. Generally, border formalities are straightforward as long as all your documents are in order. For info on necessary visas and documents.
Current weather conditions, hours of service and other useful information for Argentina’s border crossings are provided online by the Gendarmería Nacional de Argentina (www.gendarmeria.gov. ar/pasos/pasos1.htm).
Bolivia
La Quiaca to Villazón Many buses go from Jujuy and Salta to La Quiaca, where you must walk or take a taxi across the Bolivian border.
Aguas Blancas to Bermejo From Orán, reached by bus from Salta or Jujuy, take a bus to Aguas Blancas and then Bermejo, where you can catch a bus to Tarija.
Pocitos to Yacuiba Buses from Jujuy or Salta go to Tartagal and then on to the Bolivian border at Pocitos/Yacuiba, where there are buses to Santa Cruz.
Brazil
The most common crossing is from Puerto Iguazú to Foz do Iguaçu. Check both cities for more information on the peculiarities of this border crossing, especially if you’re crossing the border into Brazil only to see the other side of IguazúFalls. There are also border crossings from Paso de los Libres (Argentina) to Uruguaiana (Brazil) to São Borja (Brazil).
Chile
There are numerous crossings between Argentina and Chile. Except in far southern Patagonia, every land crossing involves crossing the Andes. Due to weather, some high-altitude passes close in winter; even the busy Mendoza–Santiago route over RN 7 can close for several days (sometimes longer) during a severe storm. Always check road conditions, especially if you have a flight scheduled on the other side of the mountains. The following are the most commonly used crossings.
Salta to San Pedro de Atacama (via Purmamarca) Twelve-hour bus ride through the altiplano with stunningly beautiful scenery.
Mendoza to SantiagoThe most popular crossing between the two countries, passing 6962m Aconcagua en route.
Bariloche to Puerto Montt The famous, scenic 12-hour bus-boat combination runs over the Andes to Chile. Takes two days in winter.
Los Antiguos to ChileChicoThose entering from Chile can access the rugged RN 40 from here and head down to El Chaltén and El Calafate. Best in summer, when there’s actually public transport available.
El Calafate to Puerto Natales & Parque Nacional Torres del Paine Probably the most beaten route down here, heading from the Glaciar Perito Moreno (near El Calafate) to Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (near Puerto Natales). Several buses per day in summer; one to two daily in the off-season.
Ushuaia to Punta ArenasDaily buses in summer, fewer in winter, on this 12- to 18-hour trip (depending on weather conditions), which includes a ferry crossing at either Porvenir or Punta Delgada/Primera Angostura.
Uruguay & Paraguay
There are two direct border crossings between Argentina and Paraguay: Clorinda to Asunción, and Posadas to Encarnación. From Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, you can also cross through Brazil into Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.
Border crossings from Argentine cities to Uruguayan cities include Gualeguaychú to Fray Bentos; Colón to Paysandú; and Concordia to Salto. All involve crossing bridges. Buses from Buenos Aires to Montevideo and other waterfront cities, however, are slower and less convenient than the ferries (or ferry–bus combinations) across the Río de la Plata. The crossings at Gualeguaychú and Paysandú may be closed due to conflict surrounding the construction of a pulp mill on the Uruguayan side of the river.
Bus
Travelers can bus to Argentina from most bordering countries. Buses are usually comfortable, modern and fairly clean. Crossing over does not involve too many hassles; just make sure that you have any proper visas beforehand
Entering the destination
Entering the country
Entering Argentina is straightforward; immigration officials at airports are generally quick to the point and waste few words, while those at border crossings may take a little more time scrutinizing your passport before stamping it. Anyone entering the country is required to have a valid passport. Once you’re in the country, police can still demand identification at any moment. It’s a good idea to carry at least a photocopy of your passport around town at all times.
When entering by air, you officially must have a return ticket, though this is rarely asked for once you’re in Argentina. However, it is commonly asked for by the airline in the country of origin. Most airlines prohibit from boarding any passengers without proof of onward travel, regardless of whether the person was sold a one-way ticket or not. They do this because the airline would be responsible for flying you back home should you be denied entrance (which is highly unlikely) once you’re in Argentina. For those planning to travel indefinitely, the only way out of this predicament is to buy a cheap, fully refundable onward flight (say, Mendoza to Santiago, Chile) and either use it or get the refund once you’re in Argentina. The refund, however, can take months to process.
