International

‘Green madness’ as dollars found at Argentina dump

AFP

Hundred dollar bills drifting in the air and buried under trash: a “green fever” has struck an Argentinian town where residents have gathered a small fortune believed to have been hidden in a closet discarded at the local dump.

Unconfirmed reports of more than $75,000 collected at the dump at Las Parejas in central Argentina in recent days have piqued such frenetic interest that authorities have had to close the facility.

“A friend got out of his truck and saw a crisp $100 bill on the ground. It struck us because it was in impeccable condition,” said Federico Baez, one of the greenback beneficiaries.

“We each started to grab a share. It was like a game, to see who could grab the most bills. We got about $10,000 between the six of us,” Baez told AFP.

“Then another kid came along and found $25,000, he was luckier. I think there must be much more buried,” he added.

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It is not known whether the finders will be allowed to keep their loot.

A popular theory doing the rounds on social media is that the money was hidden in a secret compartment of a closet that was thrown out after its owner died without heirs.

In Argentina, which has long been wracked by high inflation and where there is deep distrust in the banking system, it is common for people to keep cash savings in dollars in their homes.

Las Parejas mayor Horacio Compagnucci said his town had been struck by what he called “green madness.”

“In a context in which the country is having a difficult time from an economic point of view, the word ‘dollar’ is on everyone’s lips,” he told AFP.

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Argentines have been living under exchange controls since 2019 as the government seeks to shore up foreign reserves.

The rules have become increasingly strict, to the point where each individual is allowed to buy no more than $200 a month.

The unusual find in Las Parejas has also given rise to numerous memes, including one of President Alberto Fernandez and his deputy Cristina Kirchner digging in the rubbish for cash.

International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.

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International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

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Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.