Latin American Line Up

La Bamba lingo lately

Some definitely interesting things are happening (and some not happening) in our Latin American friends’ countries. Not going to go so far as to say I can make complete sense out of the totality of it yet. But some glimmerings are starting up. I'm going to run through this mostly chronologically since we are probably looking for patterns, correlations, or themes. Or lack thereof.

Remember our Dominican Republic/Haitian dust up a month or so ago? Well another border confrontation happened on the 10th. No canals or dams this time, but an armed confrontation between Dominican soldiers and a Haitian environmental governmental brigade near a concrete barrier demarking the border did. Seems an odd repetition.

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🔸🇵🇦Meanwhile, the fun continues in Panama.

Amid the protests, President Cortizo emerged from the darkness and met with representatives of the local business association. Along the way, dragging the whole cabinet with him.

According to the president, Panama is now experiencing a “dispersed molecular revolution” with the help of which socialists are trying to seize power in the country.

However, there is no need to worry, because the security forces and intelligence are working on the problem, they have already identified all those involved and are “working on counteraction.”

The government deliberately does not respond to provocations in order “not to undermine the already difficult situation.” Western provinces will receive essential products (currently hampered by road blockages) thanks to the establishment of a special customs regime with Costa Rica. There are also plans to deliver products by air and sea.

The context of this meeting is actually simple. The bulk of the people no longer go to demonstrations, but trade unions still block the country's main highways. The largest of the unions are construction workers and teachers.

In this regard, the government unobtrusively began to persuade people to believe that all the troubles now come “from the trade unions.”

There is also a shortage of food in the capital, especially local vegetables and fruits. But at the same time, some of the products that were mainly imported before the protests (for example, Chinese garlic or Peruvian potatoes) also disappeared from the shelves. And one gets the feeling that the deficit is partly provoked artificially.

#Панама #протесты
sex_drugs_kahlo - Latin American happiness [no] 🔸

Alongside this ⬆ was this ⬇ as well.

🔸🇵🇦 Jorge Franco, a candidate for vice mayor of Panama's third largest city of La Chorrera, was shot dead.

Unknown people shot him in the back several times when the politician was returning home. He died already in the hospital.

According to local reports, this character is not known for any particular scandals, but the frequent shooting of political figures is completely unusual for Panamanians. Even despite the election year.

#Панама #криминал

sex_drugs_kahlo - Latin American happiness [no] 🔸

(Panama continues to tread along that “dispersed molecular revolution” path. How did he come up with that phrase?)

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Next is my take on a general overall piece on all the terrorists now invading Latin America. Epoch Times wants us to know the rise of leftist leaders is to blame. (Even though the current trend is decidedly far right.) One example used was a plane that landed in Argentina (led then by a centrist Peronist) because it had landed in Venezuela first. Five Iranian nationals were on board that Argentina denied were part of Quds Force, although ET apparently knows better. Then almost a month ago the two Lebanese men in Brazil which every media outlet assigned an identity belonging to Hezbollah (but was never proven) was brought in. The accusation is written in stone by the media now, though. (The word alleged was tossed in but the distance from the headline pretty much strangled it.)

The entire rest of the article discussed “virtual” terrorism because several countries were in varying stages of severing ties with Israel. No examples of any known terrorists (other than these leaders). A classic hit and run lack of evidence narrative only hit piece.

The fantasies of the media are running amok. And overtime. Demonization of leftists from right wing media tracks exactly the way that demonization of “far right” politcos do from the mainstream.

All political news is still no news.

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OK, this one is a little out of sequence. It’s from July and the EU-CELAC conference. I'll be honest and admit I thought this was ridiculous at the time. But it gets our crazy news strikes twice award. Seems that even before anyone knew who Javier Milei was, Brussels officially recognized the Falkland Islands as the Malvinas Islands in the final communique of the conference in a bid to prevent Argentina from joining BRICS. So that crazy idea Javier floated after the election wasn't his originally. Even though they kinda walked it back it has official status. Surprise!

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🔸Word on the street is that in addition to Argentina, the Jewish Claudia Sheinbaum may also come to power in Mexico...

"Khazar Khaganate". Latin American version. Well, everyone knows the end... RussianDiplomat 🔸( and with another possible explanation of the woman above Zelenskyy on the recent Economist cover!)

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🔸🇻🇪🇦🇷 Javier Milei: “We condemn the Maduro dictatorship”

The elected president of Argentina, Javier Milei, responded this Tuesday to the attacks made by Nicolás Maduro, who called him a “neo-Nazi” and compared him to the dictators Jorge Videla and Augusto Pinochet.