Air
Argentina has direct flights between countries including North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Spain and South Africa, and from all South American countries except the Guianas. Alternatively, you can fly to a neighboring country, such as Chile or Brazil, and continue overland to Argentina.
Argentina is one of South America's leading media markets. The country has well over 150 daily newspapers, many hundreds of commercial radio stations, dozens of TV stations and one of the world's highest take-up rates for cable TV.
Large media conglomerates have emerged. Public broadcasting plays a minor role. Television is the dominant medium. The main national free-to-air networks - Telefe, America, Canal 9 and Canal 13 - are privately-owned.
Argentine readers are among Latin America's most voracious newspaper consumers. Clarin and La Nacion are the best-selling national dailies.
Media freedom is guaranteed by the constitution. However, Reporters Without Borders maintained in 2008 that "direct attacks on the media and obstacles to press freedom... remained high". It said former President Nestor Kirchner had shown "great hostility" to the media - and particularly the conservative La Nacion daily - while in office.
By December 2008, Argentina had 16 million internet users, comprising nearly 40% of the population (Internetworldstats.com) and giving the country the second-highest number of surfers on the continent, after Brazil.
The press
· Clarín - popular daily
· La Nación - respected conservative daily
· Crónica - tabloid daily
· El Cronista - business
· La Prensa - Argentina's oldest newspaper
· Pagina 12 - left-wing daily
· Buenos Aires Herald - English-language daily
Television
· Telefe (Canal 11) - leading national network, operated by Grupo Telefe
· Canal 13 (El Trece) - leading national network, operated by Grupo Clarin
· Canal 9 - popular national network
· America (Canal 2) - popular network
· Todo Noticias - cable/satellite news channel owned by Grupo Clarin
Passport valid for 6 months required by all except nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay who, for journeys that do not go beyond Argentina and these five countries, may use their national ID cards.
Visa
Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and US for stays of up to 90 days;
(b) nationals of Andorra, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela and Serbia for stays of up to 90 days;
(c) nationals of Hong Kong (British Nationals Overseas), Jamaica and Malaysia for stays of up to 30 days;
(d) transit passengers holding confirmed onward or return tickets for travel provided continuing their journey within 6 hours and not leaving the airport.
Note: Visa exemptions mentioned above are for tourist and business purposes only. However, business travellers are advised to contact the Argentinian Consulate before departure.
Required documents for visa
Tourist visa: (a) Passport. (b) Application form. (c) 1 passport photo. (d) Fee; payable by cheque or postal order. (e) Return ticket. (f) Letter from employer.
The recent economic crisis meant many Argentineans lost their jobs. The economy is slowly recovering, but job openings for foreigners remain very limited.
Foreigners who speak Spanish and are willing to work for Argentinean wages or do an unpaid internship are more likely to find a job. Unemployment has been decreasing since the peak of the 2001 crisis. However, it remains high today at an estimated 12%+.
Argentina has since long attracted migrants from other countries in the region. Among others, Paraguayans, Bolivians and Peruvians are often found working in agriculture and domestic services. Argentineans often see migrants from the region as a threat to employment in Argentina.
Legally employers are obliged to register employees for taxation and social security purposes. In order to keep costs low, many employers employ people without legally registering them. The Argentinean government has started a campaign in 2005 to reduce the amount of unregistered workers. Fines are being given to both companies and individuals working illegally.
Voluntary Work & Language Teaching
Finding many types of employment in Argentina as a foreigner is not easy. If you want to get work experience in Argentina, your best bet might be voluntary work or language teaching.
Voluntary work is offered in a wide variety of fields, from medical internships to direct assistance for building schools and houses. If you want to do voluntary work there are two main ways to find a position: through an aid-organisation or a specialised agency. Lists of aid-organisations and NGO’s (Non Governmental Agencies) can often be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your home country. The specialised agencies often offer several services such as language courses, and frequently it is even the other way around, language school organisations offer voluntary work. However, finding voluntary work through agencies often means you will have to pay for it.
