Amnesty International's Harsh Report on Anti-Picketing Protocol: "Dissent at Risk"

Amnesty International (AI) presented a report on Thursday in which it denounced the "disproportionate" use of force by the government of Javier Milei in response to the demonstrations. According to the organization, the federal security forces followed a repressive pattern based on the "anti-picket protocol" promoted by Minister Patricia Bullrich.

What Amnesty International's report says

According to AI, the report on the repression of social protest yielded alarming figures: during 15 demonstrations, 1,155 people were injured, many of them seriously injured. Of these, 33 were hit in the head or face by rubber bullets, which caused severe damage to their vision. In addition, 50 journalists were injured while covering the protests.

In total, 73 people were "criminalized" for participating in the demonstrations. The report details that documented repressive practices include the abusive use of tear gas, rubber bullets, water trucks, batons and batons, and arbitrary detentions. "In emblematic cases, children were even affected by repressive violence," the organization's text said.

Paola García Rey, deputy director of Amnesty International, explained that the report reveals a clear restriction on the exercise of freedom of expression "in the streets" and a "shrinking of civic space."

Regarding the data that support the report, García Rey pointed out that the organization resorted to various methodologies, such as requests for access to public information from the national state, which were in many cases "denied by the Ministry of Security of the Nation."

 30 testimonies of victims who suffered the disproportionate use of force. We also survey images because, now, social networks enable much more dissemination," he explained.

In this sense, he stressed the importance of making violence visible, assuring that "giving an account of the situation of alarm in the face of violence" seeks to highlight how force is used to restrict dissent and "silence voices". Amnesty's representative in Argentina also stressed that, although the country "has a very active use of the street," this does not justify the government's repressive response.

"Without a doubt, Argentina has a very active use of the street and, surely, it was necessary to have a robust debate on the channeling of popular demands to the Government. But the answer can never be fear as a way to inhibit expression and violence as a strategy to achieve it," he said.

Meanwhile, the organization considers that the repression of protests not only infringes fundamental rights, but also generates an inhibitory effect on citizen participation and the exercise of democracy.

Recommendations to the national government

By way of conclusion, the report concludes with a series of recommendations to Milei's government. "Amnesty International urges the Argentine government to adopt concrete measures that guarantee respect for human rights in the context of social protests," the text emphasizes.

Among these measures, the repeal of the anti-picketing protocol  stands out, a regulation that, according to the organization, "not only violates fundamental human rights, but also contributes to the criminalization of those who demonstrate." In addition, they urge the implementation of police regulations and trainings that align with international standards on the right to peaceful assembly and the use of force.

"The use of force by the authorities must be framed by principles of proportionality and respect for human rights," the report concludes

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Police

Investigation into the suspicious death of a federal judge who intervened in a case linked to Los Monos

This is Pablo Seró, who was in charge of the case of the kidnapping of businessman Gastón Tallone. Prosecutor María Occhi is considering the hypothesis of suicide, but there is still a need for expert reports to be carried out

The Entre Ríos Police are investigating the suspicious death of Federal Judge Pablo Andrés Seró, who died this morning when he fell from the terrace of a building in the city of Concepción del Uruguay. He is the magistrate who intervened in the case of the kidnapping and disappearance of businessman Gastón Tallone, linked to the drug gang Los Monos.

According to local media reports, the tragic event occurred after 10 a.m. on Thursday in the Antares building, located at 600 General Galarza Street, right at the intersection with Eva Duarte de Perón.

Sources from the provincial Ministry of Security consulted by Infobae explained that, so far, the main and only hypothesis being considered by the team of prosecutor María Occhi, who was on duty at the time of the event, is that of death by self-determination. However, the results of the experts will be awaited to confirm the circumstances in which the Seró fell into the void.

According to what this media was able to find out, his mother currently resides in the building from where Seró fell, who was not at home at the time of the event.

Seró, 55, head of the Federal Court of Concepción del Uruguay, died on the spot as a result of the serious injuries he suffered after falling into the void.

