DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ US adds Central American ex-presidents, judges, lawmakers to corruption list
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Raul Cortes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Two former Salvadoran presidents - Mauricio Funes, who served from 2009 to 2014, and his successor Salvador Sanchez, whom Washington links to corruption, money laundering and embezzlement of public funds - were added to the list. Guatemala's government meanwhile rejected the accusations on Wednesday, labeling the report "used by the United States to impose its jurisdiction on people abroad, as despicable." It includes ex-officials from the government of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was extradited to the United States over drug trafficking links. Politicians from Honduras' opposition Liberal Party also appear, including Liberal leader Yani Rosenthal, previously convicted of money laundering in the United States. The Nicaraguan section includes all of the country's parliamentary leaders, barring its president, who Washington has already sanctioned, and several judges and directors of Nicaragua's money laundering watchdog.

Persons: Mauricio Funes, Salvador Sanchez, Funes, Sanchez, Daniel Ortega, Brian Nichols, Fredy Orellana, Bernardo Arevalo, Engel, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Yani Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Washington, Raul Cortes, Sofia Menchu, Gustavo Palencia, Nelson Renteria, Sarah Morland, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . State Department, Salvadoran, Western Hemisphere, Liberal Party, Liberal, Thomson Locations: El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Washington, United States, Mexico City, Sofia, Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, Nelson, San Salvador

☆ EU seeks to revive Latin America, Caribbean ties as it turns away from China, Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Regardless of the outcome, officials said the meeting itself marked a step towards stronger ties. "The most important issue of the meeting is the meeting itself," Argentine Undersecretary for Latin American and Caribbean affairs Gustavo Martinez Pandiani told a small group of reporters in Brussels. The EU has said it wants a joint declaration condemning Russia, but knows this will be difficult to achieve. The EU and Argentina will sign a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation before the summit starts. The EU may also offer details on plans to invest 10 billion euros ($11.2 billion) in CELAC infrastructure projects, part of its Global Gateway initiative.

Persons: Gustavo Martinez Pandiani, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Philip Blenkinsop, Barbara Lewis Organizations: European Union, UN, European, EU, Mercosur, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, America, Caribbean, EU, Ukraine, China, Caribbean States, Brussels, Argentine, Russia, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Beijing, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay

☆ Missing children found after 40 days in Amazon released from hospital
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Four young children found last month after surviving 40 days in the Amazon rainforest following an air crash have been released from hospital and are in good shape, according to Colombian authorities. The four children, ages between 1 and 13, have been receiving treatment at Colombia’s Military Hospitalin Bogota since they were found on June 9. They were released from the medical facility on Friday and are now staying at a shelter home, according to Astrid Garces, director of Colombian Children Welfare Agency ICBF, at a press briefing Friday. The children are staying at one of the 188 shelters the agency runs across Colombia. Traces pointing to their survival sparked a massive military-led search involving more than hundred Colombian special forces troops and 70 indigenous scouts combing the area.

Persons: Astrid Garces, ” Garces, ”, Jacobombaire, Tien Ranoque Mucutuy, Cristin Ranoque, Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, Gustavo Petro, farina, Manuel Ranoque Organizations: CNN, Colombia’s Military Hospitalin, Colombian Children Welfare Agency, Colombian Locations: Colombia’s Military Hospitalin Bogota, Colombia, Colombian

BOGOTA, July 12 (Reuters) - Deforestation in Colombia fell 29.1% in 2022 versus the previous year spurred by sharp decreases in the country's Amazon region, the government said on Wednesday, marking the lowest level since 2013. Nationally, deforestation fell by just over 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) last year to just over 1,235 square kilometers (477 square miles). That is down from 1,741 square kilometers in 2021 and surpassed the government's target of cutting the rate to 1,400 square kilometers a year by 2026. Deforestation in Amazon provinces, where a majority of the activity occurs, fell significantly, the environment ministry said in its report, with a 50% decrease in Caqueta province alone. Despite smashing the deforestation reduction target, both the government and Botero cautioned against declaring victory.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Susana Muhamad, Muhamad, Rodrigo Botero, Botero, audios, Oliver Griffin, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Foundation for Conservation, Sustainable Development, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Colombia, Bogota, Brazil, Amazon, Caqueta

