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Mexico energy regulator fines Spain’s Iberdrola $467 mn

AFP

Mexico’s energy regulator fined Spanish firm Iberdrola $467 million for improperly selling electricity to third parties in violation of domestic “self-supply” laws, a document published Friday said.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) said Iberdrola “was obliged to generate electricity exclusively to satisfy the self-sufficiency needs of its partners… and not to sell, resell or by any legal act dispose of capacity or electricity,” according to the document.

Mexico’s “self-supply” contracts require private electricity generators to only provide energy to the specific partners listed at the time of the contract’s signing.

Private generators’ surpluses may be sold to the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), which holds a monopoly on the transmission and distribution of electricity to end consumers.

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The CRE document argues that the violations occurred at Ibedrola’s branch in the northern industrial city of Monterrey, between January 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020.

The fine comes at a tumultuous time for Mexico’s power industry, as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador tries to bring it back into the public sector.

Mexico’s Congress rejected a constitutional reform bill in April that would have strengthened the role of the state in electricity generation, a key measure of the left-wing Mexican president that has been publicly criticized by the United States.

That reform would have reversed a 2013 move to privatize Mexico’s electricity sector and given more power to the state-owned Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) over the private sector and foreign companies.

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

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International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.

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