Key Points —President Javier Milei’s approval rating fell to 35.5% in April from 44% in January, while disapproval climbed from 51.6% to 63%, according to AtlasIntel polling for Bloomberg. —Argentine sovereign dollar bonds maturing October 2028 — twelve months after the next presidential election — yield 8.3%, a 360 basis-point premium over comparable bonds maturing […]

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Key Points —Argentina CGT march filled Plaza de Mayo on May 1 with the labor confederation, social movements, and opposition parties demanding Milei reverse course on factory closures and wage erosion. —The rally opened with a tribute to Pope Francis, who died one year ago, with church representatives and video segments anchoring the religious framing. […]

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Key Points —Uruguay Temu tax enters force May 1, applying 22% IVA to all foreign online purchases made under the franquicia regime — the duty-free import allowance. —Purchases from US-based sellers are explicitly exempted, leaving Chinese platforms Temu, Shein, AliExpress, and other non-US e-commerce as the primary targets. —The measure is part of Uruguay’s broader […]

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January 3 is a date that marks a before… and a still. Yes, it is supposed to mark a before and an after, but the still prevails in Venezuela.

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For the second consecutive year, Nicaragua is the Latin American country with the worst score in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index.

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Key Points —A bilateral Brazil-Argentina report confirms Vaca Muerta gas can meet Southern Cone demand for over 50 years at competitive production costs. —Brazil’s Energy Ministry proposes a $1.6 billion, 593-km pipeline from Uruguayana to Porto Alegre to carry Argentine gas. —Argentine gas at $5-5.50/MMBTU competes against $16-17 in Brazilian industry, creating a massive price […]

The post Vaca Muerta Can Supply Southern Cone Gas for 50 Years, Brazil Says appeared first on The Rio Times.

Key Points —The Venezuela BP gas deal covers the Cocuina-Manakin cross-border field with Trinidad and the offshore Loran gas field on the Deltana Platform. —BP will open a permanent office in Caracas. Shell has also expressed interest in the Loran project. —BP joins Eni and Repsol in signing exploration agreements with the Rodríguez government since […]

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Key Points —President Santiago Peña will visit Taiwan in May in his second trip as president, reinforcing Paraguay Taiwan diplomatic ties. —Paraguay is one of only 12 countries worldwide — and the only one in South America — that maintains formal diplomatic relations with Taipei. —The visit comes amid sustained Chinese pressure on Taiwan’s remaining […]

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Key Points —Sheinbaum approval dropped to 51% in April, three points below March and at least 15 points below a year ago, per Bloomberg-AtlasIntel. —Corruption (59%), crime (39%), and inflation (31%) are voters’ top three concerns. Nearly half rate the economy as bad. —The drop coincides with a GDP contraction, the Rocha narco indictment, and […]

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Key Points —Decree 302/2026 applies a partial 0.5% Argentina fuel tax increase from May 1, while deferring the full backlog of 2024-2025 adjustments to June. —The government froze fuel taxes entirely in April after Brent surged past $120 due to the Hormuz crisis, causing a 23% pump price spike in March. —Repeated deferrals since 2024 […]

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Key Points —The US Department of Justice indicted Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and nine other officials for conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel to import narcotics. —The indictment alleges “Los Chapitos” backed Rocha’s gubernatorial campaign and he allowed them to operate with impunity. —All ten defendants face 40 years to life in prison. All are […]

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Key Points —President Sheinbaum met Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard on April 25 to formalize Pemex Petrobras cooperation in exploration, production, refining, and biodiesel. —Petrobras technical teams will visit Mexico on May 13 to work alongside Pemex engineers on deep-water extraction and ethanol production. —Sheinbaum plans to visit Brazil in May to sign a broader bilateral […]

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