”We condemn the Maduro dictatorship. Aside from the very inappropriate terms he used to describe me”, he reacted in an interview with LN+.🔸

(⬆ Battle of the dictators commences!)

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🔸🇦🇷 Shares in Argentina's YPF soar as Milei hints at privatization

New York-traded shares in Argentine state-run oil company YPF soared more than 40% on Monday after President-elect Javier Milei said he would seek to privatize the firm.

The libertarian economist said YPF was one of several state-controlled companies he plans to sell in order to reduce the state's share in the market and improve public accounts.

Milei, who will take office on Dec. 10, said in a radio interview he expects his government to "create value" for the companies "so they can be sold in a very beneficial way for Argentines".

Argentina nationalized 51% of the oil company more than a decade ago from Spain's Repsol. YPF is Argentina's largest oil firm and oversees development of Vaca Muerta, the world's second-largest shale gas reserve and fourth-largest shale oil reserve.

🔎 Source
#Argentina

☠️ Blood Meridian 🔸

(I'm sure no one was prepared to make a fortune on call options before then. Not suspicious at all.)

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🔸🇨🇺 Russian Mir cards will begin to operate in Cuba. The country's Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García Granda wrote in X that use will be established by the end of this year.

The minister said that the process of using cards will gradually spread throughout the country, starting with tourist sites. The service will be introduced in chain stores and service centers throughout the island. 🔸

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🔸“Javier Miley is ready for Argentina to join BRICS, but with not very active participation”: The elected president of Argentina, having come to power, changed his mind about turning away from Russia and China.

“At the moment, the international bloc of the team, headed by the future Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, is analyzing the possibility of joining BRICS, but with not very active participation. Previously, BRICS officially invited Argentina to join on January 1, 2024. The president-elect's decision regarding the bloc is part of the moderate foreign policy he has adopted in international affairs. The libertarian has begun to hint at a softening of the discourse on foreign policy matters, especially with regard to the BRICS countries.”🔸

(This seems to be an American football fumble story right now. But this didn't appear to hit the English language papers so it makes our feed. Then we have this quoting the same woman referenced above ⬇.)

🔸🇦🇷🌎 Argentina will not join BRICS, “to join BRICS, you need to contribute capital, and Argentina is not able to do this” - future Foreign Minister Diana Mondino. 🔸

(Clearly bouncing still. I'm pretty sure the crew that extended Argentina's invite knew they wouldn't have investment funds immediately available. Ethiopia either.)

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🔸⚡️The military of Belarus and Cuba agreed on an action plan for 2024

Representatives of the armed forces of Belarus and Cuba agreed on a draft agreement on military cooperation between the countries and a plan of bilateral events for the next year, said Valery Revenko, head of the department of international military cooperation and assistant to the head of the Belarusian defense department.
“ Negotiations are taking place in Havana between representatives of the Armed Forces of Belarus and Cuba,” his message says.

According to Revenko, during the negotiations the parties agreed on a draft agreement on military cooperation, as well as a plan of bilateral events for 2024. 🔸

🔸— 🇮🇷/🇨🇺 NEW: Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel met with the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran today.

Middle_East_Spectator 🔸

(Our heads blowing up award winners!)

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🔸🇲🇽🇺🇸The Mexican government has granted a company affiliated with the Ministry of Defense the right to manage four airports in Palenque, Puebla, Uruapan and Puerto Escondido.

Thus, local military personnel gain control over several infrastructure projects in the country at once. Considering the realities of Mexico and the involvement of local security forces in working with the cartels, centralization in this matter would be a good solution.

But in fact, this also means shifting management resources into the hands of one political group closely connected with the Americans. It is possible that such a decision was also the result of negotiations at the recent APEC summit.

#Мексика #США #картели
sex_drugs_kahlo - Latin American happiness [no] 🔸

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🔸🇧🇴🇧🇷 Bolivia's full Mercosur membership greenlighted

Brazil's Senate Tuesday greenlighted Bolivia's accession to the South American Common Market (Mercosur) as a full member of the bloc. Once President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva enacts the bill, the regional alliance will once again consist of five full members - in addition to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Currently, Bolivia is an associated state to Mercosur, as are Chile, Peru, and Colombia. Lula, who also holds the pro tempore president of Mercosur, is expected to formalize the announcement during the Dec. 7 Summit in Rio de Janeiro when he will pass the baton on to Paraguay.

🔎 Source
#Brazil #Bolivia #Mercosur

☠️ Blood Meridian 🔸

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🔸🇧🇷Brazil set to join OPEC+

Brazil will join the influential OPEC+ oil coalition that unites some of the biggest crude-producing nations in the world, according to Brazilian Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira.