In mid-2020 Rome secured the lion's share of a 724-billion-euro kitty aimed at helping EU members emerge from COVID greener and more tech-friendly. Italy's 191.5 billion euros ($210 billion) of cheap loans and grants, to be received in tranches through 2026, was intended for productive investments in the bloc's most chronically stagnant economy. MICRO-PROJECTSMore than half the EU money is meant to go on digitalisation and ecological transition, with the rest devoted to sustainable transport, education, social cohesion and health. The government is still awaiting a 19-billion-euro tranche of the EU funds blocked in March over missed policy targets stemming from 2022. It brings Italy's byzantine rules closer to EU standards, but Gobbato said people will initially find it hard to adapt.

Persons: Flavio Lo Scalzo, Rome, Roberto Perotti, Giorgia Meloni, Mario Draghi, Giuseppe Conte, Carlo Messina, Intesa, Vittorio Soldavini, Davide Carlucci, It's, Gustavo Piga, Rome's, Ilaria, Dentons, Gobbato, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Milan's Bocconi University, Treasury, European Central Bank, Technology, Tor Vergata University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, ROME, MILAN, tranches, Brussels, Italy's, Italian, Parma

☆ Canada Joins Nearly 20 Nations Calling for Halt to Deep-Sea Mining as Negotiators Meet to Agree Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

This week, delegates of the International Seabed Authority—a United Nations observer organization that regulates deep-sea mining in international waters—are descending on ISA headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica to hash out the regulations around deep-sea mining over the next two weeks. PREVIEWCanada, Ireland and Switzerland have all recently joined calls—by nearly 20 countries—for a moratorium or at least a pause on deep-sea mining. Norway recently opened the door to deep-sea mining in its waters. Deep-sea mining in recent years has garnered attention because of the possibility of recovering battery metals such as manganese and nickel from the seafloor. Some other early supporters of seabed mining, including Maersk and Lockheed Martin, have been selling their deep-sea mining investments.

Persons: —, Michael Lodge, Gerard Barron, Sandy Huffaker, GUSTAVO GRAF MALDONADO, Lockheed Martin, Yusuf Khan Organizations: United, Sustainable Business, ” Global Affairs Canada, ISA, Metals Co, Maersk, Press, Greenpeace, The Metals Co, REUTERS, Nauru wouldn’t, Lockheed Locations: Canada, United Nations, Kingston , Jamaica, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, Nauru, yusuf.khan

☆ Colombia gov't risks incompliance with fiscal rule - committee
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, July 10 (Reuters) - Colombia risks falling out of compliance with its fiscal rule through greater spending proposed for 2024 and the financial impact of reforms being debated in Congress, an independent committee warned on Monday. Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla has said the government would respect the 2011 rule which imposes constraints on fiscal policy to block deterioration of public finances. The finance ministry in June presented its medium-term fiscal framework (MFMP), noting that the deficit could increase to 4.5% of Gross Domestic Product in 2024. It revised its debt targets upwards and adjusted its fiscal deficit forecast for 2023 up to 4.3% of GDP from 3.8% originally. The expert Autonomous Fiscal Rule Committee (CARF) said spending increases planned for this year and next could put greater pressure on Colombia's finances and reverse success in reducing the deficit following the coronavirus pandemic.

Persons: Ricardo Bonilla, Gustavo Petro, Nelson Bocanegra, Oliver Griffin, Richard Chang Organizations: . Finance, Gross, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Colombia

☆ FARC dissidents and Colombian government reach agreement to begin peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 9 (Reuters) - Colombia's government has reached an agreement to begin peace talks with a faction of dissident Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels who rejected a 2016 peace agreement, according to a statement. The statement called for an "integral, stable, and lasting peace with social and environmental justice." Another rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), which was not part of the 2016 deal, is currently in talks with Petro's government. The parties announced in June that a six-month ceasefire will begin in August. Reporting and writing by Anna-Catherine Brigida; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Mark Porter Organizations: Revolutionary Armed Forces, Estado Mayor Central, Twitter, Colombian government's, Peace, National Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: Colombia