One of the heaviest cases being handled in his court was that of the kidnapping of Tallone. For that case, Gustavo Juliá, who served a 13-year prison sentence for drug trafficking in Spain, had been arrested ten days ago. He is the son of Brigadier José Juliá, head of the Argentine Air Force during the presidency of Carlos Saúl Menem

The kidnapping of the port businessman from Entre Ríos occurred in Almagro, but it has connections with his work in that area and with the Los Monos gang. Juliá Jr. owns one of the cars that executed the criminal maneuver.

The kidnapping would have been, as suspected, for a debt of 500,000 dollars with that organized crime group.

According to documents in the case accessed by Infobae, lawyer José Uriburu, linked to Los Monos, would have made the first extortion call to Tallone's family to claim that money: "Good night cumpa, the thing is short. The thief is here with us and he's fine. Or they return the drugs and the 500 thousand dollars that he stole and everything ends and he comes back, he stole from all the narcos and now it's time to pay. If you beat the cane, we will go down and go for all of you and your helpers. You don't with the mafia," he reportedly said.

The clarification of the case is in charge of prosecutors Josefina Minata and Santiago Marquevich, of the Specialized Prosecutorial Unit in Organized Crime. The Federal Court of Concepción del Uruguay had prosecuted the lawyer Uriburu and an alleged deliverer of the businessman.

Who was Judge Pablo Seró

Born on May 23, 1969 in the town of Goya in Corrientes, Dr. Seró graduated as a lawyer from the National University of the Northeast in 1994 and took office in 2012 as head of the Federal Court of Concepción del Uruguay, from where he worked in public office with all federal crimes in the city and the area.

The magistrate, a reference of the Entre Ríos Justice, knew how to be linked to causes of great public interest, including the investigation of the alleged Iranian citizen who presented himself as Asan Azad, arrested in June 2022 without personal documentation when he tried to buy a ticket in Concepción del Uruguay with an Argentine ID of another person.

The personnel of the Entre Ríos Police work at the scene together with the Criminalistics Division. Sources in the case told this newspaper that, as of after 1:30 p.m., investigators had not yet been able to find Seró's cell phone.

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They warn about the disappearance of small farmers due to lack of profitability.

The Argentine Rural Confederations (CRA) raised its voice again on Monday to demand the urgent elimination of withholdings, a request that is gaining more and more strength in agriculture due to the bad financial situation that the sector is going through as a result of low international prices and the risk of an incipient drought that is being felt in some key areas of the country.

It did so through a novel social media campaign, in which it used puns starting with the letters De and Ex, to express the need for DEXs (the abbreviation for export duties) to be removed.

"Urgent elimination of the DEXs now!", is a kind of slogan that runs through all the posts, in which words such as crumble, degradation, disappearance, uprooting, exclusion and expulsion are used, in reference to the effects that withholdings have on agricultural production.

"The countryside urgently needs the elimination of withholdings. The delay in the measure will cause a cessation of payments, the bankruptcy of thousands of producers and a strong brake on the development of the interior and the economy associated with the productive sector," CRA stressed.

Then, he justified that DEXs are "an unsustainable tax burden," because "they decrease the profitability of the producer, reducing the net price they receive for their products, eroding their profit margins and discouraging investment in technologies, high-quality seeds, modern machinery and more."

The State takes 64.6% of agricultural income: "If withholdings disappeared, it would be 36%"

He also explained that "DEXs do not kill in one fell swoop, but they are signing the disappearance of the producer", because "they generate regional inequality, since regional economies, many of which depend on the export of agro-industrial products, are more vulnerable; the large costs add to the retentions, making producers in remote areas of the country less competitive."

Urgent DEX removal now! Because they are an unsustainable tax burden.

He also added that "DEXs affect both the individual economy and agricultural development as a whole" and in this way "the productive reality leads to the disappearance of producers."

"The drop in international commodity prices, the high cost of inputs and the enormous tax burden show negative margins in many activities such as soybeans," he reviewed.