The announcement was made during a postponed OPEC+ meeting to discuss oil output strategy over 2024.

In footage shared from the meeting, Silveira said that President Lula da Silva had approved his country’s membership, starting next year.

It was not immediately clear if Brazil would have to carry out any production cuts starting next year, as a result of its membership.

🔎 Source
#Brazil

☠️ Blood Meridian 🔸

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🔸⬆️ 🇻🇪🇬🇾 Look, guys, regarding Venezuela and Guyana... it’s not very clear yet. Quite likely it's fake. The video circulating on the Internet has nothing to do with the border troops, it shows Colombian guerrillas from the ELN (radical leftist group National Liberation Army).

+ there is a pretty well background for information provocations: Maduro really intends to hold a referendum on the status of Guyana-Essequibo [a disputed territory in the west of Guyana, occupies 2/3 of the territory of the republic and there is a fairly large oil field here, the conflict is going into a 200-year confrontation, and there is also a British trace with their colonial heritage] December 3.

The OAS adopted a resolution on the illegitimacy of the referendum, but Maduro is no stranger) Especially considering rumors that the United States intends to militarize this region, right down to the base.

In addition, two teams from the Pentagon are planning to visit Guyana next week.

And another important point: the referendum is not about secession in pure form, but rather similar to a public opinion poll) It will allow one to test the mood and the waters. It's hardly to be so fast and easy.

In general, we are waiting for official information.🔸

(Just for a contrarian viewpoint and one I feel is perhaps as likely as not. At least in the near term. Remember that media trolling will ramp up from both sides.)

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🔸A conflict between Venezuela and Guyana for control of the Esequibo is being prepared by the US deep state via oil multinationals. Caracas is preparing a referendum on this issue but Washington is fueling the fire and using Guyana as a little Ukraine in South America. 🔸

(Another viewpoint; also with merit. More is developing but will save for another full update.)

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🔸🇷🇺🇻🇪 Putin will sign strategic partnership and cooperation agreement with Venezuela.

https://elpublicotv.com/putin-firmara-atrabajo-de-asociacion-y-cooperacion-estrategica-con-venezuela/ 🔸

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🔸Maduro: Exxon Mobil invests money to sabotage the consultative referendum.

https://acortar.link/ZU4P8l 🔸

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🔸 🇻🇪🇨🇦Bloomberg: Canada seeks to restore ties with the socialist government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. 🔸

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🔸Venezuela and North Korea strengthen relations.

https://acortar.link/OPyYae 🔸

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🔸 🇻🇪🇬🇾Former Venezuelan ambassador and international analyst, Julio César Pineda: "ExxonMobil pays 15 million dollars to Guyana for the legal defense of the Court and judicializes a problem that was not judicializable." 🔸

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🔸 🇦🇷 🇻🇪 Argentine ambassador announced that he is leaving Venezuela after Milei's triumph: "The relationship is going to weaken"

The Argentine ambassador to Venezuela, Oscar Laborde, explained that his position is that of "political ambassador" and that is why, with the change of government, his function ends. In this sense, he analyzed that "with the triumph of the fascist right in our country" the relationship between Venezuela and Argentina “will possibly weaken”, although he hopes it will not be broken. 🔸

🔸🇳🇮🇦🇷 Nicaragua recalls its ambassador from Argentina due to critical statements by the incoming government of Javier Miley 🔸

(Whole lotta diplomatic shakin' goin' on. Very isolationist postures have had a tendency to produce wars. 🤔)

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🔸⬆️🇦🇷 Is Miley going to bring back the “glorious 70s”?

The newly elected president of Argentina has decided to appoint as state prosecutor the former justice minister, who was forced to resign in 1996 due to his past in pro-Nazi organizations.

After revealing his neo-Nazi preferences, Barra shunned public attention, but in 2020 he reappeared in a campaign against the legalization of abortion in Argentina, writes The Latin Times. 🔸

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🔸 🇦🇷  Argentine President-elect Javier Miley has sent out invitations to his inauguration. It is scheduled for December 10th.

❌The leaders of Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua did not receive them.

✅ But Xi was invited to the ceremony. I told you ;)) The presidents of Brazil and Russia are also on the list. 🔸

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I know that's a really mixed bag. But I do think the spotlight will be shifting south both to distract from the two loser wars so close together and to attempt to counteract the real war starting to make a difference. Dedollarization. And elections, of course. Their two biggest weapons are weakening by the hour now. We'll be along for every twist, turn, and tumble of the ride. Hasta mañana!