Brasil Dismantles Hundreds Of Illegal Dredges In Major Amazon Mining Crackdown

Brazil dismantles hundreds of illegal dredges in major Amazon mining crackdown By Steven Grattan, 14 hours ago Dredging barges operated by illegal miners converge on the Madeira River, a tributary of the Amazon River, searching for gold, in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, in November 2021. (Edmar Barros / Associated Press) Brazilian police backed by Interpol have destroyed hundreds of dredges used in illegal gold mining along the Madeira River, in one of the biggest coordinated crackdowns yet on criminal networks operating across the Amazon Basin. The international police agency said officers dismantled 277 floating mining rafts worth an estimated $6.8 million. When factoring in lost gold, equipment and environmental damage, officials estimated the total financial blow to organized crime groups at about $193 million. The Madeira River, one of the Amazon’s largest tributaries, flows from the Andes through Bolivia into northern Brazil before joining the main Amazon River — an area long plagued by illegal mining and environmental crime. The raids were led by Brazil’s Federal Police Amazon and Environment Protection Division, a special unit focused on combating environmental crimes, with support from a new regional coordination center linking law enforcement agencies from several Amazon countries. More than 100 officers used satellite data to map 155 square miles of forest and river areas scarred by mining, Interpol said Monday. Interpol — the international organization that helps police in nearly 200 countries share intelligence and coordinate operations — said the crackdown builds on a series of recent cross-border missions in Latin America targeting illegal gold mining, logging and wildlife trafficking. Such crimes are among the biggest drivers of deforestation and river contamination in the Amazon, and often fund broader organized crime networks. The operation comes just weeks before world leaders gather in the northern Brazilian city of Belem for COP30, where Brazil is expected to highlight its efforts to curb Amazon destruction and illegal mining. “This operation marks a new chapter in our collective effort to protect the Amazon,” Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said in a statement, calling it proof that regional cooperation can strike at the financial networks behind environmental crimes. Interpol said liaison officers from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru and Suriname took part in the operation, though it did not specify when it took place. Authorities said samples of sediment and other materials were collected for forensic analysis to trace their origin and detect hazardous substances such as mercury and cyanide. Residents were also tested for possible toxic exposure linked to gold-mining activities. Brazil’s Federal Police said follow-up investigations aim to identify and prosecute the financiers and ringleaders behind the illicit gold trade — not just the miners, who are often exploited in the process. Grattan writes for the Associated Press.

Mexicans Protest Murder Of Mayor Killed At Day of the Dead Festivities

Mexicans Protest Murder of Mayor Killed At Day of the Dead Festivities Mexico Hundreds of Mexicans took to the streets of Uruapan, in the western state of Michoacán, on Sunday, calling for justice during the funeral of Mayor Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, an outspoken critic of organized crime who was shot dead the day before during Day of the Dead festivities, Al Jazeera reported. Uruapan residents, clad in black clothing and holding up photographs of Manzo Rodríguez, 40, participated in the funeral procession of the former mayor while chanting “Justice! Justice! Out with Morena!” referring to the ruling party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the Associated Press added. Manzo Rodríguez, a former Morena legislator, was shot Saturday night in the town’s historic center and died later that day at the hospital, according to authorities. Footage of the attack shared on social media shows dozens of people running for cover after hearing gunshots. A city council member and a bodyguard were also wounded in the shooting. The former mayor, who had expressed concerns for his safety and was often seen wearing a bulletproof vest, had been under protection since December 2024, three months after taking office. Authorities told reporters that the mayor was killed by an unidentified man who shot him seven times and was later killed at the scene. The murder weapon was connected to two previous armed clashes between rival criminal groups in the area. Recently, Manzo Rodríguez had used social media to ask the federal government for help to confront the criminal groups. He had also accused Michoacán’s pro-government governor and the state police of corruption. After the shooting, Sheinbaum condemned the assassination and promised justice. The murder is the latest in a long list of assassinations of local politicians in Mexico, often targeted by criminal gangs. A mayor of the municipality of Tacambaro, also in Michoacán, was killed in June. Michoacán is one of the country’s most violent states, where criminal gangs fight for control of the territory, drug distribution routes, and other illegal activities. Uruapan, also known as Mexico’s avocado capital, is particularly vulnerable because the industry is a target for organized crime.

