América Latina & Caribe

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You would not believe the insane stories that rightists have invented about Kirchner, who is a moderate.

Bananas and Panama: a bond shaken by layoffs

Bananas aren’t just a tropical treat—they’re a vital part of Panama’s economy. In fact, bananas rank among the country’s top five export products. But now, this crucial sector is facing an unprecedented crisis. Chiquita’s Panamanian subsidiary has declared its intention to let go of more than 1,600 workers, following weeks of tension and turmoil (source).

Earlier in May, Chiquita had already revealed plans to dismiss roughly 4,900 employees because of ongoing labor disputes. These aren’t just numbers; they represent families, communities, and an entire way of life in Panama’s lush Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro.

The root of the conflict lies in a fierce battle over pension reform. On April 28, workers on the banana plantations went on strike, voicing their anger over new laws passed by Panama’s Congress. Their unions argue that the reforms would mean weaker retirement benefits and poorer healthcare coverage for those who spend their lives harvesting bananas under the sun.

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Venezuelans return to the polls on Sunday, May 25, to elect a new National Assembly, governors for 24 states, and regional legislative councils. This is the 32nd electoral event under the Bolivarian Revolution.

Our guide offers an overview of the process, the parties and candidates running, and some races to watch.

Overview, facts and figures

With their respective terms ending on January 5, 2026, the Venezuelan Constitution determines that a new National Assembly (AN) and regional authorities must be chosen this year. The unusually early date leaves room for other elections later in the year, including municipal contests and a potential constitutional reform.

Voters will elect 285 deputies for five-year terms. This includes 3 indigenous representatives, 50 national list parliamentarians, and 232 from states. Out of these, 133 will be elected via first-past-the-post systems in electoral circumscriptions, while the other 99 will come from regional lists.

In addition, the electorate will also pick governors for the 24 states and 260 members of regional legislative councils. Regional officials serve four-year terms.

According to Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), 21.5 million citizens are eligible to vote. The electoral authority will set up 27,713 voting booths in 15,736 polling stations across the country.

Who is on the ballot?

A total of 36 national political parties feature on the ballot alongside 10 regional ones and 6 indigenous organizations.

The Great Patriotic Pole (GPP) groups the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) and 12 allied organizations. It ran a hybrid process combining grassroots assemblies and leadership decisions to fill out its candidate lists.

Opposing the PSUV-led alliance is an assortment of center-right to right-wing outfits split into three main camps. The Democratic Alliance (AD) brings together 10 minor parties that originally broke with the US-backed opposition in 2019. A New Era (UNT) is the last holdover from the opposition’s Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) that won the 2015 legislative elections, and counts on allies such as newly-formed Unión y Cambio. Finally, the Lápiz alliance ruled out joining forces with other anti-government groups in order to instead field its own lists.

At the same time, far-right factions led by María Corina Machado have called for a boycott of the upcoming vote. The US-aligned sectors have maintained all their focus on their claim of victory in the July 28, 2024, elections that saw President Nicolás Maduro secure a third term in office. Opposition leaders have traded accusations of playing to the government’s agenda in what has become a familiar debate over whether or not to boycott the vote.

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Tensions between teachers from the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) and the government have reached a critical point. After a week of protests, including the blockade of Mexico City's main thoroughfares and the closure of access to the National Palace prior to President Claudia Sheinbaum's morning press conference, the teachers' union remains steadfast in demanding the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law. Meanwhile, authorities have limited themselves to describing this reform implemented by Felipe Calderón as an "injustice." However, they maintain that there is insufficient funding to completely reverse it or implement a new pension system under the conditions demanded by the CNTE.

Why are the CNTE teachers protesting?

The teachers' union's main demand is the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law, which replaced the solidarity pension system with one of individual accounts managed by Afores (Afores). According to workers, this provision negatively affects their pensions, as it requires them to be calculated from their individual savings funds. This amount also depends on the current UMA (Unit of Measurement and Update) and not the minimum wage, as they demand.

Another point limiting the negotiations is the demand to restore the possibility of retirement based on years of service, which was previously 28 for women and 30 for men. Under the current system, retirement is determined by age, but the age limit of 56 or 58 does not benefit those who joined ISSSTE after 2007. Additionally, a 100% salary increase is being demanded.

What has the government offered?