When registering your new business for the first time in Argentina, you will be asked to prove that your business is operating at a certain location. However, it is not enough to simply declare your address. You will need to "prove" it. This is done through a rental contract, presenting utilities in your business' name, a declaration from a public notary (escribano) etc. Before the government will give your business a tax id number (CUIT), you will need to prove its address.
This is sometimes difficult for new businesses, since just about everyone will ask you for your business' CUIT number before they will put any kind of service in the business' name or sign a rental agreement. These kinds of requirements will sometimes generate chicken and egg type situations where you can't start doing business until you have a CUIT, but you can't get a CUIT until you prove you are doing business.
The most complicated situation is when you try to declare an address that has already been declared for an existing business. The government will want to know why two businesses are operating at the same address, so be prepared to reply officially with the supporting documentation. In cases where this has been an issue for me, we have always resolved the issue by declaring the company to have the home address of one of the partners (assuming no other companies have been registered at that address) and then changing the company's official address after having been issued a tax id (which can be done simply over the internet).
Subway workers announced they will not extend the subway and tram strike that started in the morning. Metrovías employees are demanding that the government grant their union a legal status to let them splinter from the UTA transport workers' union.
"We can't confirm if we will go on with the strike, we will meet at 9pm to establish what measures we will take," said one of the subway delegates during a press conference.
A 24-hour subway and tram strike started this morning in Buenos Aires City, buses and taxis were full as all subway services were cancelled.
Some clashes were reported on Line B, between workers and the police, in the Federico Lacroze station. Some trains of the latter line were found vandalized, with the seats broken. Metrovías accuses the strikers of causing those damages in order to prevent the company from maintaining an emergency service.
Néstor Segovia, a prominent leader of subway workers, warned the strike might be extended for another day. "I will die for the subway workers' rights," he said.
Segovia underlined that "the strike could go on" for another 24 hours. The head of the protestors reported pressures from the company, which he said was "spying on them, threatening them and paying wages late."
His accusations were backed by a former Metrovías head of security, who gave details about a "spying system" that the company was allegedly using to "pressure union leaders, and Segovia in particular."
Carlos Taborda, spokesman for the Line B workers, denied the protestors made use of any violence. "The companies always accuse the workers," he said. "The minimal service could not be maintained for the sole reason that there are no employees habilitated to drive the trains as they are on strike," he added.
This early start of the strike also led to commuters to use their cars to reach the city's main business areas, prompting traffic jams and delays.
"The real estate market in Argentina has fared much better than the US or Europe over the last year as almost all real estate transactions in Argentina are non-leveraged," said Scott Mathis. "Obviously, sales have stalled somewhat as buyers are waiting to see what happens around the globe but real estate prices have not be hit nearly as hard in Argentina." The private equity company Mathis chairs - DPEC Partners - invests in Argentine real estate.
The Argentine real estate market continues to remain stable for two reasons - lack of credit and paltry investment options, according to Reynolds Propiedades SA. "Argentines have been burnt in the past with anything resembling a bank [as a result of the 2001 economic crisis.]" according to Reynolds. "As such, nationals mistrust Argentine based banks and now, because of the U.S. crisis, have founded fears over U.S. and European financial institutions."
This fear of banks and other monetary markets have translated to a great deal of investment in hard assets such as property. "The preferred investment tier lies in the area of USD 50,000 to USD 150,000 which allows investors to rent these units to local tenants and attempt to satisfy the massive shortage of living space," according to Reynolds.
International buyers have been attracted to the Argentine property sector because of the relatively affordable prices. "You can buy property in Argentina at a fraction of what you would pay in the US and in Europe" said Mathis. "Buenos Aires in the most popular but Mendoza [Argentina's Napa valley] is gaining recognition for its wonderful wine route and stature as making the best Malbec in the world."
