International

Teachers go on strike during the restart of classes in Uruguay

Photo: El País Uruguay

March 7th |

Various teachers’ organizations in Uruguay held a 24-hour strike this Monday, in the framework of the restart of classes after contradictions with the government of President Luis Lacalle Pou due to budget cuts and the lack of educational guarantees.

With the start of classes, budgetary demands were heard again, as was the case of the National Federation of Secondary Education Teachers (Fenapes).

This union stated in a press release that “the beginning of classes is plagued with substantive shortcomings and is an adjustment that can be summarized in three axes, budgetary, pedagogical and rights, which is far from guaranteeing an adequate beginning of classes”.

The collective appealed to the fact that the Government’s reform should be defended from the pedagogical point of view and not from the propaganda point of view. In relation to “the optimization of spending, it is nothing more than an empty pretension of results at the lowest cost: no investment in infrastructure, multiemployment and teacher unemployment”.

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The member of Fenapes, Emiliano Mandacen valued that this is the most complex beginning of the school year, and catalogued it as “administrative chaos”. Due to what he called administrative negligence, the professor pointed out that this influences the students’ learning conditions.

There are groups that will have no teachers, said Mandacen, adding that others will be overcrowded.

Meanwhile, members of the Association of Secondary School Teachers occupied the 41st High School against the plans of the educational reform and demanded a change at the budgetary level, as well as the improvement of the infrastructure.

International

UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions

The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.

Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.

The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.

“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.

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While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.

To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.

Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.

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International

Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela

Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.

In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.

For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.

“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.