In her Teachers' Day message, Sheinbaum announced a 9% salary increase retroactive to January, with an additional 1% starting in September, representing an additional annual budget of 36 billion pesos. Likewise, an additional week of vacation will be added to the next school year, which now begins on September 1, 2025, for elementary school students.

The president also spoke about her campaign promise to eliminate the Unit of the System for the Career of Teachers (USICAMM). So far, it has not been decided how the functions of the administrative body that coordinates the Open and Transparent System for the Allocation of Teacher Positions will be replaced, but in the meantime, a decree will be signed to change the mobility process for teachers affected by these restrictions. “All work center changes will be carried out in person and by educational level to ensure transparency. Furthermore, the only element that will be taken into account is length of service, thereby recognizing the time and dedication of our teachers to public education in Mexico. This is an act of justice; those with the most years of service have the most rights,” Sheinbaum said.

A few weeks ago, when the controversial initiative to reform the ISSSTE Law was finally withdrawn, the government proposed reviving one of its key points: freezing the minimum retirement age for teachers—and other state employees—setting it at 56 for women and 58 for men.

How the Negotiations Are Going

So far, the CNTE teachers have met with officials from the Ministry of the Interior, Education, and the ISSSTE (National Institute of Statistics and Census), but the talks have not yielded satisfactory results. "They wanted to repeat the same thing they've already told us, and we said we didn't agree, that a different response was necessary," said Pedro Hernández, sector spokesperson for the Coordinator. However, it has been agreed that on Friday, May 23, they will be personally received by President Sheinbaum, who has remained faithful to her strategy of keeping a cool head. "We will not fall for any provocation. We will not repress, because we don't believe in that. We believe in dialogue, and we will find a way out," she said during her morning press conference.

No valen la bala que los ajusticia

Btw all the fascists are of the comprador kind, of course.

Groups of peasants, coca growers, miners, and MAS legislators are mobilizing from Parotani toward La Paz to register Evo Morales’ presidential candidacy despite the recent ban issued by the Constitutional Court.

This Wednesday in Parotani-approximately 40 kilometers from Cochabamba-delegations of peasants, coca producers, and miners who support former president Evo Morales gathered. From there, they began a land journey toward La Paz with the intention of formally submitting Morales’ presidential candidacy to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), despite the recent disqualification issued by the Plurinational Constitutional Court (TCP).

The march includes senators, deputies, councilors, and union leaders affiliated with the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS). The group is heading toward the headquarters of the Executive, Legislative, and Electoral branches in the country’s capital.

Police Presence and Leaders’ Statements

Although Morales was not present at the start of the mobilization, participants expressed concern over the significant presence of riot police in the area. However, security forces did not intervene to stop the march. Peasant leader Juanita Ancieta stated that the goal is to enter La Paz this Friday “with a large march,” led by Morales, whom she described as “the only candidate who represents the majority.”

"The current Bolivian Political Constitution does not prohibit discontinuous reelection. Article 168 of our Constitution establishes: “The term of office of the President and Vice President of the State is five years, and they may be reelected ONLY ONCE CONTINUOUSLY.” The Plurinational Constitutional Court (TCP), with a majority of de facto judges (illegally self-prolonged), through Sentence 007/2025, establishes that no Bolivian citizen can be re-elected continuously or discontinuously, violating Art. 168 of the CPE, which only prohibits CONTINUOUS re-election." - Evo Morales on Twitter

Senator Leonardo Loza affirmed that Morales will join the caravan discreetly to avoid possible arrest. “Evo is with this caravan, protected by the people. We will not reveal his location or whether he takes alternate routes, but he is present,” he said.

The TCP issued a ruling that bars Morales from running for president, arguing that presidential reelection-whether continuous or interrupted-is unconstitutional. In response, Morales stated on his X account that the Political Constitution of the State does not prohibit discontinuous reelection, citing Article 168, which establishes a five-year presidential term with the possibility of one continuous reelection.

In June 2023, at an event at La Moneda Palace, President Gabriel Boric presented an eight-member team, made up of representatives from indigenous communities and the political, business, and academic spheres. “I am hopeful, convinced, that through broad social dialogue, the foundations will be laid for a lasting and sustainable solution to a long-standing conflict,” the president said on that occasion.

After nearly two years of voluntary work, the commissioners reached a 22-point agreement by a large majority that proposes the return of lands to the communities, an end to violence, institutional improvements, and economic development in the Southern Macrozone.

One of the commission’s commitments includes the return of more than 240,000 hectares to indigenous peoples as territorial reparations, as revealed by the newspaper El Siglo.