There are investment opportunities elsewhere in the country as well. "We see a grand entry opportunity not only in traditional farming activity, such as soy and cattle, but also in alternate crops like vineyards, export plums and walnuts," according to Reynolds Propiedades SA. Ski heaven San Carlos de Bariloche and the town of Cafayate in Valles Calchaquíes are other points of interest. Buying property in Argentina
While foreigners are allowed to buy in Argentina, there are some restrictions regarding owning land in border areas. "Foreigners are allowed to buy property," said Jamie Schectman owner of Bariloche Vacation Rental (www.barilochevacationrental.com). They have the same rights as Argentineans in most parts. That said, there are some restrictions buying in areas that fall under the Zona Seguridad - "roughly within a 100 kilometer of the Chilean border," according to Living in Patagonia (http://www.livinginpatagonia.com), a blog chronicling the lives of an American couple, Jamie and Shanie Schectman.
However, recent changes to the laws governing such purchases have made it easier to acquire property in that part of Argentina. Non-Argentineans can now buy real estate without much ado as long as the property under consideration is located in an urban or suburban area, is less than 5,000 square meters, and isn't bought for commercial purposes.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine journalists, academics and ruling party lawmakers met Monday to challenge the conclusions of an international media group that Latin American leaders are exerting too much control over the press.
Supporters of a controversial new Argentine media law say it will limit monopolies and maintain a diversity of news outlets regardless of wealth. Critics at the annual meeting of the Inter American Press Association in Buenos Aires say it threatens freedom of expression.
"The best response to this chorus of dinosaurs is to push forth our democratic mechanisms," said Luis Lazzaro of the Federal Counsel of Audiovisuals Communication, a state-sponsored organization that regulates local radio and television stations.
Argentina's law, passed last month, preserves two-thirds of the digital spectrum for noncommercial radio and TV stations and gives political appointees a powerful role in granting licenses and regulating content.
Unless legal challenges succeed, Grupo Clarin — a frequent government critic and one of Latin America's largest newspaper and cable TV companies — will be forced to sell many of its properties within a year.
President Cristina Fernandez also signed a decree last week ordering newspapers and magazines to be sold exclusively at union-run stands. Editors fear the government now can use friendly unions to prevent the distribution of newspapers that don't follow the ruling party line.
"They seek the legal tools to silence the press along with a campaign to discredit the media," said Enrique Santos Calderon, president of the press association.
"We've been in each of the countries where there have been threats to the freedom of expression," Calderon said at the meeting of major Western Hemisphere media organizations that ends Tuesday. "We can rest assured that the IAPA remains active and strong and is being heard with great conviction where it is needed."
Projects Abroad offers volunteer Medicine & Healthcare work-experience placements in Argentina, in Medicine, Physiotherapy, Nursing & Midwifery, Occupational Therapy and Electives. Placements are for anyone volunteering abroad on a gap year or career break, or a training or qualified doctor, physiotherapist, nurse or midwife.
Volunteering on a Medicine & Healthcare project in Argentina can be done as part of a gap year, a career-break, or during a short break in your studies. As a Medicine & Healthcare volunteer you will gain a great deal of valuable work-experience alongside some of the most skilled doctors in the country. While the shell of some hospital buildings may look slightly neglected, the facilities within and the healthcare provided are generally of a decent standard, on a par with many hospitals in the west.
Our Medicine & Healthcare volunteers work in rotation at different hospitals in and around Villa Allende, enabling them to have a broad and varied experience of different medicine and healthcare departments. You will have the opportunity to experience medical procedures in both the over-burdened multi-disciplinary government hospitals, and the smaller Dispensarios that operate on certain days each in more rural communities. Within the hospitals you will be given the chance to shadow doctors and nurses, help to take patient histories, observe surgery, attend medical lectures with medical students, and perhaps even perform basic medicine and healthcare procedures. In the community you could find yourself giving a child a general health check, assisting in the provision of vaccinations, and giving advice on nutrition or pregnancy prevention for example.
An intermediate level of Spanish is required for this placement to ensure that you can interact fully with both the local staff and the patients. Volunteers should also be of smart appearance.
Volunteer Dentistry in Argentina
Volunteers who wish to work in the field of dentistry can gain superb work experience in Villa Allende Hospital, located in the beautiful Sierras Chicas not far from where our office is based. As one of the largest government run hospitals in this area, you will be learning from staff who are very experienced at providing all aspects of dental healthcare to people who travel here from the surrounding regions. If you wish to have a broader Medicine & Healthcare experience, both hospitals have many other areas, besides dentistry, for you to work in.
