The government of Ecuador presented on Wednesday its draft Organic Law on Atomic Energy, aiming to explore the development of nuclear technology to ensure energy security and reduce the country’s reliance on hydroelectric power plants.

Fabián Calero, Deputy Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, stated that the proposal “has been crafted with technical responsibility, strategic vision, and a strong commitment to Ecuador’s sustainable development.”

During his second-term inauguration speech on May 24, President Daniel Noboa had already announced plans to introduce a nuclear energy bill, emphasizing the need to diversify Ecuador’s energy matrix and build a system that guarantees clean, sufficient, and sustainable energy for all Ecuadorians.

Presenting the bill to academia, energy experts, and the media, Calero explained that Ecuador is seeking to expand its portfolio of both national and international projects to drive “a more robust, efficient, sustainable, and secure” energy system.

“Our country is moving toward an energy transition that does not solely depend on climate conditions but on decisive actions, medium- and long-term planning, and a clear vision of energy sovereignty,” he said.

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Ecuador experienced a severe electricity crisis last year, primarily due to drought. At its peak, the shortage led to blackouts lasting up to 14 hours a day.

The 2023 blackouts resulted in economic losses exceeding $1.9 billion.

Authorities in Mexico City announced on Wednesday a comprehensive strategy to combat gentrification, including a proposed law aimed at regulating housing rental prices.

The plan follows a wave of protests earlier in July in the central neighborhoods of Roma and Condesa—areas widely seen as the epicenter of the gentrification phenomenon, which intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the rise of remote work during the health emergency, thousands of foreigners—mostly young Americans—moved to the Mexican capital, drawn by its lower cost of living. “This is not only an issue for our city, but for the entire world,” said Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada during a public event to present the plan.

“Gentrification means the disappearance of local businesses; it means transforming neighborhoods into areas for temporary housing,” she added.

Brugada stated that her administration will propose a law on “fair, reasonable, and affordable rents” to regulate and stabilize housing rental prices, and to prevent the displacement of people and communities.

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She also announced stricter regulation of short-term and temporary rentals such as Airbnb. “We will fully enforce the existing legal provisions and establish a methodology to set clear parameters for regulating temporary housing operations,” she said.

Additionally, Brugada emphasized that the city will prioritize the construction of public housing in central areas to ensure equitable access to housing.

The influx of higher-income foreigners into central neighborhoods has significantly driven up rental prices, pushing original residents to move to more affordable areas, often on the outskirts of the city.

During the July protests, some demonstrators voiced strong opposition to foreigners, particularly U.S. citizens.

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Civil society groups from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador denounced on Wednesday the interference of multinational corporations in public food policies across Latin America, which has contributed to the rise in consumption of ultra-processed products in the region.

Alejandro Calvillo, director of the Mexican NGO El Poder del Consumidor, warned during a press conference about an increase in social media attacks against the organization. The NGO has led campaigns raising awareness about the health risks of ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks.

“They accuse us of spending a significant amount of money specifically to carry out public campaigns that highlight the health harms of these products and the sugar content in soft drinks,” Calvillo said, adding that a detailed investigation is currently underway.

Furthermore, Calvillo called on the Mexican government to intensify public awareness campaigns about the damages caused by these products to the population.

He also alerted to a recent wave of discredit campaigns, which are accompanied by cases of espionage and intimidation against researchers from this and other NGOs, as well as corporate tactics aimed at circumventing regulations and policies.

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Alejandra Niño, a researcher and nutritionist from FIAN-Colombia, explained that the implementation of health taxes in the country is facing “a systemic corporate interference strategy,” where powerful political and economic actors exert “corporate capture” to reshape and control public decision-making in favor of their interests.