Five Things You May Have Missed in the US and Americas This Week
News from the Supreme Court — including centrist Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement and several crucial decisions — has dominated the US headlines this week. But that’s not all that’s happened. Here are five other key stories from the US and the Americas that you may have missed.
(1) Progressive wing of Democratic party gathers steam in primaries.
Progressive challengers made key inroads in the Democratic Party in Tuesday’s primaries. 28-year old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made headlines with her victory over Congressman Joseph Crowley of New York. Ocasio-Cortez, a political newcomer, shocked the Democratic establishment by ousting the 4th-ranking House Democrat. Other victories for the left wing of the party included gubernatorial victories in Maryland and Colorado.
On the Republican side, several Trump-supported candidates won their respective primaries, further demonstrating his grip on the party. In Utah, however, former Trump critic and presidential nominee Mitt Romney prevailed, setting him up for a likely victory in his Senate race this autumn.
(2) General strike paralyzes Argentina.
Expressing their opposition to a potential $50 billion funding deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Argentinian workers took to the streets in a 24 hour general strike on Monday. Unions demanded a 30 per cent pay increase — equal to the annual rate of inflation — and voiced their opposition to austerity measures that they say disproportionately affect the poorest in the country.
Monday’s strike is the third since April 2017 as unions have grown increasingly frustrated with the conservative government of President Macri. Argentina has been plagued by debt-related problems since it first defaulted on its loans in 2001. Macri’s government is inclined to take IMF-imposed spending cuts in order to reduce its debt, while opposition leaders say the measures brought by the IMF in previous bailouts have caused the economic troubles plaguing the country.
(3) Venezuela’s vice president barred from entering EU.
Following the introduction of European Union sanctions on 11 Venezuelan officials, Venezuelan vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was banned from entering the EU. The sanctions are the result over EU concerns over the legitimacy of elections held in May, in which President Nicolás Maduro was re-elected. The EU called the elections ‘neither free nor fair,’ while the US mission to the United Nations labelled them an ‘insult to democracy.’ The US has also imposed sanctions — including a travel ban on Venezuelan officials — which was recently upheld by the US Supreme Court.
The sanctions come as Venezuela continues its years-long economic slide, following plunging oil prices in 2014. The Venezuelan currency, the bolívar, has lost over 99 per cent of its value in the past year, while annual inflation has topped 14,000 per cent. Food shortages and protests have also gripped the nation, but Maduro’s hold on power shows little sign of abating.
(4) Sale of fighters to Turkey goes ahead despite significant opposition from Congress.
In spite of bipartisan opposition from the US Congress, the first of two F-35 fighter jets were delivered to Turkey last Thursday. US lawmakers had objected to the deal due to ongoing disputes between the US and Turkey. Particular areas of concern included the Turkish purchase of a Russian air defence system and closer ties with Moscow. US officials have expressed fear that Turkey may compromise top-secret technology in the F-35. Former US ambassador to Turkey, James Joffrey, remarked, ‘this is a real strategic threat to us.’
The flashpoint over the sale of the fighters underscore existing tensions between the US and Turkey. The US has expressed outrage at the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson, whom Turkish officials claim was involved in the 2016 failed coup against President Erdogan. The US has also expressed alarm over Turkey’s seeming slide towards authoritarianism, including Erdogan’s consolidation of power in Sunday’s elections.
(5) Trump backs down from imposing stringent restrictions on Chinese investment.
In a meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday, President Trump appeared willing to back away from harsh restrictions on Chinese investment in US tech companies. The implementation of stricter requirements had been hinted at, and the potential softer approach represents a significant de-escalation in the developing trade war with China.
The debate over whether to add restrictions above and beyond what the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) imposes on Chinese investment in US companies exposed a rift in the Trump Administration over how best to pursue its trade-related actions against China. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin advocates allowing Congress to continue with CFIUS reforms, while hardliners in the administration favour stricter measures.
