Before a lack of dollars, Bolivia demonstrates its resilience
- The satisfaction of the Bolivian business sector with a group of measures from the national government to promote the entry of foreign currency into the country, confirmed this week the resilience of the government's Social Community Economic Model (MESC)
Frente Amplio to disclose government’s failures in electoral campaign
- The Frente Amplio is preparing a document that lists what it considers failures of the current government, which will serve as a battle guide in the electoral campaign for next October's general elections.
Bolivia expects support from CELAC and the EU on coca leaf
- Bolivia hopes for the support of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union in the process to activate the “critical examination” and decriminalize the coca leaf internationally.
Argentine organizations to hold protests
- Members of Argentine social organizations will blockade 500 routes and public spaces under the motto "The food emergency cannot wait any longer. Enough with adjustments!" as part of protests against the Government's measures and to demand support for community soup kitchens and cafeterias.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/23/argentine-organizations-to-hold-protests/
Colombia recovered 77 pre-Hispanic artifacts
- Colombia recovered 77 pre-Hispanic pieces that were repatriated from Germany where they were in the hands of private collectors, a statement from the Foreign Ministry informed.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/22/colombia-recovered-77-pre-hispanic-artifacts/
Bolivia and Russia evaluate enhancing collaboration
- Bolivia and Russia are outlining a strengthening of their collaboration in various fields after the meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between Foreign Ministers Celinda Sosa and Sergei Lavrov.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/22/bolivia-and-russia-evaluate-enhancing-collaboration/
Brazilian president to be special guest at CARICOM meeting
- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be a special guest at the 46th Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to be held next week, official sources reported.
UK’s FM expresses interest in improving ties with Paraguay
- UK Foreign Minister David Cameron expressed on Wednesday his interest in strengthening ties with Paraguay.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/21/uks-fm-expresses-interest-in-improving-ties-with-paraguay/
Ecuador’s COE declares Chone City in emergency after heavy rains
- Ecuador’s Emergency Operations Committee (COE) declared on Wednesday Chone City, Manabi province in emergency after the heavy rains of the last hours.
Bolivia condemns Moroccan repression against the Saharawi people
- The ambassador of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Bolivia, Ahmed Salem Mohamed Ahmed, deplored today the repression of the Government of Morocco against that people.
Brazil hosts first G20 ministerial meeting
- Rio de Janeiro is hosting this Wednesday and Thursday the first ministerial meeting of the G20, which brings together the 19 main economies of the world and the European Union.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/21/brazil-hosts-first-g20-ministerial-meeting/
Colombia to speak before the ICJ on Israeli violations in Palestine
- Colombia will participate in the hearings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel's practices and policies in the occupied Palestinian territory.
President Maduro meets with Russian FM Lavrov
- Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov who is paying an official visit in Caracas as part of his work agenda within his Latin American tour.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/20/president-maduro-meets-with-russian-fm-lavrov/
Uruguayan government is aimless, Frente Amplio pre-candidate says
- The government of President Luis Lacalle Pou has no direction, the mayor of Montevideo, today presidential pre-candidate for the Frente Amplio, Carolina Cosse, affirmed.
Mexico heads the Financial Action Task Force
- Mexico was elected chair of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs announced on Friday in a joint statement.
- Elisa de Anda Madrazo was approved for the position, the first woman to hold the post in over 20 years. Her nomination was made by the Secretary of Finance and Public Credit Rogelio Ramirez de la O in November, and she enjoyed the support and accompaniment of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).
- Mexico’s election represents a victory for its domestic financial diplomacy and a testimony of the international community’s confidence in our country, both secretariats referred.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/23/mexico-heads-the-financial-action-task-force/
Dominican Republic basins with possible hydrocarbon resources
- A first scientific study developed in the Dominican Republic concluded today that in several basins of the country, there are conditions for the existence of hydrocarbon resources.
- The report on the research was presented by the president of the Board of Directors of the Petroleum Refinery (Refidomsa), Leonardo Aguilera, together with the technicians of the Oil and Gas Research and Exploration Unit who analysed the Azua, San Juan, Enriquillo and Ciboa basins.