While the commission’s executive secretary and several politicians considered the agreement historic, representatives of the right and far right have already spoken out against it, particularly regarding the return of lands. Opposition legislators have even announced their possible rejection in Congress.

The Arauco Malleco Coordinator (CAM) published a statement saying that as long as militarization and Mapuche political prisoners exist, it is not even possible to initiate dialogues that would lead to agreements.

Although the Mapuche people have been victims of dispossession since the Spanish conquest, the most recent conflict began in 1850 when the state and the oligarchy invaded their territories south of the Biobío River, reduced their holdings, and granted them land titles. Despite this, the occupation continued in the following years. In the 20th century, especially during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), many of these lands were granted to European settlers, primarily Germans, Swiss, and Austrians, as well as Chileans.

2nd cold war between Maoist United Soviets of America vs Stalinist Mexico-Brazil-Chile Pact(M-L)

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The funniest part is reading about how Vicente Fox was a Coca Cola shill.

Back in the 1960s, young Coca-Cola truck driver and future president, Vicente Fox Quesada, began a personal campaign to outsell Pepsi. He once openly bragged that he’d punch the tires of Pepsi trucks and remove their bottles before they could be refilled. In a word, years before Mexico’s neoliberal period, Fox was a small-time gangster for Coca-Cola.

Also:

Vicente Fox’s financial and political success was enmeshed with the Coca-Cola company — it was said he drank 12 Cokes a day.

From Red on twitter

For years, Pope Francis has spoken out against the injustices of capitalism, denouncing neoliberalism as a scourge on humanity. This stance sets him apart from his predecessors, who came from the firmly conservative Vatican establishment and fiercely opposed such critiques.

He has also positioned himself as an anti-war pope, having criticized Israel and NATO for years. He even labeled Israel’s actions in Gaza as “terrorism” and condemned NATO, saying it provoked the Russia-Ukraine war.

However, he has also attempted to hide his history of collaboration with the fascist military dictatorships in Argentina in the 70s. He was the head of the Jesuit mission in the country at the time, he never spoke out against the regime, and in one famous case, worked with them to persecute leftist priests.

Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics were Jesuits, working under Francis, and were known as “slum priests” for their work helping the poor in the south of Buenos Aires in the 70s. In 1976, they were arrested and tortured by the dictatorship for being “subversives.” Francis withdrew official Jesuit protection from the two, which allowed the military to detain them.

As Pope, he also maintained many reactionary stances in line with the rest of the Church establishment. He never shifted any of the discriminatory policies against the LGBT community, nor in favor of a woman’s right to choose. In fact, he often criticised “gender ideology,” a far-right talking point.

Despite speaking out against inequality and war, Pope Francis never reformed the Church’s conservative power structures. Its elite interests remain intact — from ties to governments and power, to a vast investment arm embedded in global capitalism.

On this day in 1961, the Bay of Pigs invasion took place when a force of 1400 Cuban exiles, funded and led by the U.S., landed on the southwest coast of Cuba in a failed attempt at overthrowing the revolutionary Cuban government.

Covertly financed and directed by the U.S. government, the operation took place at the height of the Cold War and its failure led to major shifts in international relations between Cuba, the United States, and the Soviet Union.

The coup attempt came after the Cuban government expropriated property from American capitalists. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower allocated $13.1 million to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in March 1960 for use against Castro's government. With the aid of Cuban counter-revolutionaries, the CIA proceeded to organize an invasion.

On April 14th, 1961, a squadron of U.S. B-26 bombers camouflaged with Cuban insignias begin a two-day bombing campaign of Cuban airports, destroying a large portion of the Cuban air force.

On the night of April 17th, an invasion force of approximately 1400 Cuban exiles and CIA officers landed on the beach at Playa Girón in the Bay of Pigs. After a few days, the insurgents became overwhelmed by the Cuban army. President Kennedy refused to provide air support for the operation.

The invasion's defeat solidified Castro's role as a national hero and strengthened Cuba-Soviet relations. Several Cuban exiles and two Americans were executed upon capture. Over 1,000 prisoners were exchanged for humanitarian aid from the U.S. government.

Invasion por playa giron

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On Thursday, hundreds of thousands in Argentina joined a national strike, bringing industry, transit, and other services to a standstill. The country’s working class is showing the way to fight the Far Right.