☆ UN experts arrive in Honduras to explore anti-corruption mission installation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, July 9 (Reuters) - A UN mission of experts arrived in Honduras to examine the establishment of an international anti-corruption mission in the Central American nation, which is plagued by widespread corruption that exacerbates poverty and immigration, Honduran authorities announced Sunday. Leftist President Xiomara Castro pledged during her campaign to install an anti-corruption commission known as the International Commission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (CICIH). The length of the mission's stay in Honduras to meet with various sectors was not specified. The CICIH would be the second anti-corruption commission to operate in Honduras. The mission left Honduras in 2020 after the OAS failed to reach an agreement with the Hernandez government to extend its stay.

Persons: Xiomara Castro, Eduardo Enrique Reina, Obama, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Hernandez, Gustavo Palencia, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Leslie Adler Organizations: UN, Central, Honduran, International, Corruption, United Nations, Honduran Foreign, Organization of American States, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Central American, Honduran, United States

☆ Honduras probes Chinese interest in investing in $20 billion rail line
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Honduras and China have been negotiating a first-ever free trade pact linking their economies. Fredy Cerrato, the Honduran economic development minister, told reporters officials from both countries also discussed infrastructure projects relating to dams and power generation. "We presented (Chinese officials) with the projects that Honduras is interested in getting financed, that are vital for the development of our country," said Cerrato. He added that officials in China, the world's second largest economy, have shown interest in projects developed using both public and private funds. The minister added that proposed train line could be ready in about 15 years.

Persons: Commerce Wang Shouwen, Melvin Redondo, Cerrato, Gustavo Palencia, Kylie Madry, Isabel Woodford, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Commerce, Economic, Palmerola, Foreign Ministry, Central, Thomson Locations: Honduras, Comayagua, TEGUCIGALPA, Honduran, Pacific, China, Central American, Taiwan

☆ Top FARC dissident leader Ivan Marquez dead - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BOGOTA, July 6 (Reuters) - Ivan Marquez, the well-known leader of a faction of former FARC rebels who returned to arms after a peace deal with Colombia's government, has died in Venezuela, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The attack against Marquez, whose real name was Luciano Marín Arango, may have been led by Ivan Mordisco, leader of a rival FARC dissident group, according to security sources. Colombia's Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez told journalists there was still no official information on Marquez's death. Marquez later emerged as the leader of the so-called Segunda Marquetalia, a group of former FARC who took up arms anew. Petro reopened diplomatic and trade relations with Venezuela and Venezuela is a guarantor at Colombia's peace talks with the National Liberation Army rebels.

Persons: Ivan Marquez, Marquez, Luciano Marín Arango, Ivan Mordisco, Ivan Velasquez, Gustavo Petro, Miguel Botache Santillana, Gentil Duarte, Seuxis Hernandez, Hernan Dario Velasquez, Jesus Santrich, El Paisa, Nicolas Maduro, Petro, Luis Jaime Acosta, Vivian Sequera, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Segunda, Colombia's, Venezuela's Ministry, Information, National Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Venezuela, Colombia, Caracas, Venezuela's, United States, Colombian

☆ Top FARC dissident leader Ivan Marquez dead, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The attack against Marquez, whose real name was Luciano Marín Arango, may have been led by Ivan Mordisco, leader of a rival FARC dissident group, according to security sources. Colombia's Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez told journalists there was still no official information on Marquez's death. Marquez later emerged as the leader of the so-called Segunda Marquetalia, a group of former FARC who took up arms anew. Marquez died in Venezuela the two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, which also included an intelligence source. Petro reopened diplomatic and trade relations with Venezuela and Venezuela is a guarantor at Colombia's peace talks with the National Liberation Army rebels.