And he added: "DEXs generate a gap that distances us from development, reduces the ability of Argentine producers to compete in global markets, especially against countries that do not apply these charges. This can lead to the loss of international markets and affect the country's reputation as a reliable supplier."

CÓRDOBA ALSO STANDS AGAINST THE WITHHOLDINGS

In the same way, from Córdoba, the Liaison Table of that province also added its claim against the retentions.

From the point of view of the Cordoba countryside, "the agricultural sector has been enduring a state of inefficiency for more than 20 years, with unsustainable expenses and a fiscal pressure incompatible with production."

The problem is that the adverse climatic situation and international markets are added to this panorama, which is what has revealed the "tremendous damage" caused by the retentions; "a distorting and discriminatory tax that, due to its magnitude and persistence, is suffocating the sector."

For this reason, the Cordoba Table considers it "imperative" that the national government review and take measures regarding the withholdings, because otherwise "the prolongation of this tax puts the survival of small producers at serious risk."

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Domingo Cavallo anticipated the future of the dollar in 2025 and what will happen after the exit from the clamps

In his personal blog, the former Minister of Economy assured that the exit from the clamp will imply a jump in the dollar, but "it does not have to be inflationary"

In his personal blog, the former Minister of Economy said that its elimination could consolidate monetary and exchange rate stability in Argentina

Former Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo once again analyzed the situation of the dollar in Argentina and anticipated a possible exchange rate jump in 2025.

His statements, published on his blog in an article entitled "Getting out of the stocks does not have to be inflationary", generated a stir in the economic and political sphere.

Leaving the Stocks does not have to be inflationary

The government has been winning the battle against inflation. The challenge is to win the war.  The government's success in the fight against inflation has its fundamental origin in fiscal adjustment and the elimination of monetary issuance that was due to the fiscal deficit, but control of the exchange rate and the reduction of the gap also played and will continue to play a fundamental role. Both the president and the economy minister suggest that the pace of the crawl can be reduced to 1% per month and finally to 0%, that is, converge to a fixed exchange rate that would lead to the total elimination of what they call inflation induced by the exchange rate adjustment.

Those who bet on the final success of this stabilization strategy and rule out a future devaluation jump are confident that in the medium term the increase in hydrocarbon and mining exports, as well as the productive results of the investments induced by the RIGI will make the exchange rate at the end of the stabilization process sustainable and will not need additional adjustments and that,  as a bridge to reach this situation, there will be the eventual resources provided by the IMF in a future program and eventual access to the capital market when the country risk rate pierces the barrier of 400 basis points.

I argued in January 2024, as soon as the initial measures of President Milei's government were announced, that 'to eliminate inflation, the most important thing will be to avoid a new jump in the price of the dollar before it is in a position to fully unify and liberalize the foreign exchange market'.  The government is cautious about the possibility of eliminating the clamp precisely for fear of an exchange rate jump and its impact on inflation.

In this post I argue that when the complete elimination of the clamp is decided, there will surely be a jump in the exchange rate, but this does not mean that the disinflation process will be interrupted but, on the contrary, it may mean the consolidation of monetary and exchange rate stability.

As a counterweight to a possible exchange rate jump, the complete elimination of the clamp would lead to a greater reduction in country risk, facilitating access to financing to face the principal maturities of the debt in dollars. At the same time, it will help to ensure that there are favorable balances in the trade balance to facilitate the Treasury's access to buy, with the pesos of its primary fiscal surplus, the dollars it needs to meet the payment of the interest on that debt.

The government, instead of postponing the elimination of the clamp until after the elections, in my opinion should seriously consider its elimination in the first months of next year, to reach the election with the economy stabilized and reactivated and in a clear process of growth through investment and increased productivity.

What is the role of the exchange clamp in the disinflation process?