In Argentina, the anger built up for months against austerity and authoritarianism imposed by far-right president Javier Milei was met with a spectacular national strike on Thursday. The strike was widely observed across sectors and the country, despite pressure from the government and the bosses that were trying to intimidate workers.

The Argentinian mainstream media are now trying to downplay the impact of the strike. Despite the fact that the leadership of the union federation CGT did not organize the action from below, the strike shut down trains, subways, schools, hospitals, and industrial sectors across the country, and more than 300 flights were canceled. It was much stronger than many imagined, and expressed the anger of millions of workers. The action would have been even stronger if the driver’s union, the UTA, hadn’t effectively boycotted the strike.

For months now, every Wednesday, pensioners and the Left, in particular the PTS-FIT, have been tenaciously mobilizing in front of the national congress against Milei’s austerity. For many weeks, the pensioners have resisted violent police repression with the support of family members, neighbors and PTS-FIT congressmen such as Myryam Bregman, Christian Castillo, Nicolás del Caño, and Andrea D’Atri. As the national deputy from the PTS-FIT Chistian Castillo said from the march in solidarity with the retired on Wednesday: “We, the Left, are with the retired, while this government is on the side of the International Monetary Fund.”

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Related to this topic, María Luisa Albores, director of Food for Well-being, reported that the chocolate will be available in three formats: table chocolate, bar chocolate, and powder chocolate.

“In the case of a cocoa processing plant, a chocolate factory, we aim to produce at least the three formats we are promoting: table chocolate, bar chocolate, candy chocolate, and powder chocolate, primarily designed for preparing milk-based beverages,” she explained.

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Another article that goes more into the policy

The program will focus on the production of chocolates made with Mexican cacao, which will be available in the new Wellness Stores.

Sheinbaum emphasized that this project will not only be limited to chocolate, but will also encompass the purchase and marketing of other agricultural products such as coffee, honey, and corn.

Sheinbaum explained that, through this program, the government will purchase agricultural products directly from farmers, eliminating intermediaries that increase sales costs.

In this way, small producers will be able to receive fair payment for their crops, while consumers will have access to quality products at affordable prices.

"The cacao will be transformed into high-quality, well-made chocolates at affordable prices for the Mexican people," stated the president, assuring that this initiative will allow the products to reach the Wellness Stores directly and without overpricing.

The "Chocolates for Well-being" project is part of a broader federal government strategy to promote rural development and strengthen the country's food sovereignty.

Sheinbaum emphasized that this measure will help revalue Mexico's agricultural wealth, especially in areas such as cocoa, coffee, and honey, which have great potential in both the domestic and international markets.

The program will also contribute to the social well-being of Mexicans by promoting the consumption of domestic products and reducing dependence on imports, which represents a step forward in food self-sufficiency.lf-sufficiency. :::

poting here so you non news mega nerds can enjoy the existence of state owned treats

In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal shortly after being sworn in as Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, speaking to the “America’s First” policy of the new administration, emphasized the necessity for the U.S. to pay “closer attention to our own neighborhood,” namely the Western Hemisphere. Almost two months into Trump’s second presidential term, from his cabinet picks, to the threat of tariffs and attacks on immigration, and to the promises of recapturing the Panama Canal, that much is self-evident.

Amid the growing crisis of U.S. hegemony and the return of great power conflict, Trump touted his policy of “Peace Through Strength” as the answer for the woes facing U.S. imperialism, on the campaign trail and while in office. Far from the shoring up of a post-WWII order shaped and led by U.S.-led multilateralism that Joe Biden so desperately wanted to revive after Trump’s first term, Trump’s return to office has been marked by his doubling down on a go-it-alone policy for the country. Saying that he is the best “dealmaker” for the U.S., Trump’s “art of the deal” has relied on leveraging the great power of U.S. capital to reassert U.S. dominance.

Nowhere is this clearer than in Latin America, which Trump has deemed central to his foreign policy agenda. In the aforementioned op-ed, Rubio wrote that Trump’s “foreign policy agenda begins closer to home.” Giving color to Trump’s supposed vision, Rubio goes on to explain how the central task of shoring up U.S. hegemony requires lining up the countries of Latin America which they see as “long neglected” for decades — behind U.S. leadership. In other words, behind Trump’s America-first agenda for the hemisphere that is set to be the “Monroe Doctrine 2.0”.

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Context:

Seized from here

Posting Morena memes here since i know you nerds like them