Venezuela: Some In The Region Welcome US 'Gunboat Diplomacy'

As the US Ships Move Toward Venezuela, Some in the Region Welcome the ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’ Venezuela As the world’s biggest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, headed to the Venezuelan coast, the South American country’s president, clearly worried, claimed US President Donald Trump was manufacturing a crisis. “They are fabricating an extravagant narrative, a vulgar, criminal, and totally fake one,” said President Nicolás Maduro, in an address to the nation. “Venezuela is a country that does not produce cocaine leaves.” Only a small amount of cocaine in the US arrives via Venezuela, according to the Washington Office on Latin America, a think tank. But Trump has claimed that Maduro, as the alleged leader of the Cartel de los Soles, along with Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, are leveraging the Venezuelan state to aid and abet drug runners selling their products in the US. American officials have killed 64 people in air strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug boats in recent weeks in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Trump has described the attacks as acts of war. He hasn’t ruled out invading Venezuela either. “We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela,” he said, adding: “We’re going to stop them by land also…The land is going to be next.” His critics, including Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, have described these attacks as extrajudicial killings, the Guardian noted. “So far, they have alleged that these people are drug dealers. No one’s said their name, no one’s said what evidence, no one’s said whether they’re armed, and we’ve had no evidence presented,” he said on Fox News Sunday. Meanwhile, many legal experts deem them illegal, questioning the administration’s justification that it is in an “armed conflict” with drug traffickers. The US has also sought to apprehend Maduro by offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The endgame, according to analysts, is that Trump is likely trying to increase pressure in a bid to oust Maduro’s regime, wrote the BBC. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina, who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democracy and civil rights in Venezuela, and is in hiding because of them, has undoubtedly influenced the White House’s thinking, added Reuters. The Gerald R. Ford, its accompanying destroyers, and detachments of US marines in the region could represent a force whose goal might be to invade Venezuela, an oil-rich nation that has sunk into poverty under Maduro’s corruption and collectivist economic policies. American bombers have been flying in Venezuelan airspace, too. Until more American soldiers mass in Puerto Rico, a land invasion is unlikely, however, the Economist contended. “Plenty of firepower is in place,” it wrote. “The build-up of ships is the largest in the region since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962…(but) the aim of this gunboat diplomacy is fuzzy.” This could all be an effort to rattle Maduro, it added, or to map out his air defenses, or both. Alternatively, the American goal might be to scare Venezuelan generals sufficiently for them to mount a coup against Maduro, the Hill reasoned. The results might be backfiring so far, however. Venezuela and Russia recently signed an agreement to cooperate more closely on energy, mining, transport, and security, for instance, the German Press Agency noted. To that end, a Russian cargo plane that may have carried mercenaries or weapons recently landed in the capital of Caracas, Defense News added. Maduro is a survivor. He probably lost reelection in 2024, but, as the Journal of Democracy explained, he controls the government and kept himself in office. Gunboat diplomacy can be very effective, too, however, as well as popular in Latin America. “At first glance, the number of countries and leaders that are rhetorically supportive of Trump’s aggressive military operations against the cartels may be surprising, as it goes against the conventional narrative that Latin America always rejects US interference in regional affairs,” wrote World Politics Review. “But on closer scrutiny, it makes more sense. Security populism and promises to use military assets to target criminals are winning election campaigns across the region.” 