The so-called exchange clamp is made up of many restrictions on the legal purchase and sale of foreign currencies (for simplicity we are going to refer to one currency, the dollar). The restrictions of the traditional exchange control, which have been applied in many economies at different stages of their economic history, are: a) those that oblige exporters to sell to the Central Bank, within maximum periods defined by the regulations, the dollars that these operations generate and b) those that limit importers' access to the dollars that they must disburse,  both in quantity and in the minimum payment deferral period Theoretically, these controls allow the Central Bank to determine the exchange rate (fix or adjust it at will) and, with certain limitations, achieve quantitative targets for the accumulation of reserves. In essence, it is about the control of price and quantity in the foreign exchange market, something that is not easy to maintain for long periods of time without generating evasion mechanisms that feed a parallel market, black, blue or whatever you want to call it.

As a palliative, in order to also control the gap between the parallel market and the exchange rate managed by the Central Bank, operations for the purchase and sale of financial dollars are allowed, but they are also subject to interventions and regulation by the Central Bank that restrict their operation and affect their price. Those who can open an account in dollars within the Argentine financial system and have the necessary pesos to pay them, can buy the stock exchange dollar (MEP) which, except for cash withdrawal, for payments abroad are subject to all exchange control restrictions. Cash settlement operations (CCL) in the bond market allow payments and collections abroad. But those who, due to their export and import activities, or even financial operations, need access to the official exchange market managed by the Central Bank are not allowed to operate in the CCL.

In short, all these restrictions and exchange controls allow the government to manage the exchange rate and the gap with pseudo-free markets. This leads Central Bank officials and, for the moment, most private sector financial operators, to believe that a devaluation jump can be avoided, even if the private sector operating in the real economy complains about the so-called "exchange rate delay" and the increase in costs in dollars.

The dynamics of inflation

The inflation rate published by INDEC for the month of October was 2.7%, a significant drop in relation to the 3.5% of the month of September and just over the 4% average for the months of May to August, but the early data for the month of November anticipate that the monthly inflation rate will probably return to above 3% per month. This can be seen in Table 1, which compares the rates published by INDEC and the trend marked by the data prepared by Alberto Cavallo based on online observations.

The average rate of online prices, which was 2.2% in October, is climbing to 2.9% in November. If the same increase were to occur for the inflation rate measured by INDEC, it would have to increase from 2.7% in October to 3.4% in November. Some indications from the last days of November (for example, the increase in the price of meat), anticipate that there will also be a trend of increase in December.

This persistence of the inflation rate in the range of 3 to 4% per month should not be surprising when the monetary aggregates M2 and bank credit to the private sector have been increasing at rates of 7% and 14% per month respectively since May.

For the moment, the future dollar market seems to validate expectations that the government will succeed in controlling the exchange rate during 2025 with the crawl at the pace it has been announcing. The reduction of the gap between the CCL and the exchange rate set by the Central Bank helps to consolidate this expectation. The key to success is to prevent financial operators from beginning to anticipate a post-election exchange rate jump. To do this, contrary to what some believe, it is important to eliminate the clamp as soon as possible.  The sooner the clamp is eliminated, the better the monetary system will work with currency competition because the dollar will be able to fulfill not only the role of currency for commercial transactions but also as a vehicle for savings to finance the investment of all types of companies. In particular, those that cannot benefit from the RIGI regime.

Arguments that feed the expectation of an exchange rate jump at the time of market unification and liberalization

It is likely that by eliminating the clamps, the exchange rate will increase. In addition to the argument about the appreciation of the peso in the official market (exchange rate delay), which can be aggravated by the devaluation of the Brazilian real and the strengthening of the dollar due to measures adopted by the Trump administration, there are other arguments to predict an exchange rate jump at the time of market unification and liberalization. The main argument is that the gap between the price in the MEP and CCL markets and the price set by the Central Bank is not realistic, because the regulations do not allow dividends and royalties to be remitted to companies that must necessarily operate in the MULC and the access of individuals and companies to the MEP is also severely restricted. It is argued that the unification of the foreign exchange market should be done while maintaining restrictions on the remittance of dividends and payment of royalties, but if this happens, capital inflows will be discouraged.

