Tel Aviv, March 30 (Prensa Latina) Two of Israel’s three gas platforms, Leviathan and Karish, have been shut down since the start of the war against Iran on February 28, causing multimillion-dollar losses, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper revealed today.

The order was given by security authorities shortly after the start of the conflict, but a month later, the patience and acceptance of the gas companies are running out, the newspaper stressed.

Sources within the sector, quoted by the newspaper, indicated that this is an unprecedented event.

Navy officials explained that, due to the large number of key targets in the country, it is difficult to protect the platforms, which is why the decision was made to close them.

The Israeli energy system is currently based on three of these facilities, including Tamar, 25 kilometers from the city of Ashkelon, which supplies most of the gas for electricity production and domestic industry, and also exports to neighboring countries.

Located 10 kilometers from the coast are Leviathan, focused on sales to Egypt and Jordan, among other nations, and Karish, also destined for the local market.

Each week of closure causes losses worth 300 million shekels (about $95.5 million), revealed Chen Herzog, chief economist at the consulting firm BDO.

Earlier this month, the director general of the Israeli Finance Ministry, Ilan Rom, estimated that the attack on Iran could cost the country about 9.5 billion shekels ($3.1 billion) each week in losses due to the security measures taken, which are limiting the national economy.

Washington, March 29 (Prensa Latina) With the imminent arrival in Cuba of a Russian-flagged oil tanker, US President Donald Trump said today that he prefers to let it pass and has no objection to the island receiving the fuel.

“We have an oil tanker out there. We don’t mind somebody taking a cargo of oil, because they have to survive,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about the issue, in what appears to be a shift from his rhetoric of recent days.

“If a country wants to send some oil to Cuba right now, I have no problem with that,” Trump said. “I’d rather let it go, whether it’s Russia or another country,” the Republican president added, explaining his reasoning: “People need heating,” he said of the tropical island, “cooling, and all the other things that are needed.”

On January 29, Trump signed an executive order declaring a “national emergency” regarding Cuba due to the alleged - according to Washington - “unusual and extraordinary threat” that the Caribbean country would represent to the United States.

On that basis, the ruler announced the imposition of tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba, in addition to threats and coercion against those states that defy the executive order in question.

The Anatoly Kolodkin, which left Russia in early March with 730,000 barrels of oil, is believed to be near the Cuban coast.

According to the specialized maritime tracking site MarineTraffic, on Sunday afternoon the ship was in the Caribbean Sea heading towards Matanzas, where it could arrive on Tuesday, March 31.

Trump downplayed criticism that allowing the ship to pass benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin. “He loses a cargo of oil, that’s all,” he said, adding, “If he wants to do that, and if other countries want to as well, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.”

However, it was Trump himself who exacerbated the situation on the island with his executive order. The fuel shortage has made life even more difficult for the Cuban people, who have suffered for more than six decades from the effects of the longest-running economic, commercial, and financial embargo in history against any country.

Lima, March 29 (Prensa Latina) A second Sunday poll on voting intentions for the Peruvian elections on April 12, today maintained the neoliberal candidates Keiko Fujimori, with 13 percent, and Rafael López Aliaga (11.2) in the top two places.

After that technical tie (because the difference is less than the margin of error), the Datum company lists the right-wing comedian Carlos Álvarez, with 6.9, followed by the center-leftists Alfonso López-Chau (6.1) and Jorge Nieto (5.9) and the left-wing Roberto Sánchez (4.9).

Neoliberal commentators Augusto Álvarez and Juan Carlos Tafur opined that the six candidates are the protagonists of the second round of the presidential election, although they acknowledged that surprises are common in the final stages of the electoral campaign.

In seventh place is the conservative businessman and politician César Acuña (4) and he is followed by the veteran former mayor of Lima, Ricardo Belmont (2.9), the populist Yonhy Lescano (2.5), the former military intelligence officer Wolfang Grozo (2.1), the businessman and politician José Luna and Fernando Olivera (1.7).

The remaining 23 total 12.3, and there are 12.2 who have decided to vote blank or invalidate their vote and 11.7 who still do not know who to decide for.

Hours earlier, the Ipsos company’s survey was released, with some differences compared to the Datum survey, although both agree that the first are Keiko Fujimori (11) and Rafael López Aliaga (9), followed by Carlos Álvarez (7), Jorge Nieto (5), Alfonso López-Chau and Roberto Sánchez (both with 4).