- In a press conference, Aguilera emphasized that the results of this exploration will revolutionize the strategy for the location of important oil and natural gas resources, based on geological and geophysical factors that characterize the territory.
Special groups to vote in Jamaica’s advanced municipal elections
- The personnel of some public institutions in Jamaica will vote today in advance for the candidates competing in the municipal elections, which will be held on Monday to elect mayors and councilmen.
- During this day, militaries, police officers, and the more than 30 thousand civilian labourers, who will work directly in the electoral process, will go to the polls.
- Early voting will allow the so-called special groups to fulfil their rights to choose the candidates of their preference and then focus on providing their services on voting day.
- According to the electoral authorities, everything is ready for Jamaica to hold safe and transparent elections on February 26.
- A total of 499 individuals will participate in the contest and most of them belong to the two main political parties in the country.
El Salvador to host microfinance summit in 2024
- El Salvador will host the 2nd Microfinance Summit for Latin America and the Caribbean (SUMMIC), scheduled from August 21 to 23, 2024, an official source announced.
- The event will be attended by nearly 400 delegates from microfinance companies and representatives of the sector, and will also bring together financial leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to address critical issues in the current context, including cybersecurity and product development.
- Participants will also address user’s experience and risk management, the regulatory environment and corporate governance, as well as gender and green finance.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/21/el-salvador-to-host-microfinance-summit-in-2024/
India to increase trade exchanges with El Salvador
- India and El Salvador are working to increase their trade exchanges in 2024, an official source said today.
- Khalid Khan, representative of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) highlighted during his visit to the country 'the vast potential of this rapidly growing economy' and anticipated the desire to increase trade.
- In the 2022-2023 financial year, bilateral trade between India and El Salvador reached 126 million dollars, and the objective is to increase that figure, said Khan, quoted by local media.
- Recently, a delegation of 20 Indian companies met with Salvadoran officials and held a business conference with local entrepreneurs to explore new business opportunities.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/20/india-to-increase-trade-exchanges-with-el-salvador/
Severe drought in Mexico Valley affects capital and neighbouring state
- A very severe drought in the Valley of Mexico is affecting the capital and the neighbouring state of the same name, where the Villa Victoria dam is dangerously reducing its water volume, depth and extension.
- In an extensive report published today, the newspaper Excelsior warns of the consequences that the shrinking of the dam is having an effect on the supply of the precious liquid to several municipalities of the capital and large populated areas of the State of Mexico.
- The dam had a depth of up to 18 meters and a water mirror that covered a perimeter of 60.9 kilometres.
- Today the panorama is devastating; large islands or mounds of sediment emerge in the middle of the reservoir, which has barely 30 percent storage, an alarming figure.
Presidents of Costa Rica and Panama inaugurate center for migrants
- The president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, will receive his Panamanian counterpart, Laurentino Cortizo, in Paso Canoas, near the common border, where they will inaugurate an Integrated Control Center for migrants.
- The institution constitutes a welcome site in Costa Rica for those traveling the Central American route aiming to reach the United States.
- Last October, the leaders of Costa Rica and Panama shared the criterion of promoting control over the passage of migrants from South America on their journey north.
- Chaves and Cortizo convened presidents of countries from the region of origin, transit and destination of migrants to an urgent meeting to jointly address the crisis; the meeting was later held in Mexico.
Ecuador’s Parliament to analyze trade agreement with Costa Rica
- The plenary session of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Ecuador will analyse the report on the Trade Association Agreement established with Costa Rica during the government of President Guillermo Lasso.
- The report, which was previously approved by the Commission on International Relations and Human Mobility, highlights that the ratification of the agreement will generate a 10 percent growth in current exports to Costa Rica.
- According to the document, that would generate an income of 2.9 million dollars, improve the competitiveness of canned and preserved fish, metal manufactures, wooden boards, medicines, shrimp, white goods, porcelain and sanitary ceramics and leather, among other items.
- The agreement excludes products such as beef, dairy products, pineapple, cassava, sugar, unroasted coffee, among others included in Costa Rica’s main export items.
