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
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded guilty on Monday to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court, months after his brother Ovidio reached a similar plea agreement, according to local media reports.
The defendant appeared before a federal court in Chicago early Monday afternoon and changed his previous plea in the case, the Chicago Tribune reported. U.S. authorities accuse him of forming, together with his three brothers, the cartel faction known as “Los Chapitos.”
The group is believed to have continued the operations of El Chapo, who has been serving a life sentence in the United States since 2019.
Guzmán López, 39, was arrested after landing in Texas in a small aircraft alongside cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
International
Venezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
The arrival of U.S. aircraft carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued regularly despite rising tensions between Washington and Caracas over President Donald Trump’s military deployment in the Caribbean.
Trump maintains that the deployment is part of an anti-narcotics operation, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro insists the true objective is to remove him from power and seize the nation’s oil resources.
Venezuela’s aviation authority has “received a request from the United States government to resume repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants from that country to Venezuela,” the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement .
“Under the instructions of President Nicolás Maduro, authorization has been granted for these aircraft to enter our airspace,” it added.
Caracas will permit two Eastern Airlines flights to land on Wednesday and Friday.
Migration remains one of the Trump administration’s flagship issues. On Monday, the U.S. president held a meeting with his National Security Council to discuss the situation in Venezuela, a day after confirming he had spoken with Maduro by phone, without offering further details.
According to the Venezuelan government, roughly 75 deportation flights have been carried out this year, returning at least 13,956 Venezuelans from the United States.
International
20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
The German army confirmed the theft of a shipment of ammunition that occurred a week ago while it was being transported by a civilian delivery driver, a military spokesperson told AFP, confirming earlier media reports.
According to Der Spiegel and the regional broadcaster MDR, around 20,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen from an unguarded parking lot near Magdeburg, in eastern Germany, while the driver was asleep in a nearby hotel. No information has been released regarding the identity of the suspects, and the military declined to specify the exact type or amount of ammunition taken.
Authorities have also not indicated how the perpetrators knew the cargo would be left unattended.
“The theft was discovered upon delivery at the barracks,” the German army spokesperson said.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that an investigation has been opened but refused to provide further details “for tactical reasons.”
Sources close to the German military, cited by Der Spiegel, believe it is unlikely the theft was a coincidence. They suspect the thieves waited for the driver to stop for the night before striking.
Der Spiegel also reported that the Defense Ministry normally requires two drivers for this type of transport to ensure the cargo is constantly monitored. However, in this case only one driver was assigned, meaning the civilian transport company failed to comply with the security protocols.
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Venezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
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
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