☆ Crypto is trying to fix its custody problem as institutions pour in and regulatory uncertainty lingers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

And the highly regulated institutions wanting to give their clients access to bitcoin are still a little skeptical that the crypto industry has learned its lessons. Another issue is there aren't enough dedicated custodians in the crypto industry. The Go Network acts as a platform on which partner firms can execute and settle trades between crypto assets and fiat currencies. BitGo handles custody of crypto assets while dollars are spread across a network of banks for safekeeping. "[The crypto industry] was operating on the edge, saying, it's risky, but we're making a lot of money.

Persons: Crypto, Bitcoin, Roger Bayston, Franklin Templeton's, FTX, Schwab, Gustavo Schwenkler, It's, David Wells, haven't, it's, BitGo, Mike Belshe, CNBC's, Wells, Belshe, BlackRock's Joseph Chalom, Franklin Templeton's Bayston Organizations: Crypto, New York City, Arrows, Terraform, Securities and Exchange, Fidelity, Citadel, EDX, Valley Bank, First, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University, Nasdaq, Bank of New York Mellon, CNBC, Go, Markets, Schwab, BlackRock, Securities, Exchange, Coinbase Locations: Coinbase State, New York, First Republic, PacWest, Wells

☆ Rainforest destruction soared in 2022 despite global pledges to halt deforestation, new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Caolán Magee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The destruction of the world’s rainforests ramped up last year, despite global pledges to end deforestation by 2030, according to a new report. The country’s rate of forest loss rose 15% from 2021 to 2022. Bolivia saw a record-high level of primary forest loss last year, with a 32% increase compared to 2021. It came in third behind only Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for area of primary forest loss, the report found. Despite the global increase in deforestation, there has been a sharp reduction in forest loss in Indonesia and loss levels in Malaysia have remained low, according to the report.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gustavo Moreno, Jair Bolsonaro’s, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Boris Johnson, Jane Barlow, Rod Taylor, ” Organizations: CNN, World Resources, Watch, University of Maryland, Democratic, UN, WRI’s Locations: Switzerland, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Bolivia, Democratic Republic of, Congo, Glasgow, Indonesia, Malaysia

☆ Honduras military takes over prisons after dozens die in riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fredy... Read moreTEGUCIGALPA, June 26 (Reuters) - Honduras' military began taking control of the country's violent prisons on Monday, following a gang dispute that left 46 inmates dead at a women's detention center last week, officials said. Official video showed hundreds of shirtless male inmates, many tattooed and with their heads shaved, arranged on the floor of Honduras' high-security Tamara prison with their arms over their heads, guarded by heavily armed soldiers. In Honduras, some 20,000 inmates coexist in 26 overcrowded prisons, with a United Nations report saying that the country's prisons are 34.2% over capacity. Military police on Monday seized pistols, machine guns, ammunition, magazines and grenades from an area of the Tamara prison occupied by the Barrio 18 gang, Colonel Fernando Munoz told reporters. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa Writing by Valentine Hilaire Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tamara, Xiomara Castro, Jose Manuel Zelaya, Antonio Coello, Fernando Munoz, Gustavo Palencia, Valentine Hilaire, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Military Police, Honduras Armed Forces, REUTERS, El, Defense, Armed Forces, United, Military, Thomson Locations: Honduras, Esperanza, Tegucigalpa, TEGUCIGALPA, United Nations

☆ Curfews imposed after more than 20 killed in north Honduras
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, June 25 (Reuters) - The Honduran government announced curfews on Sunday in two northern cities after more than 20 people were killed overnight in separate attacks amid escalating violence in the country. President Xiomara Castro announced a 15-day curfew in Choloma between 9 pm and 4 am, effective immediately, and another in San Pedro Sula, effective July 4. There has been a partial state of emergency in parts of Honduras since December in a bid to confront violent gangs and turf wars. The minister, speaking at a press conference, added that 1,000 additional police and military are being sent to the Sula Valley, where Choloma and San Pedro Sul are located. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Chris Reese and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: curfews, Edgardo Barahona, San Pedro Sulay, Xiomara Castro, Castro, Gustavo Sanchez, San Pedro Sul, Gustavo Palencia, Isabel Woodford, Chris Reese, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, Twitter, Security, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduran, Choloma, Valle, Sula, San Pedro, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Tegucigalpa