Why Didn't The Argentines Try To Stop The British Task Force On The Way To The alkans/

Profile photo for Frank West Frank West · Follow Updated 1h Why didn’t Argentina try to stop the British task force on its way to the Falklands in 1982? This has always puzzled me — Argentina has a long coast and surely knew the fleet was coming. Why didn’t they intercept or attack it on its voyage south? The Argentines did try to intercept the British at sea. It just didn’t work. The Argentine Navy sortied a fairly sizable task force of around 20 ships to intercept the British. Included in the fleet was the aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, the cruiser ARA General Belgrano, other surface ships like destroyers and corvettes, and the submarine ARA San Luis. These warships represented a lot of firepower and, especially considering the Argentine aircraft carrier, was potentially very dangerous to the British. ARA Veinticinco de Mayo & ARA General Belgrano The Royal Navy dealt with this threat by sending the nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror. She fired 3 torpedoes at the Gen Belgrano on 2 May ‘82. The Argentine cruiser was struck twice and sank in minutes at the cost of over 300 lives. (Edited) HMS Conqueror (S48) This action spooked the Argentine leadership who immediately withdrew the remaining warships back to port. They stayed in harbor for the duration of the war. The Argentinian Navy just didn’t have an answer for a modern nuclear submarine. If they had, the Argentines had a decent chance of stopping the British fleet. AMA Gen Belgrano, low in the water before sinking on 2 May 1982. The sinking of the Belgrano cost many young lives, but it did force a positive outcome. The loss of the Falklands war, compounded by the sinking of the Belgrano, discredited the Argentine military junta and contributed to the restoration of civilian rule in 1983. __________________________________________ ***EDIT - UPDATE*** Several people in the comments have pointed out, correctly, that the action I describe above actually happened after the British were in the Falklands area. So, they ask again, why didn’t the Argentines “intercept” the British well before? Fair enough, so here’s that answer: The Argentines didn’t really think the British would fight. Not properly. They assumed the conflict would be settled by negotiation, so they neglected to prepare for a large naval war. Consequently, there was no plan ahead of time to ready the fleet and defend the islands. The British moved very fast. The ARA wasn’t ready to put to sea for a couple of weeks, but the British launched about 3 days after the invasion. There was a British submarine on station in about 48 hours. It just took too long for the Argentines to assemble and fit-out their full fleet. Submarines. By the time the Argentines were ready to sail, the British had submarines deployed south of the Falklands. That forced the ARA to move cautiously and slowly. No operations master plan. The Argentines didn’t have an integrated war plan. Each military branch planned independently. As such, the Army didn’t really consult the Navy and the Navy didn’t know what the Air Force was doing, etc. If they had worked together, the ARA could have sailed before the invasion, the Air Force could have deployed fighters to the islands….and they wouldn’t have wasted so much time. So there’s the answer. The Argentines were unprepared and didn’t anticipate a proper fight. Therefore, they neglected to use their forces in a coordinated, strategic, and timely manner. By the time it was clear there would be a real war, it took them too long to respond and react. C’est la guerre… 146.3K views View 1,649 upvotes View 8 shares 1 of 26 answers 130 comments from Robert Storms and more More from your Digest MyIQ Sponsored Answer 30 questions to find out your score. Are you smarter than the average American? The ave

Argentina: Milei's Party Secures Surprise Win In Midterms

Milei’s Party Secures Surprise Win in Midterms Argentina Argentine President Javier Milei won a decisive victory in Sunday’s midterm elections, tightening his control over Congress and bolstering his free-market overhaul with backing from Washington, CBS News reported. With nearly all votes counted, Milei’s right-wing La Libertad Avanza party exceeded projections by securing about 41 percent of the national vote, defeating the once-dominant Peronist opposition, which received around 31 percent. The results showed his party and allies gained 14 new seats in the upper house of the legislature and 64 in the lower house. While still short of a full majority, the vote’s outcome surprised many observers who had described the midterms as a referendum on Milei, elected in 2023 on promises to boost Argentina’s chronic economic malaise. A self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” the libertarian leader imposed a series of “shock therapy” policies that devalued the peso, cut energy subsidies, and saw tens of thousands of public employees lose their jobs. The policies briefly stabilized Argentina’s finances, producing its first balanced budget in more than a decade and reducing inflation from 200 percent two years ago to 32 percent now, the Wall Street Journal added. Even so, his administration has been plagued by a series of scandals and mass protests against his policies that cast doubt on his popularity ahead of the vote. But Sunday’s results now give Milei effective veto power over opposition legislation and solidify his hold on Argentina’s austerity program, which has drawn both popular anger and investor praise. Milei thanked supporters, saying the vote was “the confirmation of the mandate we assumed in 2023.” Praise also poured from Milei’s key ally, US President Donald Trump, who had tied billions in US financial aid to the outcome of the vote. The Trump administration had conditioned a $20 billion currency-swap deal with Argentina’s central bank and another $20 billion in private loans on Milei’s electoral success, after warning it would withdraw support if the Peronists prevailed. Markets reacted positively on Monday, with Argentine bonds and stocks surging and analysts describing the results as a relief for investors who had doubted Milei’s political endurance. Observers noted, however, that the domestic strain remains severe: Inflation continues to erode real wages, and more than 250,000 jobs have been lost since Milei came to power, with at least 18,000 businesses closing, CBS noted. Axel Kicillof, the Peronist governor of Buenos Aires province, warned Milei was ignoring “the suffering of many Argentines,” adding that US-backed loans “will do nothing to help ordinary people.”

