International
High voter turnout closes polls in Argentine province of Chaco

September 18 |
The representative of the opposition alliance Juntos por el Cambio, Leandro César Zdero, won this Sunday the governorship of the Argentine province of Chaco, where elections were held to elect, in addition, the vice-governor, provincial deputies, mayors and councilors of all municipalities.
According to results released after 99.5 percent of the counted tables, Zdero obtained 46.2 percent of the votes against Jorge Milton Capitanich, candidate for Frente Chaqueño (at national level Unión por la Patria), who obtained 41.7 percent. Silvina Schneider was the vice-governor.
Next were Gustavo Martínez (Corriente de Expresión Renovada, 5 percent of votes), Alfredo Rodríguez (La Libertad Avanza, 3.4 percent), Juan C. Bacilef (Frente Integrador, 2.1 percent), Ruben Galassi (Libertarios en Acción, 0.97 percent) and Germán Báez (Partido Obrero, 0.8 percent).
Capitanich, current governor who was seeking reelection, acknowledged the defeat and wished Zdero the best in his administration. He also made himself available for the transition.
In a message to his followers, Zdero said: “Starting tomorrow we will start working hard to have an orderly transition”.
The Argentine President, Alberto Fernández, congratulated the winner and wished a prosperous future to the province. “I celebrate the democratic journey that the people of Chaco have carried out to elect their new governor”, said the head of state through the social network X.
According to the electoral authority, the turnout reached 68 percent. In the PASO (Simultaneous and Compulsory Open Primary Elections), more than 62 percent of the voters went to the polls.
Blank votes accounted for 5 percent.
The elections took place in a calm atmosphere, said the Minister of Government of Chaco, Juan Manuel Chapo, in a press conference. During the election day, the Frente Chaqueño presented a complaint to the provincial Electoral Court in which they pointed out that Zdero violated the electoral ban.
After voting, Zdero made statements to the press. According to the Frente Chaqueño, on that occasion “he made projections in reference to the officialism, naming also candidates of his political space”, thus violating article 71 of Law 384-Q.
According to the website of the Government of Chaco, said political force also went to the electoral authority to denounce thefts and destruction of ballots in some voting centers.
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.”
International
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.
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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