Ricardo Belmont and César Acuña follow (3), and, with 2 percent each, the leftist Ronald Atencio, the center-right Marisol Pérez Tello, Yonhy Lescano and Fernando Olivera.

Jakarta, March 30 (Prensa Latina) The Indonesian government today strengthened inter-institutional coordination to ensure the safe transit of its ships through the Strait of Hormuz and preserve the stability of the national energy supply.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the actions are being carried out in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with an emphasis on the safety of the crews and the protection of the cargo.

Authorities indicated that close coordination is also being maintained with the Indonesian embassy in Tehran and with Iranian authorities, who have responded positively to efforts to ensure the passage of the vessels.

State oil company Pertamina indicated that its maritime transport subsidiary is preparing the necessary technical and administrative aspects to guarantee the safe passage of its ships through the strategic maritime route.

The government emphasized that, in addition to safeguarding operations in the region, it is working to diversify sources of crude oil and fuel supplies, with the aim of reducing risks in the event of disruptions in the Middle East.

Authorities reiterated that the priority is to protect the lives of the crews and ensure the continuity of the country’s energy supply.

Mexico City, March 30 (Prensa Latina) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will receive FIFA President Gianni Infantino today to discuss organizational details of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.

“On Monday we will receive the FIFA president, Infantino, he will come here to the National Palace; some details of organization are still being worked out, and well, to receive him and talk about the World Cup,” the head of the Executive announced on Thursday during her usual press conference.

Infantino attended the inauguration on Saturday in this capital of the “Epic Album”, at the Yancuic Museum in the Iztapalapa municipality, which will exhibit legendary items from emblematic representatives of Mexican and international football.

Two days earlier, the executive also witnessed at the BBVA Stadium in Monterrey (Nuevo León), the match in which the Bolivian national team defeated Suriname 2-1 and advanced to the final of the intercontinental World Cup playoff, which will take place tomorrow.

The global event, to be held from June 11 to July 19, will be the first with 48 teams and will be held in 16 cities in North America: three in Mexico (this capital, Guadalajara and Monterrey), 11 in the United States and two in Canada.

The opening match will be played at the Azteca Stadium in the capital, which was reopened on Saturday with the match between this Latin American nation and its Portuguese counterpart, and which will become the only venue to host the opening of three World Cups.

The President’s approval rating and that of the Government are at their lowest point, confirming the reckoning that a large part of society is making with the ruling party for the economic problems, which leads to discontent over the corruption to which the main officials were exposed.

A trend is consolidating that keeps the Executive Branch on high alert. As Diagonales has been reporting , based on weekly reports from leading public opinion polling firms, the ruling party is experiencing its toughest weeks in what is a fundamental stronghold for its “libertarian” plans: popular approval is plummeting.

In recent days, figures have emerged that show a decline in support for La Libertad Avanza (LLA) from a society that is being hit by increasingly meager incomes, increasingly endless working days, and the uncertainty of maintaining employment.

Added to this is the anger over the “caste” behavior of the Government stemming from the scandals of possible corruption involving both Javier Milei and his officials.

In addition to the reports published by Opinaia, the Center for Public Opinion Studies and Pulso Research, new surveys confirm an adverse social mood for the Executive Branch: these are those of Zuban-Córdoba, TresPuntoCero by Shila Vilker and Hugo Haime.

The report that gives the Government the worst rating is the one released by Gustavo Córdoba, which registered a drop compared to February and 14 points less approval compared to December 2025.

While previous leadership changes tended to better separate public anger over the government’s direction from Milei’s image, this is also beginning to erode. When Zuban-Córdoba asked whether the population approves or disapproves of the President’s performance, 58.7% said they disapproved, and only 35.4% said they approved.

“After the 2025 legislative elections, the government saw a rebound in its public approval rating, reaching a near 50%-50% split. In recent months, disapproval has risen again, widening the gap amid an economic crisis and new corruption cases,” they explained.

The numbers are alarming to those in the Executive Branch who closely monitor public opinion polls, given the substantial difference in the political climate in recent months.

“In December 2025, 48.9% approved of the national leader’s performance, and at that time the negative image was 49.6%. Now, approval is at 35.4% and disapproval at 58.7%,” argues Zuban Córdoba, which expressed a negative gap of 20 points between approval and disapproval.

In detail, economic problems are the government’s Achilles’ heel. 27% expressed fear of losing their jobs, while 24% indicated difficulty making ends meet. Furthermore, 17% cited inflation as their main concern.

