International

Panamanian ruling party demands an end to current crisis

Photo: Estrella de Panamá

November 13 |

The National Executive Committee (CEN) of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) of Panama demanded this Sunday that the government of Laurentino Cortizo speed up a way out of the crisis that the country is currently experiencing.

According to the party, in the solution “all sectors of society must be present, especially the youth, workers, business sector, indigenous groups, teachers and professionals”.

In this communiqué, the PRD expresses that Panama is living one of the most serious crises of the last 33 years, which has been triggered by Law 406 on the contract between the State and the company Minera Panama S.A., a subsidiary of the Canadian transnational First Quantum Minerals (FQM).

It also values that “this crisis is characterized by the exposure of a massive discontent that Panamanians, especially from the youth, supported by workers, teachers and indigenous sectors, have taken to the streets, throughout the national territory”.

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They add that for this political grouping, such discontent includes motivations that go beyond the mining problem and are the result of the absence of a “political-economic model of fair, equitable and equitable social executions”.

In this sense, they point out that “the crisis we are living demands a mature and dignified solution through a consensus derived from a new social pact, which is the expression of all the sectors that share the 75,000 kilometers of territory on a daily basis, and in which the quick action of the national government will be decisive in order to propitiate together the construction of spaces for dialogue and national consensus”.

The ruling party also maintains that we respect the right to protest as a citizen’s right, the right to dissent is protected by our political constitution, for which reason we urge the search for avenues that lead us to a national agreement that offers guarantees of respect to all the norms as a civilized society.

They add that we must support the solution proposed by the government: an indefinite moratorium on the exploitation of metallic mining in Panama and leave in the hands of the Supreme Court of Justice the definition of unconstitutionality demanded by the popular organizations.

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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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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.