Latin America in Short: Summit of South American Presidents | WHO Advocates for Indigenous Health

This week, the summit of South American presidents took place in Brazil between agreements and disagreements. In global news, a bipartisan pact prevented default in the United States. In other news, an Argentine has been appointed as director of the WMO. In addition, the WHO approved this week a Latin American initiative in favor of the health of indigenous people. In sports, Sevilla from Spain won the Europa League title; while Barcelona is close to a strong sanction. All this explained in our weekly summary.

A summit of South American presidents between agreements and controversies

Last Tuesday, the presidents and representatives of 11 South American governments met in Brazil to discuss the reality of the region. Among the most striking was the presence of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was participating for the first time in an event of this magnitude after several years of isolation. The arrival of leftist presidents in the region facilitated the reincorporation of Maduro into the regional scene.

The presidential summit managed to reinvigorate attempts at regional integration. Lula recalled the proposal to create a common currency, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed his intention for his country to return to Unasur. Additionally, Colombia and Venezuela reached an important agreement in the search for remains of victims of the war in Venezuela. This, after the information provided by the former leader of the Colombian paramilitary self-defense groups, Salvatore Mancuso.

One of the speeches that caused the most stir was that of Chilean President Gabriel Boric. The leftist president rejected the double position of some leaders with Nicolás Maduro. In a meeting with the press, Boric said that he had "respectfully stated that he disagreed with what President Lula said yesterday (…) It is not a narrative , it is a serious reality." This he stated about the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

Among the great absences was that of the presidency of Peru. The president, Dina Boluarte, cannot leave without authorization from the legislature and appointed the president of the Council of Ministers. Boluarte and Peru today are going through a period of diplomatic crisis with various governments in the region, such as Colombia and Mexico. This, after the removal of President Pedro Castillo, after an attempted self-coup by the socialist leader.

In addition to the host president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela also attended.

Bipartisan pact avoids default in the United States

The agreement between the Republican Kevin McCarthy and the government of Joe Biden avoids the suspension of payments of the United States. With 165 votes in favor of the Democrats and 149 Republicans, the proposal passes through the US Congress. This bipartisan support was not fully supported by all legislators. The Democrats furthest to the left or the Republicans on the right also turned their backs on the pact, and more than a third in the House voted negative.

Also read: Infographic: US Debt, Data that Could Lead to Default

Initially, the agreement was more red than blue and can be seen as a Republican victory for McCarthy, as it mandates a cut in real spending. However, the pact may be reversed after the next elections and this avoids the greatest risk that Biden had, that of entering into fiscal blockade.

An Argentine will be the first director of the World Meteorological Organization

This Thursday, the Argentine Celeste Saulo was elected general director of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In this way, she will become the first woman to direct this organization, so relevant to face and learn about the climate changes that the world is facing today. "My ambition is to lead the WMO towards a scenario in which the voice of all members is heard equally, prioritizing those who are most vulnerable", were Saulo's words after her election. The new director, who will assume the leadership from 2024, said in an interview for EFE Verde that her priorities are aligned with climate justice.

WHO approves Latin American initiative to work for the health of indigenous people

At the closing of its global assembly, the World Health Organization approved a new resolution, with which it intends to have a global strategy to work for the health of indigenous communities around the world. The plan must begin to work with proposals from the countries and be presented in 2026. Of course, it must have the traditional knowledge of indigenous people in terms of health and the inclusion of indigenous people in health systems. This resolution was proposed by Brazil, with the support of Bolivia, Mexico, Guatemala and Paraguay. It should be noted that this is a fundamental initiative, since indigenous people are often in situations of greater vulnerability. In this regard, the WHO points out that indigenous people have a higher prevalence of certain diseases and public health problems, such as malnutrition and maternal and infant mortality.

Sevilla League: the seventh title of this competition arrived for the Spanish team

Seville of Spain was left with the Europa League title this season, an aspect that consolidates it as the greatest winner in the history of this tournament. In an exciting match against Roma from Italy, those led by José Luis Mendilibar kept this championship after the penalty shootout, which gave this definition a special touch of drama. With this new victory, the Sevillian team added its seventh victory in the second most important competition on the old continent.

Red alert in Barcelona: on the verge of a strong sanction

The Barcelona of Spain is with its head set on what will be the new campaign, in which the signing of Lionel Messi is one of its great objectives. However, the Catalan team received bad news that could leave it in check. A UEFA report made it clear that this club did not respect the rules and should be punished by not being in the next Champions League, something that would come from the 'Negreira Case'. On June 12, the Disciplinary Committee will be in charge of revealing the sanction that this institution will have for the following season.