Volunteer Occupational Therapy in Argentina
As a training or qualified Occupational Therapy volunteer in Argentina, you'll be placed in one of a number of institutions for people who are mentally and physically disabled. While residents receive the necessary physiotherapy care, staff are limited in number and don't have enough time to spend one-to-one with these individuals. By coming into the home and using your skills to assess and treat the wide variety of physical and psychiatric conditions you come across, you can help these people to find purposeful activities they can participate in, and help to promote independent function in aspects of their life for what may be the first time since they moved there.
Populist leaders in Latin America increasingly use legal and political means to silence critics in the media, according to Enrique Santos Calderón, president of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Tactics include revoking broadcast licenses, fostering hostility toward journalists, and giving a free hand to government supporters who have attacked broadcast stations, newsrooms and printing plants.
"We are extremely concerned at the growing level in recent weeks of harassment and violence in various countries," Calderón said at IAPA's annual meeting in Buenos Aires. "Democratic systems require a free and unfettered press."
In Argentina, editors are criticizing President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's new decree ordering newspapers and magazines to be sold exclusively in union-run newsstands. Editors fear this will enable the government to prevent distribution of newspapers that do not follow the ruling party's line by enlisting pro-government unions to shut them down.
"From now on the sale of newspapers will be the only commercial activity regulated by the state," said Gregorio Badeni, a constitutional law expert in Buenos Aires. "It is obvious that they aim to curtail the free development of the newspaper business, because they're putting conditions on the sale of their products."
Fernández de Kirchner did not respond to an invitation to speak at IAPA's meeting. As she signed her decree this past week, the head of Argentina's powerful truckers union, Hugo Moyano, sent members to block distribution of Clarín, La Nación, Perfil and other newspapers, demanding that the papers' drivers be represented by the union.
The Human Resources Office provides human resources and recruitment services to the U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires. We cannot help you seek employment in other organizations either in Argentina, the United States or other countries. Since we do not have a database you will need to submit your resume every time you want to apply for a vacancy. Please send your resume ONLY if you are applying for any of the positions listed below.
We generally advertise positions for ten working days. Vacancies are deleted after the closing date. Therefore, we suggest visiting this page periodically for an updated list of vacancies.
An applicant must either be an Argentine citizen or have the required work and/or residency permit allowing the individual to work in Argentina before applying for any of the positions below. Applicants will be asked to provide documentation to support their legal right to work in Argentina, in accordance with Argentine Migration Law No. 22.439.
Please note that if you are selected for a position within the Embassy you will be required to go through an Embassy Security Investigation prior to your appointment.
Our Human Resources Office might contact you to request the submission of certificates or documents that support the information in your resume (e.g. school degrees, course certificates) if it is deemed necessary.
Want to learn how to teach, get one of the best certificates available, get a job and then enjoy lifetime, worldwide career support? If you do, you've come to the right place.
Accredited residential TEFL TESOL training
The EBC residential TEFL course has been accredited as being at NQF level 4 by Ascentis (OCNW) a British National Awarding Body. Another extremely well-known certificate is also an NQF level 4 qualification, so EBC is in good company as being one of the best certificates you can get.
What sets EBC apart from the other extremely well-known certificate is that EBC gives you an exclusive, lifetime, pro-active Job Placement Assistance Programme that helps you get teaching jobs worldwide. EBC has a database of almost 2,000 schools and agencies around the world. EBC not only offers great training but also great job support as well.
The EBC International Certificate in TESOL is an accredited 120 hour course. It is worth 12 credits.
EBC has helped its graduates find work in all continents (except for Antarctica).
EBC has residential training centres across 3 continents: Europe, South America, Asia (Middle East), Asia (Far East).
EBC will help you find accommodation and we have great TEFL course + accommodation packages available in all our residential training locations.
EBC is accent tolerant. As long as you teach within the rules of your country's version of English (e.g. American English) that's fine with us.
