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Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts

March 15, 2018

South America: Corporations, Environment and pollution: Coca-Cola And Nestlé To Privatize The Largest Reserve Of Water In South America

Private companies such as Coca-Cola and Nestlé are allegedly in the process of privatizing the largest reserve of water, known as the Guarani Aquifer, in South America. The aquifer is located beneath the surface of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay and is the second largest-known aquifer system in the world. 

Reported by Correiodo Brasil the major transnational conglomerates are “striding forward” with their negotiations to privatize the aquifer system. Meetings have already been reserved with authorities of the current government, such as Michel Temer, to outline procedures required for private companies to exploit the water sources. The concession contracts will last more than 100 years. 

The first public conversation about this dilemma was scheduled on the same day the process of voting for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff was opened. As Central Politico reports, “This coincidence was fatal for the adjournment of the meeting.”
“There must be another list of projects to be granted or privatized in the medium term, with auctions that may occur in up to one year, such as Eletrobras energy distributors and freshwater sources,” adds the news site, translated via Google from Portuguese. 

This issue extends beyond South America, as all humans will be affected by the decision to privatize the second-largest aquifer system in the world. Essentially, the corporations are profiting off a natural resource that should be freely available to all. 

Under the Guarani Aquifer Project’s Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Project, known as ANA’s Guarani Aquifer Project (SAG), the aquifer would be managed and preserved for present and future generations. Following the conservatives’ victory in Argentina and the coup d’état, pressed for by the ultra right in Paraguay and Brazil, only Uruguay was left to vote on the privatization of the aquifer. 

Approximately two-thirds (1.2 million km²) of the reserve is located in Brazilian territory, specifically in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Future generations will ultimately suffer if this deal goes through, which is why human rights organizations around the world are getting involved.

 Read more: Coca-Cola And Nestlé To Privatize The Largest Reserve Of Water In South America

May 17, 2015

Financial Community: International Lawsuits Begin to Build Momentum Against Wall Street Thugs

The Argentinian government has filed a lawsuit against Wall Street firm CitiGroup over debt repayments that Argentine officials say violate national laws, reported The Guardian.

Part of the lawsuit states that the country seeks to file criminal charges against employees of the Argentinian arm of CitiGroup. The bank said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that Argentine officials had “taken certain adverse actions against Citi Argentina, including filing a lawsuit against Citi Argentina and instituting a suspension of certain activities.”

Because of this bad debt deal, the Argentine government wants not only to file charges against CitiGroup employees, but implement sanctions that bar any future operations within the country. This dispute between Argentina and CitiGroup comes during friction between the country and two other financial institutions, NML Capital and Aurelius Capital Management.

The two institutions did not accept a deal to restructure Argentina’s national debt. Argentina apparently owes a “holdout” debt of $1.3 billion to the two hedge funds, and U.S. judge Thomas Griesa ruled that it must pay that amount before receiving a restructuring deal.

Because Argentina senses a banking scam run by CitiGroup and accuses Griesa of being a banking crony, the country has ignored the judge’s ruling and blocked Citi’s capital market operations and suspended the leader of Citi’s Argentine operations, Gabriel Ribisich — who has been accused of misconduct.

The BBC recently reported that CitiGroup may plead guilty to accusations of manipulating exchange rates in foreign currency markets. Wall Street and Griesa’s cronyism have backed Argentina in a tough spot. Unrealistic expectations and international bullying pushed the country into default as Argentina is refusing to pay the hedge funds, NML and Aurelius.

Read more: International Lawsuits Begin to Build Momentum Against Wall Street Thugs