The second polling firm that brings the worst indicators for the Casa Rosada is Tres Punto Cero , directed by Shila Vilker, which in addition to showing this consolidated negative for Milei and the Government also includes economic concerns at the top of the issues that trigger the bad image of the ruling party.

This study, conducted on 1,350 cases across the country between March 13 and 16, reveals that disapproval of the administration exceeds 50%, and the negative differential is consolidated .

But it is also noted that the economy is consolidating as the main national problem for more than 60% of those surveyed.

In that breakdown, the focus is heavily marked by low wages, and critical feelings such as worry and uncertainty predominate, which together exceed 50%.

The decline in the presidential figure is evident : 66.2% stated that the libertarian head of state “doesn’t amuse them,” and 62.3% indicated that Milei’s interventions “no longer surprise them.”

Negative feelings toward Milei predominate : 60% against 33.8% against positive feelings. Furthermore, in terms of perception, 68% of those surveyed consider the President to be an “aggressive” figure.

This report goes further and delves into the consequences that may arise from the poor political, social and economic climate: 58.1% believe there is a risk of social unrest, 55% see a currency run as likely, and 52% fear hyperinflation.

In the case of the report presented by the National Study of Hugo Haime & Associates, Milei reached his historical low in management approval with 37%, and it is also seen how his positive personal image fell to 39%, the lowest figure since he assumed the first magistracy.

New to this study, for the first time in the series, the “Low Wages” category (36%) emerged as the most important problem in the country, surpassing Corruption (28%) and Inflation (21%).

The impact of economic hardship on daily life is a key part of Haime’s report. Fifty percent of respondents stated they had to forgo essential purchases to make ends meet. Furthermore, 37% of the population is in debt , either through credit card use or personal loans.

In terms of public sentiment, Milei and his officials are also struggling. According to this polling firm, a negative climate affects 70% of those surveyed, with feelings like “Anger” reaching 39% and “Sadness” 31%. Hope has fallen to 23%.

This latter sentiment is important for understanding future expectations, where the government had its strongest support . But everything has changed: 47% believe the country will be worse off in a year.

Furthermore, 59% envision an Argentina with “many poor people” and almost no middle class by the end of the current term, and as seen in previous reports from other firms, the responsibility for this situation is mainly attributed to the economic policy of the current government with 64%, compared to 28% who blame the legacy received from the Peronist government.

Despite this scenario facing the Casa Rosada, various public opinion studies also show that the new and consolidated adverse climate for LLA does not directly translate into options for the opposition, which remains unaligned.

However, this data from Haime is noteworthy: while 35% would like Milei to be re-elected, 57% prefer that the next president be a “non-libertarian”.

In detail, society seems to be demanding a new profile: 54% favor a proposal that combines economic stability with strengthening the national industry and generating employment.

They will have to take note on the other side of the counter.

Santiago, Chile, March 30 (Prensa Latina) Chilean President José Antonio Kast assured that his National Reconstruction Plan, a controversial project criticized here today for benefiting big business, will be ready next September.

The Central Unitary of Workers (CUT), the country’s main trade union organization, pointed out that several measures in that proposal are not aimed at supporting the majority, but rather the corporations.

The project includes more than 40 measures, among them the reduction of the corporate tax, which will fall from 27 percent to 23 percent for large companies, which will also benefit from the elimination of the capital gains tax.

According to the CUT, these are not social relief measures, but a direct gift to the wealthiest sectors, with the purpose of guaranteeing that, even in times of crisis, their profits continue to grow at the expense of the public budget.

Another highly criticized aspect is the proposal to eliminate free tuition in higher education for students over 30 years of age, which was considered a discriminatory act.

According to the government, these measures aim to encourage national and foreign investment, an argument of the neoliberal doctrine to privilege corporations and their investors, and not the population.

All the measures are grouped into five areas: the reconstruction of homes affected by disasters, economic reactivation, the ordering of finances, and the strengthening of institutions and order and security.

Another controversial aspect of the plan is the elimination of six billion dollars from public spending in the first 18 months of work.

Part of this initiative is the automatic three percent budget cut in all ministries and public entities, which will have a negative impact on health, education, and other basic services.

Socialist Party deputy Raúl Leiva pointed out the contradiction of increasing the exorbitant price of fuel, which affects the entire population, while simultaneously reducing taxes for the wealthiest sector.

The option proposed by the government is a “every man for himself” situation, the legislator asserted.

Even Congresswoman Ximena Ossandón, from the ruling National Renewal party, called on the government to open communication channels in the face of people’s “economic pain”.