EBC is not a TEFL portal. All EBC residential centres are controlled by EBC and run the same course resulting in the same qualifications.
When you graduate from the residential course you will be awarded the EBC International Certificate in TESOL and the EBC International TEFL Certificate. The EBC International Certificate in TESOL meets British Council requirements for teachers in its accredited schools.
Accredited online TEFL TESOL training
If your budget can't reach to a residential course, EBC is possibly the best option for taking an online certificate. Or online certificate is also accredited by a British Examination board so the certificate you will get is worth a lot more than the paper it is written on. You'll have concrete proof to show prospective employers that your online certificate was indeed worth your time and effort. If you want to convert your online certificate into the British Council accepted EBC International Certificate in TESOL you can do so be attending one of our 2 week teaching practice courses.
When you graduate from the online course you will be awarded the Certificate of Educational Studies (TESOL) and the EBC TEFL Certificate. The Certificate of Educational Studies (TESOL) is an accredited award given by a British Examination board.
All EBC courses:
are dual award so you get a TEFL and a TESOL certificate,
are fully compliant with international guideline laid down by the TESOL organisation (USA) and the British Council (UK),
are practical, thorough, accredited, dual award TESOL TEFL courses,
are designed for candidates that have no experience teaching English,
are also suitable for candidates that have teaching experience but lack formal training in the TEFL TESOL field,
are all externally moderated by an official examination board.
Eight new releases this week! Three local films, a 3D remake, a horror movie, a french offering and two indies are out in the buenos aires theatres.
• TRES DESEOS. A sentimental drama exploring the dissatisfactions and possible escape routes of a couple turning 40 and their daughter. When the couple takes off on their own for a weekend in Colonia to celebrate her birthday, the wheels start turning. (Argentina, 2009.) Written and directed by: Vivian Imar and Marcelo Trotta - Featuring: Florencia Raggi, Julieta Cardinali, Antonio Birabent - PG13 - Running time: 97 minutes
• EL TORCAN. A biopic of tango singer Luis Cardei, who passed away in January 2000. He was the ultimate bar and cantina singer, with a repertoire of tangos from before the 1940s. He hit the big time after he turned 50, recording three albums in only five years. (Argentina, 2009) Written and directed by: Gabriel Arregui - Featuring: Oski Guzmán, Claudia Disti, Rodrigo de la Serna, Fausto Collado, Alfredo Cardei - PG13 - Running time: 108 minutes.
• LA EXTRANJERA. An Argentine woman who left the country for Barcelona during the 2001 crisis returns to a small town in San Luis after her grandfather’s death. He leaves her a farm in his will, and she has to take the helm of the establishment. (Argentina, 2009) Written and directed by: Fernando Díaz - Featuring: Norma Argentina, Roly Serrano and Arnaldo André - G - Running time: 92 minutes.
• THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 3D (EL EXTRAÑO MUNDO DE JACK 3D). On the 13th anniversary of this story by Tim Burton brought to stopmotion by Henry Selick (Coraline) comes a 3D version. A second chance for this beautiful horror/Christmas story on theatres, with iconic characters that will now jump off the screen. (US, 2008, in English) Directed by: Henry Selick - Written by: Tim Burton - Original voices: Catherine O‘Hara, Danny Elfman - G - Running time: 76 minutes.
Work Argentina is a blog focused on helping those people who want to find a way to work and live in Argentina, or to provide assistance and resources to those people who are already working in Argentina. There will be lots of posts about how to find a job, what kinds of requirements there are for foreigners to work in Argentina, and tips and tricks for making the most our of your working in Argentina experience.
Obviously, one of the most important issues for a foreigner working in Argentina is to learn Spanish, and we will provide lots of resources, links, and other great information that will helping with mastering conversational and work Spanish. We will also talk about the experience of learning Spanish with Rosetta Stone and General Linguistics "Bueno, entonces..." and other programs as well. We will post reviews and other comparisons among the major language learning programs. So check it out and learn Spanish in Argentina!
There is lots to know about working in Argentina, so come back every day and see what new information, news, resources, videos, photos and other things we have posted. Make sure and leave a comment if you enjoy this blog, and let us know if there is anything else you want us to research.
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