International
Milei celebrates 100 days as president, between the controversy and his obstinacy about the course
The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, celebrates 100 days of management this Tuesday, in which he has shown obstinacy in the course to achieve fiscal balance and reduce the weight of the State to lower inflation, despite the setbacks in Congress; the fall in purchasing power and criticism for his confrontational method.
In several publications that Milei replied on his social network account X, a direct media that he appreciates a lot, he celebrated that he “avoided the hyperinflation” that was “activated” by his predecessor, the Peronist Alberto Fernández (2019-2023); he began the “sustained process of disinflation” and the decrease in country risk, today at 1,520 basis points.
In terms of security, he replied messages that say that he “ended the pickets” and “he stood against insecurity and narco-terrorism,” and as for corruption, “the amount of illegalities” that he is discovering.
Milei took advantage of this Tuesday to exhibit the unit with her vice president, Victoria Villarruel, on social networks, where they came to publish a photo hugging, after she participated in the meeting of the Cabinet of ministers in the Casa Rosada: “Those who are fighting…!!!,” the president said ironically.
The relationship between Milei and Villarruel reached a peak of tension last week due to the decision of the vice president – who also chairs the Senate – to convene a session in the Upper House where the megadecree of necessity and urgency (DNU) signed by the president in December was rejected.
The presidential spokesman, Manuel Adorni, defined the first 100 days as “a case study” and “an atypical case,” in his usual press conference at the Executive headquarters.
Adorni listed that since Milei took office on December 10, Congress rejected the DNU and a fundamental bill for the Executive, the main union center called for a general strike on January 24 and there were train and bus stops.
In addition, the Patagonian province of Chubut threatened to cut off the supply of hydrocarbons and opposition groups “fantasized” that the far-right would fall for these months.
“This was the only Government (…) that in the first days of the Government has meticulously fulfilled each of the points it had promised in the campaign,” Adorni said, because it “attacked from the outset” the fiscal deficit and clung to the balance of public accounts to “end inflation and the destruction of the currency.”
Milei is an ‘outsider’ who, with aggressive speech and disruptive forms against the “political caste,” won the elections in a second round last November, with 56% support.
“No other government so far had been encouraged to put their hand in politics’s pocket” or “exposed as much to politics” as Milei’s, Adorni said.
Fernández is one of the opposition politicians who criticized the first 100 days of Milei, by showing on his social networks that inflation rose by 71.3%, industrial production fell by 19.4%, retail sales of SMEs fell by 23% and the real salary of registered private workers fell by 27.1%, among other negative indicators.
Amnesty International Argentina warned that the “confrontation” practiced by the Government of Milei is to divert attention from those real conflicts – inflation, poverty, lack of medicines – and violate freedom of expression, and asked for “basic rules of coexistence and non-aggression, especially from the presidential investiture and its collaborators.”
Despite the severe economic adjustment that causes a loss of purchasing power, with inflation that climbed to 276.2% year-on-year last February, Milei maintains a positive image of more than 50%, according to opinion polls.
In that sense, the Government of Milei also boasts of having “changed the concept of governance” because now “it is given by the support of the people,” in a context in which its far-right party, La Libertad Avanza, only has 38 deputies, 7 senators and no provincial governor.
Adorni acknowledged that “there is still a lot to do,” remembering that seven out of ten minors are still poor in Argentina, but that “this time a new sun comes to impoverished Argentina.”
International
Cuba accuses U.S. of pressuring countries ahead of UN vote on embargo
The Cuban government on Wednesday accused the United States of exerting “intimidating and deceptive pressure” on third countries to vote against the annual UN General Assembly resolution calling for an end to U.S. sanctions on the island.
In a statement to the international press, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez claimed that Havana possesses “reliable information” about Washington’s efforts to pressure countries in Latin America and Europe ahead of the vote.
The non-binding resolution, presented every year by Cuba since 1992, has consistently received overwhelming supportfrom the international community — with 187 votes in favor and only two against (the U.S. and Israel) in recent years. The next vote is scheduled to take place on October 28.
Rodríguez described the resolution as a diplomatic victory for Cuba despite its lack of practical effect, and asserted that his government had obtained U.S. documents sent to other nations urging them to “change their historical position” on the issue.
According to the foreign minister, the United States has allegedly “coerced allied nations” in recent weeks using tactics such as visa denials, trade tariffs, and pressure on private companies.
He further stated that in two written communications, dated October 8 and 17, Washington explicitly urged the recipients to “reject” the Cuban resolution “in accordance with applicable legal measures.”
Central America
U.S. and Panama hold joint jungle exercises to strengthen security ties
U.S. and Panamanian security forces carried out joint exercises in Panama’s jungle on Wednesday, focusing on the exchange of specialized knowledge as part of renewed bilateral cooperation in security and defense, according to official statements.
Joint operations between the two nations—Panama, which has had no standing army since 1990, and the United States—have been frequent since the 1989 U.S. invasion. The latest drills come after both countries renewed their security cooperation last April through a memorandum of understanding, which initially sparked some controversy in Panama due to provisions allowing greater temporary and rotational U.S. military presence.
The exercises also coincide with an unprecedented U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean, part of Washington’s expanded anti-narcotics campaign, which it links to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government—currently the target of a $50 million U.S. reward offer.
“We are simply focused on creating mutual understanding and shared experiences that can be beneficial for both countries, Panama and the United States,” said U.S. Colonel Ada Cotton during a press briefing.
The U.S. contingent, composed of Marines and an Army officer, participated at the invitation of the Panamanian government, which, according to Cotton, “has clearly defined what we can and cannot do” during the training exercises.
International
Colombia conducts nationwide emergency drill focused on hidroituango dam
Colombians took part on Wednesday in the National Emergency Response Drill, an exercise aimed at enhancing citizens’ ability to react to risk situations and promoting a culture of prevention.
According to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), the drill was conducted throughout the country.
This year’s main focus was Hidroituango, Colombia’s largest hydroelectric power plant, located in a mountainous canyon in the municipality of Ituango, in the northwestern department of Antioquia.
The head of the UNGRD, Carlos Carrillo, oversaw the exercise at Hidroituango, which is powered by the Cauca River, the country’s second most important waterway after the Magdalena.
“We simulated a rise in the Cauca River’s water level,” Carrillo explained, noting that evacuation sirens sounded at 7:30 a.m. local time (12:30 GMT) and that five municipalities upstream and five downstreamtook part in the drill.
Personnel operating the hydroelectric plant’s machinery also evacuated their work areas as part of the exercise.
Carrillo emphasized that the data collected during the simulation will be crucial to assess and strengthen the response capabilities of local governments and communities.
Cuba accuses U.S. of pressuring countries ahead of UN vote on embargo
U.S. and Panama hold joint jungle exercises to strengthen security ties
Colombia conducts nationwide emergency drill focused on hidroituango dam
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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