Nicaragua discloses regulations of FTA with China 
- Authorities from the Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce (MIFIC) of Nicaragua disclosed the regulations of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Nicaragua and China.
- In a meeting with institutions of the Government, the National System of Production, Consumption and Commerce and the beef, pork and beef sectors, among others, the general director of foreign trade of MIFIC Maricruz Prieto explained the requirements that products must meet in order to reach the Chinese market.
- She stated that the objective of this first meeting was to publicize the opportunities that the productive and export sectors of Nicaragua may have to take advantage of the FTA with China.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/20/nicaragua-discloses-regulations-of-fta-with-china/
Panama’s first presidential debate to be held on February 26
- With a view to the general elections next May, Panama’s Electoral Tribunal (TE) confirmed on Monday the rescheduling of the first of three debates among presidential candidates, now on February 26.
- The decision was announced by the magistrates after a meeting with media executives, responsible for the transmission of the controversies in national chain, according to what was reported.
- For the first debate, whose production and organization is in charge of the University of Panama and TVN Media, rounds of questions on citizen insecurity, sustainable development, Social Security Fund, quality education and unemployment had been designed.
- The first of those debates was to be held next Wednesday, but the TE indicated on Tuesday that it was postponed, “in order to guarantee that the candidates who will be on the ballot participate in the presidential debates.”
El Salvador awaits results of legislative elections
- Salvadorans are waiting today to know the final results of the legislative elections that concluded on February 4.
- At Saturday midnight, the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE, in Spanish) magistrate, Guillermo Wellman, assured that this Sunday the composition of the Legislative Assembly (parliament) for the 2024-2027 period could be officially announced.
- On Sunday morning the TSE reported it had finished counting the votes of the legislative elections. The results made public by the Court, with the use of the D’Hont Formula, granted, until Saturday, 40 deputies to the New Ideas party, two to the National Conciliation Party and one to ARENA.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/18/el-salvador-awaits-results-of-legislative-elections/
Central Electoral Board urges civic voting in Dominican Republic
- The Central Electoral Board (JCE) of the Dominican Republic formally opened today at 07:00 local time, the voting polls for the municipal elections.
- The JCE president, Roman Jaquez Liranzo, called on citizens to exercise their right to vote with civility and in peace, minutes before the opening of the polling stations and in the presence of delegates of the political parties, members of civil society and national and international observers.
- “You, Dominicans, have in your hands, in a scoreboard, the destinies of the municipal governments of the Dominican Republic”, he expressed.
Bridges of Love for Cuba reinforces solidarity in Bolivia
Dozens of Bolivians from several left-wing forces and Cuban residents in La Paz expressed their repudiation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba on Sunday.
The central Plaza Mayor of San Francisco brought together graduates from the Latin American School of Medicine, members of the Guevarist Movement of Bolivia/ELN, representatives of the Communist Party of Bolivia and activists from the Bolivian Movement of Solidarity with Cuba-La Paz.
“We started these mobilizations in Santa Cruz more than a year ago and by coming to work in La Paz we maintained this solidarity project,” Dr. Edwin Grimaldo, leader of these events said in an interview with Prensa Latina in Plaza de San Francisco.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/25/bridges-of-love-for-cuba-reinforces-solidarity-in-bolivia/
Caravans against US blockade against Cuba in Dominican Republic
Two caravans against the United States blockade against Cuba took place on Sunday simultaneously in this capital and Santiago de los Caballeros, in the north of the Dominican Republic.
Dozens of vehicles with Cuban and national flags, photos of Cuban National Hero José Martí, and signs that read “No to the Blockade against Cuba,” “Cuba Yes, Blockade No,” accompanied the caravans, organized by the members of the Solidarity Campaign with Cuba in the two territories.
Also present were representation of the Máximo Gómez Association of Cuban Residents in the Dominican Republic, headed by its president, Nelson Valdés.
United States back to the Moon
- The successful landing of an unmanned spacecraft on the Earth's natural satellite marks the return of the United States to the moon after half a century, according to media reports today.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said it chose the landing site for the first Intuitive Machines mission because it wanted to learn more about the lunar environment and how communications work in that area.
