International

Argentina to ease exchange control for oil and gas companies

AFP

Argentina on Tuesday announced an easing of foreign exchange controls for the shale oil and gas industry in a bid to promote investment and boost production.

In an area known as Vaca Muerta in Patagonia, Argentina has what is considered the second-largest shale gas reserve in the world and the fourth largest of shale oil.

Extraction has been hampered by a lack of much-needed but costly investment, especially for hydraulic fracking.

On Tuesday, Economy Minister Martin Guzman said “a special regime for currency access” would be put in place for the hydrocarbon industry “to guarantee the special equipment they require,” especially for fracking.

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About 20 oil companies have been operating in Vaca Muerta since 2013, including Chevron, Shell, Total and Statoil in partnership with the Argentine oil company YPF.

Since September 2019, Argentina has had exchange controls in place with a limited official rate of about 120 pesos for one dollar.

At the same time, currency can be exchanged at a rate of some 200 pesos to the dollar through debt bonds or on the informal market.

“We have a great opportunity in energy in Argentina. The next 15 years have great potential for development,” said President Alberto Fernandez, on a working trip with Guzman.

The government says oil production can increase by 70 percent and gas production by 30 percent over the next five years.

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In recent months, Argentina has increased its production of hydrocarbons to reach a record 578,000 barrels per day in April — an increase of 13 percent in 12 months, according to the government.

Gas production in the same month was 127 million cubic meters, an increase of 12 percent year-on-year.

That has allowed the country to reverse five years of decline in oil production, said Guzman.

Last month, the government launched a construction tender phase for a gas pipeline from Vaca Muerta to the north of the country, to increase domestic supply and exports at a time when worldwide energy costs have shot up due to the war in Ukraine.

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Central America

U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme

The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.

Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.

The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.

According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.

International

Elon Musk skips French court appearance over X investigation

Billionaire Elon Musk did not appear this Monday before French authorities, who had summoned him for a voluntary statement as part of an investigation into his social media platform X, prosecutors told AFP.

The platform has been under investigation since early 2025 following complaints from lawmakers alleging bias in its algorithms, which may have altered its functioning and interfered in politics in France.

The probe has since expanded to include other alleged offenses, such as complicity in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as the role of Grok in spreading denialist content and sexually explicit fake images.

In early February, investigators raided X’s offices in Paris. The company has denied any wrongdoing, describing the searches as “political” and “abusive.”

At that time, the Paris prosecutor’s office summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to provide voluntary testimony as those responsible for the platform during the period under investigation.

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Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau also stated that X employees were called to testify as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.

International

Four injured in shooting at Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico

Four more people were injured by gunfire during the ആക്രമ attack at Teotihuacán, one of the most emblematic archaeological complexes in Mexico, authorities confirmed.

The Secretary of Security of the State of Mexico, Cristóbal Castañeda, reported that the victims include two Colombian nationals, one Russian, and one Canadian. Additionally, two other individuals were injured due to falls, according to a statement from local authorities.

President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed concern over the incident, stating on social media that “what happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us.”

Federal authorities recovered a firearm, a knife, and ammunition at the scene, which remains under the protection of state police and the Guardia Nacional, according to the federal Security Cabinet.

Located about 50 kilometers from Mexico City, Teotihuacán is a major tourist destination frequently visited by both domestic and international travelers.