ARCA dice que "es mentira" que EEUU se niegue a abrir las visas a la Argentina

ARCA emitió un comunicado desmintiendo la información originada en el medio estadounidense Axios que decía que EEUU se había arrepentido de promover la Visa Waiver para la Argentina

"Distintos medios de comunicación replicaron una información falsa que pretendía desacreditar y deslegitimar la tarea realizada por este organismo", se defendió, ya que Axios señalaba directamente a un acto fallido de funcionarios de ARCA en EEUU. 

"Una delegación de ARCA viajó a Estados Unidos para reunirse con el equipo de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos (CBP) y llevar adelante visitas operativas que permitan definir los aspectos técnicos de un programa para mejorar la seguridad en frontera y facilitar el comercio legítimo. Durante décadas, la Argentina se mantuvo cerrada al mundo. Hoy, para profundizar el proceso de apertura mediante la simplificación y desregulación y continuar reduciendo costos con altos niveles de seguridad, es fundamental actualizar la tecnología y modernizar los procesos aduaneros", indicó en su comunicado. 

Agregó su versión en torno a que "la visita de la delegación se extendió a lo largo de tres días de trabajo conjunto y cooperación con las autoridades del gobierno estadounidense y no tuvo relación alguna con la implementación del Visa Waiver Program". Y mostró la foto de la delegación:

El artículo completo y original de Axios sobre el tema

The Department of Homeland Security blindsided Argentina last week by unexpectedly pausing a visa-waiver agreement as officials from Buenos Aires were already en route to Washington to sign the deal, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

Why it matters: The apparent diplomatic snub was the result of a lack of communication and organization by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Axios.

Context: In July, Noem signed a statement of intent with Argentinian officials for the visa-waiver agreement. But Noem didn't first tell Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio of the major international decision, Axios first reported.

• Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles then penned a memo reminding all officials that they needed prior authorization to execute such agreements.

Zoom in: The U.S. has grown closer to Argentina under that nation's new president, Javier Milei. Noem praised Milei in a press release in which she pledged to try to readmit his country's citizens to the Visa Waiver Program, which allows foreigners to visit the U.S. for 90 days without a visa.

• As part of the deal, Argentina agreed to stop using Chinese-made computer systems and software for customs-related matters in favor of U.S. vendors, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
• But Rubio's State Department has had concerns about a corruption scandal that's nagging at Milei's administration, and wanted to have more discussions with Argentina about that before striking a visa agreement, the source said.

The intrigue: No one from the U.S. government appears to have communicated those concerns to Argentina before a delegation from that nation left Buenos Aires for what it thought would be a Monday ceremony to sign the final visa-waiver agreement.

• Argentina dispatched a high-level official - Juan Pazo, the head of Argentina's tax and customs agency called ARCA - to attend the signing in Washington.
• When Pazo and others arrived in Miami en route to D.C., however, DHS told the delegation not to continue its trip because the agreement was "missing a signature," according to the source. The Argentinian officials also were told about the U.S. concerns over the corruption issue.
• After two days in Miami, the Argentinian delegation went back home without a visa deal.

What they're saying: "Let's just say this was not a great look from us," a senior Trump administration official told Axios. "It's embarrassing."

• DHS declined to comment on the miscommunication or whose signature was missing on the relevant document.
• "There is no new or additional VWP-related document pending signature with Argentina," a senior DHS official told Axios in a written statement that used the initials for the visa-waiver program. "We look forward to working with them going forward."
• After publication of this story, another DHS official said a different agreement was supposed to be signed with Argentinian officials, but the person could not say why the foreign delegation believed a visa-waiver agreement was to be signed or why they went home with no signature on any document.

Later on Wednesday, DHS disputed the notion that a visa-waiver agreement was to be discussed with Argentina.

• Pazo did not return a WhatsApp message or a call to Axios. The press office for Argentina's government said in a statement: "Per longstanding department policy, we won't discuss the details of private diplomatic conversations. We refer to you DHS for more information."
• Both governments did say they're working well together.

This story has been updated with additional comments from DHS.