Exchange rate stability after reunification can only be maintained if the supervening exchange rate stabilizes without the Central Bank selling reserves. On the contrary, stability will be consolidated if the Central Bank accumulates reserves without causing additional depreciation of the peso. For this to happen, capital inflows need to be encouraged. If capital inflows are vigorous, the Central Bank will be able to buy reserves and allow the appreciation of the peso that will automatically reverse any increase in the inflation rate that follows an exchange rate jump. This is the typical phenomenon of stabilization plans with free movement of capital.

That there is no restriction on the purchase and sale of foreign currencies is an essential requirement for the economy to function with competition from Peruvian-style currencies. This is the monetary system that President Milei has been talking about. On the other hand, if exchange rate stability is achieved with competition from Peruvian-style currencies, the economy will be able to function with less rigidity than with complete dollarization or convertibility with a fixed exchange rate.

How would the exchange and monetary system of currency competition (Peruvian-style) work?

Banks will receive deposits in all types of accounts in both pesos and dollars and the Central Bank will control the expansion of bank credit in each of the two currencies with the same instruments: mandatory legal reserve requirements (which may be different) and open market operations with bonds in pesos and dollars to regulate the interest rate in the two currencies.

The stability of prices in the economy will require that the peso does not tend to depreciate, even if it suffers transitory fluctuations. When external shocks demand depreciation of the peso, the Central Bank may limit that depreciation not only by selling reserves but also by increasing the legal reserve requirement for deposits in pesos, decreasing the reserve requirement for deposits in dollars, and conducting open market operations that increase interest rates in pesos and lower rates in dollars.

The management of reserve requirements and open market operations will allow the sale of reserves necessary to stabilize the peso to be limited. When external shocks lead to the appreciation of the peso, the Central Bank will be able to take advantage of it to increase its level of reserves. It will also be able to handle reserve requirements and open market operations in the opposite direction to the aforementioned to curb the depreciation of the peso.

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Are we in a bad way, but are we doing well?

The long list of companies that closed, suspended operations or laid off in the last year

Fresenius Medical Care, Xerox, Clorox, Prudential, Procter & Gamble, Nutrien, ENAP and HSBC, Dánica, Chango Más, Diarco, Copetín Gonzalo, Granja Tres Arroyos, AVON, NRG Argentina, Fabrisur, Whirlpool, Textilcom, AlpaCladd, General Motors, Acindar, Bridgestone, among many others.

More than 2,300 companies closed their doors, while others reduced their production or implemented mass layoffs. From multinationals to SMEs, the impact of the recession affects thousands of workers.

The industry suffered a sharp decline this year and that was evidenced in company closures and mass layoffs.

In the last year, Argentina experienced a notable outflow of multinational companies and a series of closures, production suspensions and layoffs in various industries, reflecting the complex economic situation that the country is going through.

The data are conclusive, according to a report by the Confederation of Industrial Unions of the Argentine Republic (Csira), between November 2023 and August 2024, 38,532 jobs were lost in the industry. If the construction and mining sectors are included, the figure rises to 126,050 jobs lost.

In addition, in the same period, 879 companies closed in the manufacturing industry, and 2,333 if mining and construction are also considered. The situation has led 86.6% of the unions surveyed to consider that activity has worsened since Javier Milei came to power, reflecting a climate of growing concern in the workplace.

The labor outlook was also strongly affected, with 60% of industrial unions reporting layoffs in the last quarter and a third of them pointing to difficulties on the part of companies to pay wages. In addition, 82% of the unions surveyed indicated cuts in overtime, and 72% mentioned suspensions, leaves and early vacations for a percentage of workers.

In this context, in the last year, at least eight multinationals stopped operating in Argentina, including HSBC, Xerox, Clorox, Prudential, Nutrien, ENAP, Fresenius Medical Care and Procter & Gamble.

The truth is that the crisis reached all industries equally and many companies chose to stop their production and/or execute layoffs to stay afloat.

