International
Argentina launches construction tender phase of mega gas pipeline
AFP
Argentina on Thursday launched the construction tender phase for a gas pipeline megaproject that will eventually extend more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the southwest to north of Buenos Aires.
It is the largest natural gas project in Argentina in the last four decades and comes at a time when worldwide energy costs have shot up due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The tender will be launched in May with a decision due in July.
The first stage of the project is due to cost $1.5 billion, beginning in August and ending in 2024.
In an official ceremony near to the Vaca Muerta pipeline project in Neuquen province, President Alberto Fernandez celebrated “the start of work to create the Nestor Kirchner pipeline.”
The aim of the megaproject is to expand Argentina’s fuel transport capacity for both domestic use and exports.
The first section of the pipeline, named after a late former president, will extend 558 kilometers from Neuquen province to Buenos Aires province.
A second section will extend another 467 kilometers northwards, reaching San Jeronimo.
In total, the new pipeline will increase Argentina’s gas supply by more than 40 million cubic meters a day “supplying urban centers and industry in the center and north of the country and giving the opportunity to export to Brazil and Chile,” the presidency said in a statement.
The Vaca Muerta deposit holds unconventional gas which is harder and more expensive to extract than more conventional natural gas.
The site is being exploited by state energy firm YPF and US giant Chevron.
The US Department of Energy rates the Vaca Muerta field, which extends over 30,000 square kilometers in Patagonia, as the world’s second largest shale gas reserve, and fourth in the world for shale oil.
Extraction from this site has slowed down in recent years due to the fall in the price of crude which made it less profitable due to the high costs of hydraulic fracturing to extract unconventional gas.
International
Petro expresses concern over fatal shooting during mass protests in Lima
Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced his “concern” on Thursday over recent events in Peru, following the death of a protester reportedly shot during a massive demonstration in Lima against the government and Congress.
“I must express my concern over the events in Peru. A young artist has been killed in citizens’ protests,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Colombian leader also noted that in Peru, “a popularly elected president remains imprisoned without conviction,” referring to Pedro Castillo, who led the country from July 2021 to December 2022 until he was removed by Congress following a failed attempted coup.
“This is a blatant violation of the American Convention on Human Rights,” Petro stated, adding, “I hope Peru seeks social and political dialogue to legitimize its public institutions.”
On Wednesday, Peru experienced widespread protests in several cities, with the largest demonstration in Lima in recent years, driven by citizens’ concerns over corruption and public insecurity.
During the capital’s mobilization, the Ombudsman’s Office confirmed the death of Eduardo Ruiz, 32, and reported clashes that left over 100 injured, including 78 police officers and 24 protesters, as well as ten arrests.
The Attorney General’s Office, investigating Ruiz’s death “in the context of serious human rights violations,” confirmed that the protester was shot.
International
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
Peru’s interim president, José Jerí, stated Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the post he assumed last Friday, following the removal of former president Dina Boluarte, despite growing unrest over the death of a protester during massive demonstrations in Lima on Wednesday.
“I will not resign,” Jerí declared outside the Government Palace in Lima, where he returned on foot after making a surprise visit to Congress headquarters alongside Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez.
Earlier, after leaving the Legislative Palace, the president acknowledged that the country is going through “difficult times” and condemned what he described as “a small group attempting to impose an agenda different from the citizens’ expression of discontent.”
Jerí expressed condolences for the death of Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year-old man who died during Wednesday’s protest against the government and Congress, amid growing anger over corruption and insecurity.
“We stand in solidarity with his family,” he said, without offering further details about the incident, which has sparked outrage among Peruvians.
The president also described the demonstrations as “a legitimate civic expression” that later turned violent due to “certain groups seeking to provoke chaos by exploiting a peaceful citizen movement.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the rights of both demonstrators and security forces must be protected,” Jerí emphasized, adding that “as a result of that situation, this unfortunate death occurred outside the main area where the protest was taking place.”
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
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