☆ Honduras hands prison control to military police, expands emergency powers after deadly riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, June 21 (Reuters) - Honduras will return control of most of the country's penal system to the military police for the next year, the Central American country's presidential office said late on Wednesday, a day after a prison riot claimed nearly 50 lives. Honduras will also turn islands hundreds of kilometers off the coast into a penal colony for "highly dangerous" gang leaders, the presidental office said. Castro had promised "drastic measures" to address the deaths at a women's prison, which she attributed to an organized attack by gang members conducted with guards' knowledge. Tuesday's riot likely began in retaliation to recent government measures cracking down on corruption and gang control from within prison walls, authorities said. It also returned control of 21 of the country's 26 prisons to the military police.

Persons: Castro, Mara Salvatrucha, Castro's, Gustavo Palencia, Kylie Madry, Lincoln Organizations: Central American, Police, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, United States, El Salvador

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 21 (Reuters) - The death toll from a riot at a women's prison in Honduras rose to 46, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, as anxious relatives demanded information about the fate of incarcerated family members. Relatives of inmates gathered at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social, the 900-person women's penitentiary around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the capital city Tegucigalpa, where gang violence erupted a day earlier. Identifying victims is a challenge, as many of which were "charred or reduced" to ash, according to Yuri Mora, spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office. The riot had been planned by gang members with guards' knowledge, Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Twitter on Tuesday, saying she would take "drastic measures" to address the deaths. [1/5]Security forces operate outside the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) women prison following a deadly riot in Tamara, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 20, 2023.

Persons: Yuri Mora, Xiomara Castro, Angel Garcia, Fredy Rodriguez, Garcia, Mara Salvatrucha, Miguel Martinez, Julissa Villanueva, El, Gustavo Palencia, Brendan O'Boyle, Valentine Hillaire, Daina Beth Solomon, Alistair Bell Organizations: Centro Femenino de, Twitter, Security, REUTERS, Central America, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Tamara, Los Angeles, Central, El Salvador

☆ Colombia senate votes down recreational marijuana bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] People demonstrate in front of the Colombian Congress, in favor of the regulation of marijuana for adult use in Bogota, Colombia June 20, 2023. Uruguay, Canada and some states in the U.S. allow the sale of recreational marijuana. Backers including Interior Minister Luis Fernando Velasco said recreational marijuana's continued illegality only benefits criminals. "From the government we will insist on this issue," Velasco said in quotes shared by the Senate on Twitter. We have majorities, we lacked seven votes," he tweeted after the vote on the bill, which needed 54 votes in favor and won 47, with 43 against.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez BOGOTA, Gustavo Petro, Luis Fernando Velasco, Velasco, Juan Carlos Losada, Oliver Griffin, Carlos Vargas, Julia Symmes Cobb, Alexander Smith Organizations: Colombian, REUTERS, Colombia's, Senate, Twitter, Liberal Party, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Uruguay, Canada, U.S

☆ US hostage envoy Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNN Wednesday. Carstens traveled to the capital city of Caracas for “discussions about the welfare and safety of US nationals wrongfully detained in Venezuela,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of all wrongfully detained US nationals in Venezuela at every opportunity,” they said. ‘Signing his death warrant’The family members of the detained Americans, all of whom have been detained more than a year, are increasingly worried about their loved ones. Tillery told CNN that the US is “signing his death warrant” by not securing Kenemore’s release.

Persons: Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Carstens, ”, “, Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Luke Denman, Airan Berry, Nicolas Maduro, Jeana, Tillery, Gustavo Cárdenas –, Jorge Alberto Fernandez, – Jose Pereira, Jorge Toledo, Tomeu, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, Matthew Heath, Osman Khan –, Biden Organizations: CNN, Hostage Affairs, State Department, United Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, United States, Venezuelan

☆ Colombians march against Petro's reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsColombians march against Petro's reformsPostedThousands of anti-government demonstrators marched through Colombia's major cities on Tuesday (June 20) to protest the economic and social reforms pushed by the government of leftist President Gustavo Petro.

