Charismatic Communist Shakes Up Chile's Presidential Primary
Lea en español.
Just over a hundred years after its creation, Chile's Communist Party may have unexpectedly found one of its best-ever presidential hopefuls.
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Bloomberg
a day ago
- Bloomberg
Charismatic Communist Shakes Up Chile's Presidential Primary
Lea en español. Just over a hundred years after its creation, Chile's Communist Party may have unexpectedly found one of its best-ever presidential hopefuls.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
Florida Democrats look to stop the bleeding during annual political conference
A question loomed over Democratic party leaders and volunteers on Saturday as they pumped hip hop through the speakers at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood: can Florida Democrats find a way to win next election season? Democrats in Florida have faced stinging losses on the ballot, especially over the past six years. Some point to fundraising issues as the cause. Others point to shrinking voter registration numbers. At Leadership Blue, an annual Democratic conference, several elected officials and party leaders agreed on one thing: they have a messaging problem, and President Donald Trump might help them solve it. Democrats mentioned immigration, tariffs and potential cuts to healthcare as issues that have caused division in Florida districts that voted Republican. Deportations in South Florida were central to the discussion, with issues like revoking Temporary Protected Status, instating travel bans and targeting immigrants who have not committed crimes roiling Hispanic communities. 'I think what's happening from the federal government being compounded by the state government, in terms of immigration, gives us an opening,' said Samuel Vilchez Santiago, chairman of the Orange County Democrats. Last year, Trump and Florida Republicans put a message out that they were for the working class, said Santiago, who is Venezuelan-American. He said Hispanic communities in Florida, many of which helped the Republican Party win competitive districts in Miami-Dade County, believed Trump would deliver on promises to lower the cost of living. But Democrats say Trump has failed to deliver, and they plan to take advantage of it. Those unfulfilled promises, combined with growing negative sentiment toward immigration enforcement, may give them an edge during next year's midterms, Santiago said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who paid a visit to Leadership Blue, felt the same. Beshear, a Democratic governor in a red state, thinks Florida Democrats have a way to portray themselves as people that can bring change. 'What you'll start seeing is people who don't just feel regret, but they feel betrayal,' Beshear said, speaking about Trump's campaign promises. 'Because someone who told them they were focused on them is now telling them their kids have too many toys.' As a whole, though, some admit they could have done better with reaching out this past election cycle. Millie Herrera, a longtime Democrat and part of the party's budget and finance committee, thinks the party could improve in reaching out to every Hispanic community in Florida. Herrera, who is Cuban-American, thinks it's time to organize locally and year-round, rather than just during election season. In her Hialeah community where she runs a small business, she said she often hears Hispanic people say that Trump had promised to only deport criminals. The Democrats knew that wasn't true, she said, but failed to communicate that. This time, she is confident they will do better. 'We have always been for working people,' Herrera said. 'We have always been for immigrant communities. Maybe what we need to concentrate in our message is reminding them who has been there for us.' Present at Leadership Blue and handing out blue jolly ranchers to attendees, David Jolly, the former Republican congressman who announced his run for governor of Florida as a Democrat on June 5, said Florida is ready for a change and ready to build a coalition that leads with democratic values. While previously acknowledging Democrats have failed voters in the past, Jolly is hopeful Florida is ready for a change: A Democrat governor. 'This is a Democratic party that is united, and united to win,' Jolly said. Recent ups and downs Wins have been hard to come by for Florida Democrats. In April, Democrats witnessed defeats in two special elections for Florida congressional seats despite creating a stir by outraising Republican candidates. But even in defeat, Democrats celebrated because they outdid their previous numbers in both districts, viewed as deep-red and won in November by Trump by over 30 points. Josh Weil and Gay Valimont, running to representdistricts on the eastern coast of Florida and Pensacola, respectively, narrowed the gap to under 20 points each in their races. At the time, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power likened the Democrats' campaigns to 'setting millions of dollars on fire.' But Democrats see it differently. Because they overperformed, Santiago said, it's a sign that grassroots fundraising is the right path for the party. Weil raised around $15 million, with the majority of it coming from donations that were $200 or less. Weil, who launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate last week, said the last couple of years have been tough. As a public school teacher and single father navigating the rising costs of living, he said Floridians are unsatisfied. 'People are really disappointed in what they have right now, particularly in our red districts here in Florida,' Weil said. But becoming competitive again in Florida will be a challenge. Florida Democrats have increasingly lost ground in a state that was once considered purple. Over the past six years, Republicans have won by wider and wider margins in elections for both state and national office. The 2018 midterms were the last to deliver something resembling success for the Florida Democrats. They gained two Congressional seats, seven Florida Legislature seats and one statewide seat — with current party Chairwoman Nikki Fried winning the race for commissioner of agriculture. Since then, Republicans have surged in the state, securing super-majorities in the Florida Legislature, expanding GOP dominance in the Florida congressional delegation and ending the days when Florida was known as the nation's largest swing state. Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis — who likes to compare the Florida Democratic Party to roadkill — both won their most recent races in the state by double digits. In November, Miami-Dade County voted Republican for the first time in a presidential election since 1988. Alongside Miami-Dade, other left-leaning metro areas in the state swung red as well: Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Duval County and Osceola County. Pouring salt on the wound, state Sen. Jason Pizzo, who served as the Senate Democratic leader in the Florida Legislature, told his colleagues earlier this year that he was changing his party affiliation, saying the Democratic Party is 'dead' in Florida. Pizzo now says he'll run for governor as an independent candidate. Still, Fried — who said Pizzo's resignation as party leader was 'one of the best things to happen to the party in years' — said Democrats in Florida are united and the party's message is succinct. She said she wants people to know that the Democrats are not giving up on them. Despite disdain or criticism from former members of the party, Fried said the party embraces a culture of respect where everyone is welcome, feels seen, is listened to and has a say. 'We talk with one voice, and we really have created a coalition in our state that people feel like you don't have to always agree with everybody inside the party,' Fried said. 'That's what the benefit of being a Democrat is — we are a big tent, which means there's going to be different sides of the spectrum.'
