by the El Reportero’s news services
Pictures of the new currency that will supposedly replace the US dollar have appeared on the Russian Internet. The United States is reportedly working on the new currency, the amero, which will be common for the USA, Mexico and Canada.
The unstable financial situation in the world, the collapsing oil prices and the growing foreign debt of the United States may eventually crush the US dollar as the world’s major currency. Needless to say that the US authorities reject the rumors and promise to keep the dollar afloat.
Amero notes have no portraits of US presidents on them and resemble the Belarussian rubles. For example, there is an image of a deer depicted on a 50-amero note, whereas a picture of a pyramid of Mexican Indians can be seen on a 100-amero note.
Chile steps up pressure on Peru
On Dec. 1, Chile’s rightwingers stepped up the pressure on Peru’s president Alan García over his apparent recanting of his promise to sack Peru’s army commander. Chileans, probably accurately, believe that García is wavering over whether to sack General Edwin Donayre Gotzch because he wants to build up his popularity in Peru. In the Chileans’ view García wants to boost his dismal popularity (under 20% in the opinion polls) by tapping into Peruvians’ traditional hostility to Chile.
Chavistas win majority of states, but opposition makes key gains
President Hugo Chávez interpreted the results of Venezuela’s regional elections on Nov. 23 as a victory for his Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) and a message from the electorate to keep travelling down the path of 21st century socialism.
The opposition, naturally, placed a different interpretation on the results. While PSUV candidates won 17 out of 22 states, the opposition won fi ve, including three of the six key battlegrounds. Perhaps the most eye-catching development, however, was that dissident Chavistas, widely tipped to pose more of a threat to the PSUV than the offi cial opposition, suffered a crushing defeat.
Nicaragua: Venezuela has offered to replace U.S. aid
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — President Daniel Ortega says Venezuela has offered Nicaragua $100 million in aid if Washington and the European Union cut off funding over disputed elections.
Ortega says his leftist ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez made the offer last week “without blackmail, without conditions of any sort.’’
The U.S. government said last week it would freeze $64 million in anti-poverty aid to Nicaragua amid accusations that local elections were fraudulent. The EU has withheld $54 million in budget support.
Ortega spoke Monday in a televised address.
Ortega’s leftist Sandinistas won most of the country’s mayorships in the Nov. 9 elections. Counting with a majority of legislators, 47, the opposition proposed legislation to cancel the results, but Ortega issued a decree declaring that effort unconstitutional.
And then, On Dec. 1, three opposition deputies announced they would not support the bill proposed by the Partido Liberal Nacionalista, so giving a blow to the opposition in Nicaragua. (Latin news, Associated Press, and Pravda, contributed to this report. )