Congress Targets Hezbollah Drug Smuggling In Latin America

Congress targets Hezbollah drug smuggling in Latin America By Pedro Rodriguez, 3 days ago The Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control held a hearing this week on the Iran-financed Islamic terrorist network Hezbollah, and its oil smuggling, money laundering, counterfeiting, and illegal weapons procurement operations. All of these efforts are tied to drug cartels and communist regimes in Latin America. It comes as no surprise that after the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah’s ally, the terrorist network has had to seek funding and shelter elsewhere. CUT OFF HEZBOLLAH’S LIFELINE TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCING “In this critical time, Hezbollah may seek to further expand its Latin America drug trafficking and money laundering networks, and that's why we are holding this hearing today,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), chairman of the caucus, stated in Global Gangsters: Hezbollah’s Latin American Drug Trafficking Operations. “As noted by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Hezbollah established a presence in the lawless tri-border region of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, infiltrating the largest shiite muslim diaspora,” Cornyn added. FINCEN also reported that Hezbollah’s expanding partnerships with South American drug cartels and the Chavez-Maduro regime in Venezuela are helping to advance the Islamic terrorist network’s money-laundering operations. “I’m concerned about reports that indicate that the former Venezuelan Vice President was responsible for issuing the Venezuelan passports to Hezbollah members, facilitated their coming into Latin America, and helped Hezbollah to channel funds to the Middle East,” Cornyn said. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) called Venezuela a “safe haven” for one of the world’s most lethal terrorist networks. In 2020, the Justice Department charged a former member of the Venezuelan General Assembly with narcotrafficking, terrorism, weapons offenses, and acting as a liaison between Cartel of the Suns and Hezbollah and Hamas. As stated by Cornyn, Hezbollah’s ties to the communist regime have facilitated the terrorist network’s illicit activities in the region. The group’s operations in Latin America first drew U.S. government attention during President Barack Obama’s administration, as Hezbollah began shifting its focus away from the Middle East. With the collapse of its chief financial patron, the Iranian regime, and the weakening of Syria’s Assad, the organization sought new funding sources abroad. Now, under President Donald Trump’s second administration, Hezbollah is accelerating its activities across Latin America, filling the financial void left by its declining power base in the Middle East. HEZBOLLAH IS DOWN, NOT OUT “President Trump's brave decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites in Operation Midnight Hammer could dry up a key source of funding for Hezbollah,” Cornyn said. Hezbollah’s other ally, Hamas, has been almost completely eradicated in Gaza thanks to Trump’s military alliance with Israel, which aimed to eliminate the terrorist organization after its brutal attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, giving Hezbollah an even stronger reason to expand its operations in the Western Hemisphere.

Renato Giovannoni's Essential Buenos Aires

https://www.ft.com/content/b0f6d2ad-83d4-4b3f-b36a-8d7bf44745ad?segmentId=3f81fe28-ba5d-8a93-616e-4859191fabd8