An emblematic case was that of Acindar, the steel company, a subsidiary of ArcelorMitta, suspended production at all its plants for a month in March 2024, due to an abrupt drop in demand. Subsequently, in June 2024, it announced a three-week suspension at its plant in Villa Constitución, Santa Fe, and a reduction of its annual production from 1.2 million tons in 2023 to 600,000 tons in 2024.

More recently, the company announced an "untimely" advance of the stops they had scheduled for the end of the year, "due to the sharp drop in sales," according to the union. This stoppage of activities affects more than 700 workers.

In the same vein, Ferrum, the leading company in the manufacture of toilets, paralyzed its plants and carried out layoffs and suspensions of workers in the first half of 2024, in response to the decrease in activity in the construction sector.

Meanwhile, Textilcom and AlpaCladd, textile companies, which produce for brands such as Cheeky, Mimo, Yagmour and Penguin, laid off 300 workers in May in the provinces of Catamarca and La Rioja, due to falling demand and financial difficulties.

The fall in consumption also affects the appliances or white goods sector, which in turn is being unprotected by the reduction of tariffs on the import of refrigerators and washing machines. This led to layoffs at Whirlpool and Briket, among others. In the first, there were 60 layoffs in the company due to production reduction at its plant in the Pilar Industrial Park, in the province of Buenos Aires, in May of this year. In Briket, located in the south of Rosario, the company – which produces refrigerators, displays and freezers – has laid off 300 workers so far this year.

The list goes on and just to mention two cases, General Motors, made 33 layoffs and agreed to 167 voluntary retirements, within the framework of a reduction in production projection. For its part, Bridgestone, the tire company located in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province, laid off 35 workers in February 2024, citing a drop in demand.

In the retail segment, the ChangoMás supermarket chain laid off around 200 employees in the province of Buenos Aires in May of this year, as part of an operational restructuring.

Later in time, the firm Dánica announced the closure of its plant located in the town of Lavallol, province of Buenos Aires. The decision, taken by the Beltrán Group, owner of the company since 2018, is part of the company's decrease in demand and economic problems. The measure would leave 150 workers unemployed.

Another historic company that this year declared bankruptcy and fired all its workers is the Mendoza-based Copetín Gonzalo, the firm with 30 years of experience closed its doors definitively in the Milei era.

Also in the food sector, companies such as Granja Tres Arroyos, Bimbo and Pepsico, among many others, this year advanced with dozens of layoffs in their different production plants. In all cases, the fall in demand and the high costs of production and labor were the main causes of the decision.

The reality is that job losses and business closures not only affect the workers directly involved, but also local economies and the value chains of various industries. In this context, for the time being, the projections of job creation for 2025 do not seem to be very encouraging.

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González Olguín: "There was a profound economic and social deterioration in a very short time"

  The economist and professor at the National University of Córdoba analyzed the results of the economic policy applied by Milei's government one year into his administration.

Economist Eduardo González Olguín said that the government of Javier Milei caused "a deep economic and social deterioration" in just one year.

"I think that with all objectivity it can be affirmed that Milei's economic policy has caused in a very short time a profound economic and social deterioration in Argentina. That can be synthesized in some indicators," said the professor of the National University of Córdoba (UNC), about the result of the economic policy applied in the last 12 months.

Among the most alarming data, González Olguín highlighted "a 3.8% drop in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to the previous year, according to the International Monetary Fund";the loss of 16% in real wages";the elimination of 261 thousand registered jobs, not counting the informal jobs affected"; "the increase in unemployment that went from 5.7% to 7.6%" or "the closure of 16 thousand SMEs and a drop in sales of small and medium-sized companies of 13.2%".

In addition, he stated that the purchasing power of workers and retirees also fell. "Pensions, which in November 2023 covered half of the basic basket of the elderly, today only reach a third."

On the other hand, he commented that "poverty went from 41.7% at the end of last year to 55% in the second half of this year, while indigence increased from 11.9% to 15.8%."

He also mentioned that meat consumption reached the lowest level in 26 years and that investment suffered the largest drop since 2004, with a decline of 35%, only comparable to the most critical years of the pandemic. For González Olguín, these figures show "a strong retraction of demand".

