Inter-American Watch
Friday 29th, 2021
(Casto Ocando, Editor)
Peru
Russia ready to supply combat aircraft to Perú
Moscow is ready to supply combat aircraft to Peru if the country makes a request, CEO of Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec state corporation) Alexander Mikheyev said in an interview with TASS ahead of the SITDEF 2021 international defense exhibition. “We reaffirm our readiness to supply new Russian combat aircraft of Peru’s choice,” he pointed out. According to Mikheyev, Russia is also willing to upgrade Peru’s warplanes. “Russia is ready to ensure the upgrading of the MiG-29 and Su-25 jet aircraft if Peru makes a request,” the Rosoboronexport CEO said.
(Tass: https://tass.com/defense/1355045)
Castillo’s Peru Libre proposes to legalize crops in coca growing basins: a project that sows doubts and dangers
President Pedro Castillo’s party suggests legalizing crops in 13 basins, including VRAEM and San Gabán, the largest coca leaf production areas in Peru. Experts warn about the dangers that the measure would generate.
(El Comercio: https://elcomercio.pe/politica/peru-libre-propone-legalizar-cultivos-de-cuencas-cocaleras-un-proyecto-que-siembra-dudas-noticia/)
Peru’s PM Mirtha Vasquez defends new registration of coca growers, to oversee and control production
The head of the Castillo government’s cabinet said that a new registration is an important part of the strategy to fight drug trafficking. “There is no better way to control than to identify the people who are planting coca”.
(El Buscon, in Spanish: https://elbocon.pe/trends/mirtha-vasquez-sobre-nuevo-empadronamiento-de-cocaleros-creo-que-ahi-sera-basico-la-fiscalizacion-y-control-nndc-noticia/)
Peru’s proposed tax reform to boost revenues by $3 billion, finance minister says
Peru’s finance minister Pedro Francke said on Thursday a proposed tax reform would increase fiscal coffers by about 12 billion soles ($3.03 billion), or 1.5% of the country’s gross domestic product. The bulk of the new revenue will come from hiking taxes on the mining sector, although Francke said in a news conference that exactly how much those rates will be increased has not been decided. Peru is the world’s No. 2 copper producer.
(Mining.com: https://www.mining.com/web/perus-proposed-tax-reform-to-boost-revenues-by-3bn-finance-minister-says/)
Peru seeks to lift tax on top earners, capital gains and Netflix
Peru’s government is seeking to take a large slice of top salaries and stock market profits, and eliminate benefits enjoyed by the rich.
(Bloomberg, subscription: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-28/peru-seeks-to-lift-tax-on-top-earners-capital-gains-and-netflix)
Pedro Castillo: “We want our natural resources to directly benefit the people”
“We want our natural resources to directly benefit the people. Otherwise, we cannot talk about growth or development. Can someone who loves the country oppose it?, said Castillo in a public appearance on Thursday.
(Peru21 in Spanish: https://peru21.pe/politica/pedro-castillo-queremos-que-nuestros-recursos-naturales-beneficien-directamente-al-pueblo-nndc-noticia/)
Ipsos Poll: 70% of Peruvians think Castillo does not know how to choose ministers
70% of Peruvians consider that President Pedro Castillo does not know how to select capable and faultless people for important government positions, such as ministers and officials who help him govern, according to poll conducted by Ipsos. 61% think the Minister of the Interior, Luis Barranzuela, will try to influence the criminal investigations to help the current Secretary General of Peru Libre, Vladimir Cerrón and other leaders of Castillo’s party.
(El Comercio, in Spanish: https://elcomercio.pe/politica/actualidad/encuesta-ipsos-el-70-cree-que-pedro-castillo-no-sabe-elegir-ministros-noticia/)
Spanish Authorities detained a member of terrorist group Sendero Luminoso who tried to return clandestinely to Perú
Lucio José Quispe Yaranga, a lawyer link to the terrorist organization, was arrested at the Madrid International Airport after arriving from Ecuador, where he tried unsuccessfully to enter Peru illegally.
(La Republica, en español: https://www.larepublica.ec/blog/2021/10/28/ciudadano-peruano-detenido-espana-identificado-miembro-sendero-luminoso/)
Argentina
Argentina doesn’t have enough foreign exchange reserves to make repayments
Argentina is in the news these days with speculations about the possibility of debt default, yet again. The country does not have enough foreign exchange reserves to make repayments and interests to the $40 billion IMF loan and the $70 billion of Argentine bonds held by foreign bond holders.
