International

For the Government of Argentina, the scandal over the $LIBRA case is a “finished topic”

The Argentine Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francos, said on Wednesday that the scandal over the ‘cryptophysi’ of President Javier Milei’s $LIBRA is a “finished issue” for the Government and that he doubts the international impact it may have on the Argentine economy.

“For us it is a topic that is finished. I think the investigations will say later where the mistake occurred or as a result of what and the Justice to investigate what it has to investigate. In political terms, it’s over for us,” Francos said in statements to Radio Rivadavia.

In addition, he said that “it is an episode that internationally will not have an impact” and anticipated that “everything will continue in the positive lanes that the Argentine economy had been following.”

The Chief of Staff described the episode, for which Milei spread on Friday the launch of a cryptocurrency that shortly after collapsed, as an “incident” and emphasized that the repercussions that the government expects are at the level of domestic politics, in Congress.

In parallel with the more than a hundred complaints filed before the Justice by affected investors, from the Union for the Fatherland (Peronism) party they confirmed to EFE that this Wednesday it will present in the Chamber of Deputies a request to form a special commission to investigate the participation of the president in the $LIBRA case, which could later lead to impeachment.

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Francos also referred today to the intervention of an advisor to Milei during an interview with the president on the TN television channel on Monday, which was initially edited but then spread on social networks, and commented that there was a “lack of criteria” of the presidential advisor Santiago Caputo when interrupting the dialogue while Milei talked about the possible judicial implications of the case.

“The President got angry with Santiago Caputo, because it seemed irresponsible to him that, without any prior agreement with the host of the program, he interrupted a stupidity. I think he must have learned a lesson, right? That no one is super powerful. All things have their limits and the president has marked it,” Francos said.

Since Friday, the Argentine Government has been experiencing one of its biggest political crises since the assumption of Milei in December 2023, after a publication by the president in support of the launch of the cryptocurrency $LIBRA, which according to him would finance startups and small businesses in Argentina.

The currency skyrocketed and inflated its price until the majority investors withdrew profits of 87.4 million dollars. This generated the collapse of his value and, before the first accusations of fraud, Milei deleted his publication.

The president said he had acted “in good faith”, emphasized that he spread the cryptocurrency, but did not promote it, and refused to take responsibility for the victims.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”