International

Argentine water and sanitation privatization plan rejected

Photo: Diario La Mañana

November 24 |

The president of the state-owned Agua y Saneamiento Argentinos (AySA), Malena Galmarini, rejected Wednesday the intention of the president-elect of that country, Javier Milei, to privatize a group of public companies, among them the one she has been directing for four years.

Through social networks, Galmarini responded to statements made to a television station by the leader of La Libertad Avanza (LLA), who said that AySA worked very well when it was Aguas Argentinas and was private.

“Everything that we can transfer to the private sector, it is better that the sector does it (…) What has been proven is that everything that the public sector does, it does badly”, said Milei, who during the same interview also expressed that he will privatize Ferrocarriles Argentinos.

Galmarini assured that Aguas Argentinas “only extended the networks to the neighborhoods where they could pay”, so it prioritized financial profitability over the attention to consumers and the quality of the service.

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He added that “AySA, only in these four years, built 4,000 km of networks, included 1,500,000 neighbors in the water network and 1,600,000 more in the sewage network. We worked with international credit organizations to advance in transcendental works and also in the home connections of humble families”.

He also reminded Milei of estimates made by the World Health Organization (WHO) that for every dollar invested in water and sewage, seven dollars are saved in the health sector. “Not everything is the same. Not everything works badly!” he questioned the libertarian.

In early November, the secretary general of the Sanitary Works Union, José Luis Lingeri, also opposed statements made by Milei and LLA followers in the direction of privatizing water and sewage services.

Lingeri then defended the value of water as a fundamental right after Milei expressed in a meeting with businessmen that “a company can contaminate a river as much as it wants”.

The union leader expressed that the contamination of water courses “is wreaking havoc in the world” and recalled that “every day 4,000 children die (globally) for lack of safe water and sanitation system”. “To say that water has a zero value is to ignore the existence, that water is life and that it is a universal right and a human right,” he stressed.

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In reference to Aguas Argentinas and private management, Lingeri assured that “during privatization, the service was only extended to those who could pay, excluding the vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors. This situation highlights the relevance of the State in guaranteeing access for all”.

International

Trump moves to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous substance

Former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous addictive substance, a move aimed at encouraging medical research without immediately opening the door to federal-level decriminalization.

Trump said that “people were begging” him to make the decision, particularly individuals suffering from chronic pain. He stressed, however, that the measure “is not at all a decriminalization” of marijuana for non-medical use.

“I’ve always told my children: don’t use drugs, don’t drink, don’t smoke,” Trump added. He is a well-known teetotaler.

A senior government official described the decision as “common sense” during a briefing with reporters, noting that marijuana and CBD-based products — a compound derived from cannabis known for its relaxing properties — are already widely used in the United States by patients dealing with chronic pain.

Most U.S. states currently allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes, and more than 20 states, along with the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., have also legalized recreational use.

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International

Shakira’s El Salvador concerts sell out in hours, fans demand more dates

The sell-out of all three announced Shakira concerts in El Salvador in less than 24 hours has sparked a collective call for additional dates, highlighting an overwhelming demand that transcends borders and positions the country as a cultural hub in Central America.

Ticket sales for Shakira’s Central American residency confirmed the artist’s massive impact across the region. The three shows scheduled for February 12, 14, and 15 in El Salvador sold out in under 24 hours, triggering an immediate public response from fans who were unable to secure tickets and are now urging promoters to open new dates, according to an official statement from promoters Two Shows and Fenix Entertainment.

Even before ticket sales officially opened, thousands of people joined virtual queues that exceeded the usual capacity of the country’s ticketing platforms. Despite logging in early and waiting for hours, many users were unable to complete their purchases and were ultimately left without tickets, Two Shows reported.

The unprecedented demand was widely documented through screenshots, testimonials, and social media posts, showing slow-moving waiting lists, ticketing websites overwhelmed by traffic, and purchase processes that failed to go through despite users following all required steps within the designated timeframes.

According to the organizers, demand to see Shakira perform in El Salvador remains strong even after the sell-out. Meanwhile, hotels have reported booking inquiries beyond the announced concert dates, pointing to a larger-than-expected tourism influx tied to the event.

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International

Rubio rules out 2028 presidential bid if Vance runs

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not seek the presidency in 2028 if current Vice President JD Vancedecides to run as the Republican nominee to succeed President Donald Trump.

“If JD Vance runs for president, he will be our candidate, and I will be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio said in an interview with Vanity Fair, in which he appeared alongside other senior members of the presidential cabinet.

Rubio, 54, and Vance, 41, are widely viewed as two of the leading Republican figures who could headline the party’s ticket in the 2028 election. Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump is barred from seeking another term after completing two presidential mandates.

In a lighthearted moment during the interview, Vance jokingly offered photographers $1,000 if they managed to make him look better than Rubio in the photos. Both leaders have received public backing from Trump, who last October floated the idea of a joint ticket featuring Rubio and Vance, without clarifying who would lead it.

“I think that if they ever teamed up, they would be unstoppable. I don’t think anyone would run against us,” Trump said at the time.

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White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who also took part in the interview, confirmed that Trump does not intend to violate the 22nd Amendment, which prohibits a third presidential term, though she acknowledged that the president is “having fun” with speculation about a possible return to office.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, served as a Republican senator from 2010 to 2025. He sought the party’s presidential nomination in 2016 but was defeated by Trump after a bruising primary contest. His name was floated as a potential vice presidential pick in 2024, but Vance ultimately secured the spot. After taking office, Trump appointed Rubio as secretary of state, making him the first Latino to hold the position.