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Brazil's central bank raises benchmark interest rate to 12.25 pct

BRASILIA, -- The Monetary Policy Committee (Copom) of Brazil's central bank decided on Wednesday to increase the benchmark Selic interest rate from 11.25 percent to 12.25 percent, the second-highest since November 2023, when it stood at 12.75 percent.

In response to an adverse economic scenario complicating the convergence of inflation toward the target, additional adjustments of the same magnitude are expected in the next two meetings, potentially raising the Selic rate to 14.25 percent annually, according to Copom's statement.

"The total magnitude of the monetary tightening cycle will be determined by the firm commitment to inflation convergence toward the target and will depend on the evolution of inflation dynamics, particularly the components most sensitive to economic activity and monetary policy," the statement said.

The interest rate increase aims to curb inflationary pressures, as the Consumer Price Index may exceed the upper limit of the official target range, set at 3 percent with a tolerance of 1.5 percentage points. Analysts project inflation at 4.84 percent for this year.

This decision marks the largest Selic rate hike under the administration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the most significant increase since February 2022, when a 1.5-percentage-point hike was implemented. All nine Copom members voted unanimously for the adjustment.

Wednesday's meeting was the last led by Roberto Campos Neto, who will step down as central bank president in January 2025. He will be succeeded by Gabriel Galipolo, the current director of monetary policy at the Central Bank, who was appointed by Lula and approved by the Senate in October. 

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Opposition vows to build a democratic and pluralistic Syria after the fall of al-Assad's government

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The Syrian National Coalition, one of Syria's main oppositions, vowed Sunday to continue working to transfer authority to a transitional governing body with full executive powers, to usher in a free, democratic and pluralistic Syria.

In a statement to the international community, the coalition emphasized its commitment to ensuring stability and security in neighboring countries and stressed that Syrians will refrain from interfering in the affairs of regional states.

The coalition said it hoped to forge strategic alliances with countries in the region and around the world to rebuild Syria for all its citizens, regardless of ethnicity, religion or sect. The group reiterated its vision of a nation founded on equality and democratic principles, laying the foundation for a peaceful and inclusive future.

In recent days, Damascus has become a focal point of rapid developments, marking a critical turning point in Syria's protracted civil conflict. The Syrian capital, which for years remained under the tight control of President Bashar al-Assad's government, experienced a sudden and dramatic change in power on Sunday following major rebel advances in the country.

Beginning in late November, armed opposition groups made significant gains in northern provinces such as Aleppo, where the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group spearheaded a major offensive against government forces. With the rebels' advance, reports emerged of rapid army withdrawals from major southern provinces, including Quneitra, Daraa, and Sweida.

Inside the capital, these developments sparked public anxiety, and many residents were unsure of what would come next. They rushed to get basic necessities, such as bread and rice.

After opposition forces seized control of Damascus, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on Sunday that al-Assad has left Syria and resigned as the country's president, who, in the meantime, called for a peaceful transfer of power.

Local factions and international observers are closely monitoring the situation in Syria, concerned about the stability of diplomatic missions and the potential for violence in the Syrian capital following incidents such as the assault on the Iranian embassy.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Sunday condemned the attack, while noting that Iran's ambassador to Syria and embassy staff were in full health.

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Mercosur and the EU announce the completion of trade agreement negotiations in Uruguay

MONTEVIDEO -- Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed Friday the completion of negotiations for a trade agreement between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the European Union (EU).

During the 65th Summit of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) and Associated States, which is being held this Friday in Montevideo, Lacalle Pou said that an agreement of this nature "is not a solution, it is an opportunity."

Exercising the temporary presidency of Mercosur, the Uruguayan president pointed out that the speed of progress will depend on the will of each country, emphasizing that progress must be made with "small, but sure" steps in the same direction.

Lacalle Pou spoke on behalf of the other founding members of the South American bloc: Javier Milei (Argentina), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil) and Santiago Peña (Paraguay).

