Americas press review

Headline: Argentina and IMF agree on debt

Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez, left, and President Alberto Fernandez wave after attending the ceremony marking the opening session of Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Illustration photo ) AP - Natasha Pisarenko

Text by: Christophe Paget Follow

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Argentina has just finalized an agreement with the IMF to refinance its colossal debt – 45 billion dollars – to the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF which, details

La Voz,

 will “ 

settle in Buenos Aires until at least 2034 to control the day-to-day management of the government

 ”.

Congress still needs to approve the deal.

The IMF, specifies

Clarin,

ensures to be certain “ 

that it will obtain the political support

 ” necessary and speaks “ 

of the best program possible

 ”.

But, notes 

La Nación,

if the center-right alliance Together for Change has already said that it agreed to approve this refinancing, it is not to vote for the economic plan that accompanies it.

Or, explains

Clarin,

an average 59% increase in gas and electricity prices.

The IMF itself, points out

La Nación,

warns that this program will have to deal with “ 

the global increase in energy prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine

 ”

.

Canada accelerates the reception of Ukrainians

La Presse 

explains that they “ 

will be able to obtain authorization to make an emergency trip to Canada and stay there for up to two years

 ”.

The federal government 

will also “accelerate the family reunification process for those who want to reunite with loved ones and obtain permanent residency 

.”

In fact,

Le Devoir

recalls that “ 

nearly 4% of the Canadian population is of Ukrainian origin

 ”.

The country experienced several waves of immigration from Ukraine: between 1890 and the First World War, during the interwar period due to famine in the USSR, until the 1960s with many Ukrainians fleeing the regime Soviet Union and finally, a fourth wave after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Part of this immigration, says

Le Devoir,

was orchestrated by a French-Canadian cleric, Father Joseph Jean, who, at the end of the First World War, became the private secretary and interpreter of the Ukrainian president of the 'era.  

Sanctions in the form of customs tariffs

Canada will impose severe customs tariffs on Russian and Belarusian products, up to 35%, and sanctions against ten leaders of Russian state companies Rosneff and Gazprom, announces

Le Devoir.

“ 

After imposing significant financial sanctions, Canada is directly attacking trade, affecting all Russian companies,

 ” explains a law professor contacted by the newspaper.

These sanctions will cause losses for Canadian banks, warns

The Toronto Star,

noting that " 

Canadian financial institutions have hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in companies

 " targeted by these sanctions.

At the same time, notes the

Globe and Mail,

Canada announces the sending of rocket launchers to Ukraine.

According to a survey to read in 

Le Devoir,

66% of Canadians fear a world war.  

The consequences of the war in Haiti

Haiti in the grip of a distant war

 ," headlines

Le Nouvelliste,

with the foreseeable increase in the price of petroleum products and flour.

And then, believes Frantz Duval, “ 

the surge of refugees in Europe will divert the attention of donors to our problems.

Global compassion changes the subject

 .”

The Haitian State

 ", believes the journalist, " 

will have to make more budget deficits, the value of the gourde will suffer the consequences

 ".

In short, " 

the weakest in Haiti must expect the worst if the worst occurs in Europe

 ".  

Acquittal of the police officer implicated after the death of Breonna Taylor

In the United States, the white police officer was the only one to have been implicated after the death of the African-American Breonna Taylor almost two years ago.

He was charged, recalls the

New York Times,

for having " 

endangered

 " the neighbors of the young woman by shooting through a partition.

His bullets hadn't hit anyone.

Breonna Taylor, recalls the

Louisville Courier Journal,

had been killed by police who had entered her home, looking for drugs and money.

For the

Washington Post,

this verdict " 

is a landmark in this highly publicized case, which took people to the streets in the summer of 2020 against the use of force by the police, particularly against African-Americans

 ".

Activists who have long pushed for police reform said they were disappointed by the acquittal, " 

the latest sign that the police can kill and face no consequences

 " according to one of the victim's mother's lawyers, in the

New York Times.

The United States will reopen its consulate in Cuba

14 y medio

recalls that the United States had reduced the activities of its embassy in Havana in 2017, after the mysterious health problems of around thirty of its officials.

Washington will relaunch the issuance of visas for emigrants, without specifying, notes the newspaper, when this will begin.

The main request center remains the US Embassy in Guyana.

El Nuevo Herald

recalls that in 2021 the United States returned to Cuba more than 1,000 people who had arrived in their territory illegally, according to figures from the official Cuban government organ

Granma

.

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