Argentina's Macri awards top public works contract to consortium led by his family firm, IECSA.

[forest444]

Last edited Fri Jun 24, 2016, 11:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Facing a deepening recession, Argentine President Mauricio Macri made an apparent u-turn on fiscal austerity and decreed an additional 98 billion pesos ($7 billion) in public works over the next four years above previously budgeted figures.

While welcomed by many economists, the announcement was controversial in that 45 billion pesos ($3 billion) of this new public works spending will go toward one project: the conversion of the Buenos Aires' Sarmiento commuter rail line into an underground line.

The controversy was heightened by news that the Sarmiento underground project was awarded to a consortium led by IECSA, the public contractor controlled by his own family and directed by his cousin Ángelo Calcaterra.

The consortium involved in the project also includes the Italian construction firm Ghella and Brazil's Odebrecht, whose CEO - Marcelo Odebrecht - was sentenced in March to a 19-year prison term for paying over $30 million in bribes to executives at the oil giant Petrobras to secure contracts.

Macri had made allegations of corruption in public contracts during his predecessor's tenure a central campaign theme last year. Once it was revealed that the contractor most closely associated with former Presidents Néstor and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Lázaro Báez, had in fact shared a partnership with IECSA, Calcaterra sought to disassociate himself from the firm by selling his shares - a move blocked by the courts while investigations are still pending.

Calcaterra was given nominal control of IECSA by President Macri's father, Francisco Macri, when the younger Macri ran for Mayor of Buenos Aires in 2007. This transfer was effected to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest since IECSA is a leading municipal contractor as well.

IECSA's public contracts portfolio increased dramatically under Mayor Macri to $1.8 billion, making his cousin Argentina's third largest public contractor. Macri had already come under fire shortly after taking office six months ago by awarding IECSA a 2.5 billion peso ($170 million) contract to build a new natural gas pipeline in Córdoba Province.

At: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.minutouno.com/notas/1494028-macri-podria-beneficiar-su-primo-calcaterra-una-obra-millonaria-del-sarmiento&prev=search

[Judi Lynn]

1. Like watching a monster movie, seeing how fast, how destructive Macri is moving.

It's exactly as if he's holding the country at gunpoint, while he strips it of as much money as he and his associates can handle.

The "gunpoint" is possible because he has control over the Argentinian military since he found a way to worm his way into the Presidency, and can wield all its power against anyone who tries to stop him without going through lengthy, time consuming procedures handled through governmental channels he doesn't control, if any.

Have never seen anything like it. He is treating Argentina like a tiny, helpless town. It has to mean he has gathered up horrendous power, with his father's help, over the years, enlisting hordes of fellow soulless fascist criminals.

[forest444]

2. And as bad a taking bribes is, this is worse: he's literally writing himself a check.

It's also worth noting that the City of Buenos Aires - home to 7% of Argentines - is getting close to two-thirds of the total earmarked.

In the meantime, they're raising subway fares in Buenos Aires by another 66% to 7.50 pesos (50 ¢), which will force even more people to ride buses - and bus fares, as you know, have already been doubled in April.

Would it surprise you if I told you that the largest city bus operator, the Plaza Group (city buses, unfortunately, are privately run in Buenos Aires), were top campaign contributors to Macri?

[Judi Lynn]

3. Pushing people off the subways, onto buses, whose owners are campaign donors. Hideous.

The buses, themselves, are doubled in cost in advance.

Yes, he's writing himself checks on the people's money.

It's really like watching a horror show. It's absolutely necessary to see what his next crime will be, how long this will continue. Surely there's got to be an end to it, somewhere, or is there? Will Argentina die first? He'll just keep getting the country more indebted, without a doubt, writing himself more checks on that infusion of funds.

Thanks for your amazing ability to bring the information here our own corporate "news" media just doesn't want to bother our "pretty" heads with. We're not supposed to know how these tools are ripping our planet apart, maybe hoping to escape to Mars, without ever having to pay for their crimes! (I really think they all expect to die of old age peacefully in their sleep, in their palaces.)