For her part, Von der Leyen expressed the "success" of the negotiations, calling them an "ambitious" agreement that sends a "clear and forceful message to the world" by demonstrating that democracies can support each other.

"Today is truly a historic milestone, and let me thank the chief negotiators for their dedication and determination," von der Leyen said.

"This agreement is not just an economic opportunity; It is a political necessity. We are partners with shared mentalities and common roots," he added, speaking at Mercosur headquarters.

Mercosur and the European Union had initially reached an agreement in 2019, but it was never ratified and had to be renegotiated.

The agreement still needs to be ratified by the parties involved, including the parliaments of the four founding countries of Mercosur. However, it faces resistance from some European nations, led by France, who fear that the influx of agricultural products from South American countries could negatively affect their own agricultural sectors.

The agreement would create a market of more than 700 million people, making it the largest free trade area in the world.

Mercosur hopes to export more food products such as beef and soybeans, while the European Union aims to increase shipments of cars and machinery.

Uruguayan Foreign Minister Omar Paganini explained that the agreement allows Mercosur countries to eliminate 70 percent of tariffs on exportable products such as industrial oils, fish, fruits, vegetables and infusions.

For Paganini, the trade pact also opens up opportunities for European investments in Mercosur as part of value chains.

Due to challenges in gaining parliamentary approval in the European Union, the agreement has been split into two parts: a three-pillar Association Agreement and an Interim Trade Agreement as the trade pillar.

The trade agreement will be adopted more quickly than the Association Agreement, as it is the exclusive competence of the European Union and only requires its adoption by the EU institutions and its Parliament.

The Association Agreement, on the other hand, is a mixed competition agreement and must be approved not only by the EU institutions, but also by the national and regional parliaments of each Member State.

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Mysterious finding: scientists discovered life forms in ancient rocks more than 3000 years old

These organisms, of surprising sizes, could offer new clues about the evolution of life on Earth.

Scientists  have made a surprising discovery by finding fossilized cells in rocks that formed shortly after Earth's birth, about 3.8 billion years ago.

These cells, remarkably different from any other living thing on the planet, have no cell walls and present a complexity that exceeds that of modern cells.

Now, a new study offers a new explanation for the origin of these mysterious structures and suggests that they could be the precursors of modern cells.

What are the cells found in ancient rocks like?

Unlike modern bacteria, which are typically 1 to 2 micrometers wide and lack internal structures, the microfossils found in these ancient rocks are a considerable 60 to 70 micrometers in size.

This unprecedented discovery has been a subject of intense debate among biologists, who question whether these fossils really represent the remains of living cells.

An eye-opening study on bacteria

 Microfossils were first discovered in 1987 and have since been found in different parts of the planet. "They seem too complex," said Dheeraj Kanaparthi, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Germany, in statements collected by New Scientist.

"They're also too big. What we find is always disconcerting," he added.

The recent study by Kanaparthi's team, still pending publication, focuses on bacteria growing around freshwater springs  at the bottom of the Dead Sea.

These organisms are a type of cell without a wall called L-forms, known since the 1930s. It was found that under high salinity conditions, these cells tend to swell and develop structures similar to mysterious microfossils.

How was the evolution of these cells?

The researchers suggest that the saline conditions and the type of salts present in the environment of these primitive fossils could be responsible for the excessive growth of the cells, forming what appear to be internal structures, indicates the article written by Omar Kardoudi.

In different situations, these L-forms grow in long chains that divide into separate cells. "We thought that these cells would grow into big bubbles and then split into a thousand pieces," Kanaparthi explains, adding, "But in reality, they reproduce in a very defined way."

This study provides evidence on:

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• How primitive cells could have inhabited Earth shortly after it cooled  enough to allow carbon-based chemistry.
• The lack of a cell wall in these primitive cells could have influenced their shape and an inefficient method of reproduction.
• In this process of reproduction, much of the content of the stem cell was lost.
• This leakage could explain the carbon deposits found around some microfossils.

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