International
Argentina and IMF make progress in debt renegotiation talks

AFP
Argentina made progress in talks with the International Monetary Fund on restructuring the country’s crippling debt, the economy ministry said on Tuesday.
Economy Minister Martin Guzman met an IMF delegation headed by Julie Kozack, the deputy director of the western hemisphere department, during last week’s Group of 20 summit in Venice.
“The technical teams’ meetings provided progress and understanding on key issues of the government’s economic program,” the ministry said.
“In particular, concrete progress was made in understanding regarding policies for the development of the domestic capital market, tax administration and the development of sectors that generate foreign exchange.”
The IMF said in a statement that the meetings from July 8-12 were “productive,” adding that “discussions focused on policies to strengthen the recovery, economic stability, and job creation.”
“In particular, progress was made in identifying policy options to develop the domestic capital market, mobilize domestic revenue, and strengthen Argentina’s external resilience,” said the IMF.
“Our goal is to support Argentina as it durably addresses its economic and balance of payment challenges.
Since coming to power in December 2019, Argentine President Mauricio Macri has looked to renegotiate several multi-billion dollar debts he describes as “unpayable” for a country of 45 million that has been in recession since mid-2018.
Argentina received $44 billion of a $57 billion loan from the IMF arranged under Fernandez’s predecessor, Mauricio Macri.
After taking office, Fernandez refused to accept the rest of the loan.
This year, Argentina has paid the IMF $600 million in interest with two more tranches of another $750 million due later this year.
It must also pay off $3.8 billion of the debt in two instalments before the end of the year.
Last year, Fernandez managed to renegotiate a separate $66 billion loan that was worth 54.8 cents on the dollar.
International
Trump urges Putin to reach peace deal

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his desire for Russian President Vladimir Putin to “reach a deal” to end the war in Ukraine, while also reaffirming his willingness to impose sanctions on Russia.
“I want to see him reach an agreement to prevent Russian, Ukrainian, and other people from dying,” Trump stated during a press conference in the Oval Office at the White House.
“I think he will. I don’t want to have to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil,” the Republican leader added, recalling that he had already taken similar measures against Venezuela by sanctioning buyers of the South American country’s crude oil.
Trump also reiterated his frustration over Ukraine’s resistance to an agreement that would allow the United States to exploit natural resources in the country—a condition he set in negotiations to end the war.
International
Deportation flight lands in Venezuela; government denies criminal gang links

A flight carrying 175 Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States arrived in Caracas on Sunday. This marks the third group to return since repatriation flights resumed a week ago, and among them is an alleged member of a criminal organization, according to Venezuelan authorities.
Unlike previous flights operated by the Venezuelan state airline Conviasa, this time, an aircraft from the U.S. airline Eastern landed at Maiquetía Airport, on the outskirts of Caracas, shortly after 2:00 p.m. with the deportees.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who welcomed the returnees at the airport, stated that the 175 repatriated individuals were coming back “after being subjected, like all Venezuelans, to persecution” and dismissed claims that they belonged to the criminal organization El Tren de Aragua.
However, Cabello confirmed that “for the first time in these flights we have been carrying out, someone of significance wanted by Venezuelan justice has arrived, and he is not from El Tren de Aragua.” Instead, he belongs to a gang operating in the state of Trujillo. The minister did not disclose the individual’s identity or provide details on where he would be taken.
International
Son of journalist José Rubén Zamora condemns father’s return to prison as “illegal”

The son of renowned journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín, José Carlos Zamora, has denounced as “illegal” the court order that sent his father back to a Guatemalan prison on March 3, after already spending 819 days behind barsover a highly irregular money laundering case.
“My father’s return to prison was based on an arbitrary and illegal ruling. It is also alarming that the judge who had granted him house arrest received threats,” José Carlos Zamora told EFE in an interview on Saturday.
The 67-year-old journalist was sent back to prison inside the Mariscal Zavala military barracks on March 3, when Judge Erick García upheld a Court of Appeals ruling that overturned the house arrest granted to him in October. Zamora had already spent 819 days in prison over an alleged money laundering case.
His son condemned the situation as “unacceptable”, stating that the judge handling the case “cannot do his job in accordance with the law due to threats against his life.”
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