International
Milei rams at the press linking it to “extortion” and defamation operations
The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, published this Wednesday an extensive statement on his social networks, where he says that “extortion is common currency” in the press and that his party, La Libertad Avanza, will not remain silent in the face of “operations, lies, slander, insult or defamation.”
“As has happened with all the rest of the issues related to politics, journalism has been corrupted, dirty and prostituted in the heat of the envelopes and the official pattern,” Milei said in his X account, while adding that “extortion is common currency. Lies, defamation, slander are common.”
“First they hit you, and then they pass the bill. Sidereal figures,” accused the president, who begins this Wednesday an international trip that will take him to the United States and Denmark.
The president differentiated himself from the “majority of politicians” who pay journalists and are “convised” of their own trap, “since they can never answer the attacks at the risk of their businesses being exposed.”
“Those of us who are part of La Libertad Avanza are that we do not owe anything to anyone. We don’t have business with anyone. And we are not going to remain silent in the face of operations, lies, slander, insult or defamation,” so Milei warned “we are going to answer.”
“Journalism has become accustomed, over the last decades, to the fact that they must be treated as prophets of the unique and unstoppable truth, who cannot be criticized, denied or corrected,” he said.
But he issued a warning: “Freedom of expression means that no one can prevent us from talking. Not even the sacred journalists.”
The content of the president’s text that he took over on December 10 is not new in the president’s speech and has been previously questioned by journalism associations.
The Association of Argentine Journalistic Entities (Adepa) had pronounced on Tuesday regarding the “insulting presidential disqualifications of the media and journalists” from an interview it had given last Monday.
The president has not given a single press conference or has appeared before the media – beyond quick questions at the entrance or exit of an event – since he took over the Presidency; he has given interviews to some national television and radio channels and, even, to some international media; and his favorite way of communicating is through social networks.
International
Maduro accuses U.S. of aggression over Caribbean military drills
The government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced on Sunday what it called a “military provocation” following the start of joint military exercises between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela.
Caracas reacted to the arrival of the U.S. warship USS Gravely in Trinidad and Tobago — a small Caribbean archipelago located just off Venezuela’s coast — as U.S. President Donald Trump steps up pressure on his Venezuelan counterpart.
The Venezuelan government also announced the capture of a group of alleged mercenaries it claims were linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
According to AFP journalists in Port of Spain, the U.S. destroyer was visible off the coast of the Trinidadian capital on Sunday morning.
In an official statement, Caracas asserted that the maneuvers “are not defensive exercises, but rather a colonial military operation aimed at turning the Caribbean into a space for lethal violence and U.S. imperial domination.”
International
Argentina’s Milei secures strong victory and calls for dialogue after election surge
Argentine President Javier Milei secured a surprising and resounding victory in Sunday’s legislative elections, vowing to push forward with his ultraliberal reform agenda during the second half of his administration.
The result brought relief to the government after weeks of intense pressure on the Argentine peso, which had forced Milei to seek financial assistance from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had reportedly made his support contingent on the outcome of the vote.
“Today we passed the turning point; today begins the construction of a great Argentina,” Milei declared in his victory speech, where he entered to rock music but adopted a more measured and conciliatory tone once at the podium.
The ruling party, La Libertad Avanza (LLA), won 40.8% of the vote, outperforming the Peronist (center-left) coalition, which garnered 31.6% across its various factions.
In third place came Provincias Unidas, a bloc promoted by provincial governors seeking to break the country’s political polarization, with 7.1% of the vote, according to preliminary data from the National Electoral Directorate, with over 90% of ballots counted.
With this outcome, the ruling coalition expanded its presence in Congress, approaching the one-third threshold needed in both chambers to uphold presidential vetoes on contested bills. However, Milei will still need to forge alliances to advance deeper structural reforms that require broader majorities.
“We will undoubtedly have the most reformist Congress in Argentina’s history,” Milei predicted from his campaign headquarters, adopting an unusually conciliatory tone as he called for dialogue with governors and other political forces.
International
Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders During Asia Stopover to Discuss Gaza Peace
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet on Saturday with the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar during a stopover on his trip to Asia, officials reported. Qatar plays a key role in maintaining the fragile peace agreement in Gaza.
The Qatari leaders will board Air Force One at the end of the day when it lands for refueling at Al Udeid Air Base, the regional headquarters of U.S. military forces, a White House official said.
This marks Trump’s first trip to Asia since taking office in January. His agenda includes two regional summits, a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and planned encounters with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In Qatar, the previously unannounced meeting will also include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently returned from Israel after working to maintain the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Qatar has been a key mediator in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas since the conflict began and is one of the guarantors of the peace deal alongside the United States, Turkey, and Egypt.
This week, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss critical next steps in the agreement, including the establishment of a security force in Gaza and the future of Hamas. Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has been a central negotiator since the outbreak of the war following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Maduro accuses U.S. of aggression over Caribbean military drills
Argentina’s Milei secures strong victory and calls for dialogue after election surge
Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders During Asia Stopover to Discuss Gaza Peace
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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