Persons: Gustavo Petro Locations: Colombia's

☆ 25 dead following reported riot in women's prison in Honduras
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Security forces operate outside the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) women prison following a deadly riot in Tamara, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Fredy RodriguezTEGUCIGALPA, June 20 (Reuters) - Honduran authorities have discovered 25 charred bodies in a women's prison, a spokesperson from the public prosecutors' office said on Tuesday after a reported prison riot. Authorities are working to identify the bodies, spokesperson Yuri Mora said, amid local media reports that a riot had broken out in the Centro Femenino de Adaptación Social (CEFAS) prison, a women's penitentiary around 20 kilometers from the capital city Tegucigalpa. There is a history of deadly prison incidents in Honduras, with 18 inmates reportedly killed in a gang fight in a penitentiary in 2019, and over 350 dying in a fire in 2012. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Isabel Woodford; editing by Stephen EisenhammerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fredy Rodriguez, Yuri Mora, Gustavo Palencia, Isabel Woodford, Stephen Eisenhammer Organizations: Security, Centro Femenino de, REUTERS, Fredy, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Tamara, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fredy Rodriguez TEGUCIGALPA

BUENOS AIRES/NEW YORK, June 18 (Reuters) - Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have a $44 billion dilemma, with the two sides set to meet for crunch talks to revamp the country's huge, wobbling debt deal, key to avoiding default on billions in looming debt payments. Economy Minister Sergio Massa is expected in Washington as early as this week to try to unlock talks to accelerate IMF disbursements and ease economic targets attached to the deal, with investors and traders watching closely. "The fund knows that Argentina is a problem, it is its main debtor, but it seems to me that the negotiation has stagnated. Reuters Graphics'DAMAGE CONTROL'The government is hoping to bring forward over $10 billion in IMF disbursements scheduled for this year, though is reluctant to agree to tough austerity measures with an eye on October general elections where it faces likely defeat. "Investors are paying real attention to signs from the IMF negotiations," said economist Gustavo Ber.

Persons: Sergio Massa, Ricardo Delgado, Massa, Hugo Godoy, Gustavo Ber, Walter Bianchi, Rodrigo Campos, Adam Jourdan, Daniel Wallis Organizations: BUENOS AIRES, International Monetary Fund, Economy, IMF, Reuters Graphics, Reuters, Institute of International Finance, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: BUENOS, Argentina, Washington, Argentine, Buenos Aires, China

☆ IMF sees Honduran economic growth slowing to about 3% in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, June 16 (Reuters) - Honduran economic growth is seen slowing to about 3% in 2023, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated in a statement issued on Friday, pointing to fewer remittances and pressures on the energy and farm sectors stemming from drought conditions. Honduran authorities said earlier this week they would begin rationing electricity due to the drought's impact on the country's hydroelectric plants. A drought linked to El Nino weather phenomenon is affecting much of Central America and is expected to cut into the region's harvests. "Honduras remains one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate disasters, with sizeable adaptation investment needs," the IMF statement said. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by David Alire GarciaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gustavo Palencia, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Central, IMF, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduran, Nino, Central America, Honduras

☆ Bitcoin gets a sliver of optimism to cap an otherwise dismal week for crypto
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Coin Metrics measures a week in crypto, which trades 24 hours a day, from the 4:00 p.m. A moment of relief Bitcoin climbed about 4% Friday, but the rest of the week wasn't as sunny. Price action was tepid to start the week and on Wednesday bitcoin briefly fell to a March low. … It's a doubting Thomas market for the next buyer of bitcoin right now. Miner profitability Bitcoin's recent declines may not be entirely on macro and regulatory headwinds, said Yuya Hasegawa, crypto market analyst at Japanese bitcoin exchange Bitbank.

Persons: Bitcoin, Price, Gustavo Schwenkler, it's, bitcoin, Mark Connors, we've, Thomas, Jay Powell, Connors, Yuya Hasegawa, Hasegawa Organizations: BlackRock, SEC, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University, Federal, Coinbase

Search resuls for: "Gustavo"

25 mentions found