According to the agency a “relatively flat and safe region lies within the cratered southern highlands on the side of the Moon visible from Earth.”
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/23/united-states-back-to-the-moon/
Illegal occupation of Cuban territory by the U.S. recalled
- Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez today recalled the occupation by the United States in 1903 of the territory of Guantanamo (east), where it maintains a naval base.
In his profile on the social network X, the top representative of the island’s diplomacy affirmed that 121 years ago, that northern power usurped 117 square kilometers of Cuban soil, which it illegally maintains against the will of the nation
He pointed out in his message that at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. government has tortured, with impunity, and systematically violated the human rights of its prisoners.
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/23/illegal-occupation-of-cuban-territory-by-the-u-s-recalled/
U.S. agricultural sector interested in negotiating with Cuba
- The president of the U.S. agricultural society NASDA, Ted McKinney, said that he is traveling to Cuba in order to strengthen ties of friendship and explore trade possibilities, according to the press.
A note published Thursday in the Granma newspaper stressed that the U.S. agricultural sector is interested in doing business with this country.
NASDA is a non-partisan and non-profit association that represents the commissioners, secretaries and elected and appointed directors of the departments of agriculture in the 50 states and four territories of the United States.
In Latin America, Guards Don’t Control Prisons, Gangs Do
- Ecuador’s military was sent in to seize control of the country’s prisons last month after two major gang leaders escaped and criminal groups quickly set off a nationwide revolt that paralyzed the country.
In Brazil last week, two inmates with connections to a major gang became the first to escape from one of the nation’s five maximum-security federal prisons, officials said.
Officials in Colombia have declared an emergency in its prisons after two guards were killed and several more targeted in what the government said was retaliation for its crackdown on major criminal groups.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/21/world/americas/latin-america-prisons-gangs-violence.html
Bubonic plague case confirmed in Oregon, linked to pet cat: Experts share symptoms and prevention tips
A resident of Deschutes County, Oregon, has been diagnosed with bubonic plague, marking the state's first case since 2015. The individual, receiving treatment, likely contracted the disease from a pet cat. Health authorities have assessed close contacts and administered preventive medication.
Bubonic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, presents as swollen lymph nodes after a flea bite, typically on the arms or legs. Septicemic plague occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream, while pneumonic plague is the deadliest form, causing fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and bloody sputum.
Plague primarily spreads among small mammals through infected fleas. Cats, like other mammals, can carry and transmit the disease to humans.
U.S. Imposes Major New Sanctions on Russia, Targeting Finance and Defense
- The United States on Friday unleashed its most extensive package of sanctions on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine two years ago, targeting Russia’s financial sector and military-industrial complex in a broad effort to degrade the Kremlin’s war machine.
The sweeping sanctions come as the war enters its third year, and exactly one week after the death of the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, for which the Biden administration blames President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
With Congress struggling to reach an agreement on providing more aid to Ukraine, the United States has become increasingly reliant on financial tools to slow Russia’s ability to restock its military supplies and to put pressure on its economy.
Biden meets with Navalny family in California, pledges sanctions against Putin
- President Joe Biden met Thursday with the wife and daughter of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, the White House said, as the president prepares to levy additional sanctions against Russia.
After the meeting, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin himself will be sanctioned.
“I had the honor of meeting with his wife and daughter and, to state the obvious, he was a man of incredible courage,” Biden told reporters of Navalny. “We’re gonna be announcing sanctions against Putin, who is responsible for his death, tomorrow.”
Historic Odysseus moon mission marks a milestone in reaching the lunar surface
Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 lander, also called Odysseus or “Odie,” is on the lunar surface after experiencing unexpected issues hours prior to landing.
“I know this was a nail-biter, but we are on the surface, and we are transmitting,” Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus announced on a live webcast. “Welcome to the moon.”
The company was able to confirm that mission control received signals from the lunar surface shortly after landing. But it wasn’t until two hours later that Intuitive Machines shared that the spacecraft was “upright and starting to send data,” according to an
