Argentine Supreme Court rules in favor of Buenos Aires' refusal to suspend in-person classes

[peppertree]

Argentina's Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Buenos Aires city government in its dispute with the national government, confirming that City Hall has the right to decide whether in-person classes at schools in the capital should continue.

Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta - whose right-wing JxC coalition staunchly opposes center-left President Alberto Fernández - challenged the in-person schooling suspension ordered by Fernández for the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) on April 9th.

The city lost in federal court on April 20th - a decision overturned by today's Supreme Court ruling.

Four of the five Supreme Court justices voted to limit the national government's say over educational matters; Elena Highton de Nolasco chose to abstain, on grounds that the issue was not a matter for the court.

The ruling was condemned the president, as well as by teachers' unions and the medical community.

After the 2021 Argentine school year began on March 1st (two weeks earlier for Buenos Aires), new COVID-19 cases jumped from around 7,000 daily in March, to nearly 30,000 by April 16th.

New cases have slowed to 15,920 on Monday, but daily deaths remained at 540 - over four times the March average (126). Occupancy in intensive care units reached 65% nationwide, and 82% in Buenos Aires.

Some 63% of those surveyed in a recent poll backed the president's abatement measures.

At: https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/supreme-court-rules-in-favour-of-city-hall-in-education-dispute.phtml

Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Argentine President Alberto Fernández during an April 29th press conference.

Today's Supreme Court ruling upholding the mayor's refusal to suspend in-person schooling was seen as a victory for Larreta's right-wing JxC coalition - still smarting from defeat at the polls in 2019.

But Fernández, as well as educators and the medical community, see it as a threat to public health.

“Suspending in-person schooling is an indispensable measure, and every country that's been in this situation has suspended classes,” Dr. Arnaldo Dubín, head of Intensive Care at Buenos Aires' Otamendi Hospital, noted.

“What we have here is a political use of the health crisis, which we've seen from the beginning - with the lockdown, with the vaccine, and now in this novel way.”

[Judi Lynn]

1. So primitive, refusing to acknowledge reality in order to keep businesses making maximum profits.

I would hope that the people of Buenos Aires are not still so shaken by the effects of the military dictatorship that they fear speaking out against their right-wing mayor and the same fascist element still ready to pounce whenever the guard is down to retake control of the country.

Anyone can see, who reads anything other than the voice of the dictatorship, still goose-stepping along as always, Clarín news, that everyone sane and decent in Argentina supports the people first principle, not profits.

The world (except for the US right-wing) has seriously disliked Bolsonaro's choices on Covid-19, and the Mayor of Buenos Aires will have very few allies beyond Macri and the rest of his nasty fascist mob.

So many helpless people affected by this immoral decision. What a shame.

[peppertree]

2. Well said. Over 10,000 Buenos Aires teachers and support staff have ALREADY caught Covid since 2/17.

Teaches and parents alike - not to mention the medical and scientific community - are apoplectic over this ruling, you can imagine.

A ruling which, it's worth noting, the 4-justice majority issued via Zoom and from the comfort (and safety) of their homes.

It's reminiscent of that obscene ruling last November, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo case - in which the court ruled, 5-to-4 that Cuomo's congregation size limits were a First Amendment infringement against said diocese (and thus, against any and all religious gatherings).

Public health, shmublic health.

Amy Coney "Handmaid" Barrett, of course, provided the 5th vote.

You'll recall that this is what was feared by many public policy observers at the outset of all this: that profits and politics would get in the way of an effective pandemic response.

And Argentina's Supreme Court ruling today, was a just a small reminder of that.

Thanks as always, Judi. The times we have to live in, right?