(The Week: https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2021/10/28/debt-addiction-of-argentina-and-the-debt-traffickers-of-the-wall.html)
Poll: Inflation, insecurity and unemployment the biggets concerns for Argentinians
Among the residents of the City of Buenos Aires, the most urgent concerns are inflation (indicated by 27% of those surveyed), insecurity (21%) and in third place unemployment (16%). These are the main results of a survey conducted among 821 people by the People in Motion Observatory (Observatorio Gente en Movimiento, in Spanish). The survey also shows that the pandemic aggravated the structural problems around education, security and housing in the Argentinian capital.
(Pagina12, in Spanish: https://www.pagina12.com.ar/377935-la-inflacion-la-inseguridad-y-la-falta-de-trabajo-son-las-ma)
In the midst of an internal crisis, authorities of Argentina’s anti-money laundering office resigned
The Financial Information Unit (FIU) is going through a crisis while the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) must evaluate the level of effectiveness of the Argentine regime against money laundering and terrorist financing. That assessment should have occurred last year, but was postponed due to the pandemic. In recent months, the actions of the FIU were questioned by some officials of the ruling party, especially when the criminal litigation area of the agency did not appeal in time the dismissals of the directors of the Techint company in the “Notebooks” corruption case.
(La Nacion, in Spanish: https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/renunciaron-las-autoridades-de-la-uif-el-organismo-antilavado-nid29102021/)
Analysis: The weakest moment for Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner: the beginning of the end?
Reality suggests Cristina is now in one of her weakest moments from the more than three decades in which she has been involved in politics. At the same time (…) the number one priority for the vice-president, who truly holds the strings — and the votes — within the governing coalition, is to win back as many votes in order to minimize the electoral defeat that’s coming in November.
(Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/afontevecchia/2021/10/26/the-weakest-moment-for-argentinas-cristina-kirchner-the-beginning-of-the-end/?sh=1ebbdda378fe)
Ecuador
Ecuadorian Police investigates organizations that have trafficked 50 tons of drugs in boats from Ecuador to Central America and Mexico
Some 50 tons of drugs would have transported three criminal drug organizations operating in Ecuador, whose members were arrested in a major anti-narcotics operation. “One of the hypotheses and several of the premises allow us to say that, there are approximately 50 tons of drugs that have been exported by sea, from various ports in Colombia and Ecuador in narco boats, to Central America and Mexico”, said Manuel Íñiguez, Director General of Investigations of the National Police.
(El Universo, in Spanish: https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/seguridad/policia-investiga-a-organizaciones-que-habrian-transportado-50-toneladas-de-drogas-en-lanchas-desde-ecuador-a-paises-de-centroamerica-y-mexico-nota/)
Ecuador, the largest recipient of remittances from Spain, in Latin America
Ecuadorian citizens residing in Spain sent remittances worth US$1.0821 billion (€933.5 million) to their country of origin in 2020, placing the Andean nation as the largest recipient of remittances from Spain in Latin America, according to data offered by Sendity.
(The Rio Times: https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/mercosur/ecuador/ecuador-consolidates-its-position-as-the-largest-recipient-of-spanish-remittances-in-latin-america/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_adkr.6jUhtHFbPI4aBm6DH6uTtj6zZZR_xziMC_J2KI-1635514619-0-gqNtZGzNAtCjcnBszQtl)
Bolivia
Armed group kidnap and beat police officers, journalists and workers
More than 80 armed operatives kidnapped and beat police officers, journalists and workers that were investigating illegal occupation and damage caused to the Las Londras property, outside Santa Cruz, the second most important city in Bolivia, after La Paz. Arce’s government sais it will investigate the incident.
(El Deber, in Spanish: https://eldeber.com.bo/santa-cruz/avasalladores-secuestran-y-golpean-a-policias-periodistas-y-trabajadores_252917)
Bolivia prepares three proposals for binational projects with Perú
“We have three important projects for the signing with our counterparts in Peru,” said the Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing of Bolivia, Edgar Montaño, on Thursday, explaining the work that will be carried out in the Bolivian-Peru Binational Cabinet, scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The projects are: the Bi-Oceanic Train, which aims to create a railway line between Brazil and Peru; a fiber optics network to help the Bolivian owned National Telecommunications Company (Entel) to operate in Peru; and finally, a project to establish border controls regarding radio and television operations.
(BNAmericas: https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/bolivia-prepares-three-proposals-for-binational-projects-with-peru)
Interview
‘Castro-Chavist’ project in Peru advances with pro-Sendero Luminoso terrorist group in power
Peruvian investigative journalist Carlos Paredes, explain how pro-communist politician allied with the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso (Shinning Path) are seeking to establish a dictatorship in Peru, in this interview with Miami-based TV presenter Oscar Haza.
(Mega TV Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/kdwm-IiiHKg)
