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.
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.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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