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Yahoo
Europe's lithium quest hampered by China and lack of cash
Europe's ambition to be a world player in decarbonised transportation arguably depends on sourcing lithium abroad, especially in South America. Even the bloc's broader energy security and climate goals could depend on securing a steady supply of the key mineral, used in batteries and other clean energy supply chains. But Europe has run into a trio of obstacles: lack of money, double-edged regulations and competition from China, analysts told AFP. China has a major head start. It currently produces more than three-quarters of batteries sold worldwide, refines 70 percent of raw lithium and is the world's third-largest extractor behind Australia and Chile, according to 2024 data from the United States Geological Survey. To gain a foothold, Europe has developed a regulatory framework that emphasises environmental preservation, quality job creation and cooperation with local communities. It has also signed bilateral agreements with about 15 countries, including Chile and Argentina, the world's fifth-largest lithium producer. But too often it fails to deliver when it comes to investment, say experts. "I see a lot of memoranda of understanding, but there is a lack of action," Julia Poliscanova, director of electric vehicles at the Transport and Environment (T&E) think tank, told AFP. "More than once, on the day that we signed another MoU, the Chinese were buying an entire mine in the same country." The investment gap is huge: China spent $6 billion on lithium projects abroad from 2020 to 2023, while Europe barely coughed up a billion dollars over the same period, according to data compiled by T&E. - Lagging investment - At the same time, the bottleneck in supply has tightened: last year saw a 30 percent increase in global demand for lithium, according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). "To secure the supply of raw materials, China is actively investing in mines abroad through state-owned companies with political support from the government," the IEA noted. China's Belt and Road Initiative funnelled $21.4 billion into mining beyond its shores in 2024, according to the report. Europe, meanwhile, is "lagging behind in investment levels in these areas", said Sebastian Galarza, founder of the Centre for Sustainable Mobility in Santiago, Chile. "The lack of a clear path for developing Europe's battery and mining industries means that gap will be filled by other actors." In Africa, for example, Chinese demand has propelled Zimbabwe to become the fourth-largest lithium producer in the world. "The Chinese let their money do the talking," said Theo Acheampong, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations. By 2035, all new cars and vans sold in the European Union must produce zero carbon emissions, and EU leaders and industry would like as much as possible of that market share to be sourced locally. Last year, just over 20 percent of new vehicles sold in the bloc were electric. "Currently, only four percent of Chile's lithium goes to Europe," noted Stefan Debruyne, director of external affairs at Chilean private mining company SQM. "The EU has every opportunity to increase its share of the battery industry." - Shifting supply chains - But Europe's plans to build dozens of battery factories have been hampered by fluctuating consumer demand and competition from Japan (Panasonic), South Korea (LG Energy Solution, Samsung) and, above all, China (CATL, BYD). The key to locking down long-term lithium supply is closer ties in the so-called "lithium triangle" formed by Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, which account for nearly half of the world's reserves, analysts say. To encourage cooperation with these countries, European actors have proposed development pathways that would help establish electric battery production in Latin America. Draft EU regulations would allow Latin America to "reconcile local development with the export of these raw materials, and not fall into a purely extractive cycle", said Juan Vazquez, deputy head for Latin America and the Caribbean at the OECD Development Centre. But it is still unclear whether helping exporting countries develop complete supply chains makes economic sense, or will ultimately tilt in Europe's favour. "What interest do you have as a company in setting up in Chile to produce cathodes, batteries or more sophisticated materials if you don't have a local or regional market to supply?" said Galarza. "Why not just take the lithium, refine it and do everything in China and send the battery back to us?" Pointing to the automotive tradition in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, Galarza suggested an answer. "We must push quickly towards the electrification of transport in the region so we can share in the benefits of the energy transition," he argued. But the road ahead looks long. Electric vehicles were only two percent of new car sales in Mexico and Chile last year, six percent in Brazil and seven percent in Colombia, according to the IEA. The small nation of Costa Rica stood out as the only nation in the region where EVs hit double digits, at 15 percent of new car sales. avl/mh/np/jxb/sco
