Ireland - Russia

Journalists and trade data monitors have revealed that Ireland has been supplying 80% of its alumina to Russia. The mineral, used to produce military hardware, is produced largely by the Irish company Aughinish Alumina. This revelation comes as Taoiseach Micheál Martin argued that sanctioning the company would cause more harm to the European Union than to Russia amid calls for sanctions from Europe. Aughinish Alumina is also owned by Rusal, a Russian company.  All of this is in the background of a longer discussion in European circles over the behavior of the island nation regarding the Ukraine war, with officials in the UK recently calling Ireland “a back door” for Russian spies. If any change is going to come to the situation, it will have to be from pressure by Europe and the Irish public. 

Russian Economic Pressure on Armenia

Members of a Russia-led economic alliance warned Armenia on Friday that it could face suspension over its aspirations to join the European Union, as tensions between the Kremlin and the Armenian leadership continued to simmer.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan—who attended a summit of the Eurasian Economic Union in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan—indicated that Armenia’s bid to join the European Union creates “significant risks” for its economic security. They instructed their officials to prepare a report by December on the “possible consequences of suspending” Armenia’s membership in the bloc.

The four leaders also urged Armenia to hold a referendum offering voters a choice between seeking membership in the European Union or remaining in the Eurasian Economic Union—a single market established in 2015 to facilitate the free movement of goods, capital, and labor. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had previously rejected the idea of holding such a vote.

The New Ferrari

On Tuesday, Ferrari unveiled its first fully electric car to the President of Italy and Pope Leo XIV. However, it remains awaiting final approval from consumers.

The Italian automaker presented the new Luce EV a day earlier—even as other luxury vehicle competitors have approached ambitious electrification plans with caution in light of falling demand in certain global markets. Markets and automotive industry critics have received the launch with skepticism. 

The Luce offers 1,000 horsepower, can reach 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) in 2.5 seconds, and has a range of over 530 kilometers (329 miles). It also features four electric motors—one for each wheel. 

Despite high expectations for Europe's most valuable automaker regarding its first electric product, the markets' initial reaction was not entirely positive.

Ferrari shares plummeted 8.4% on the Milan stock exchange on Tuesday. The company's U.S.-listed shares fell 5.3%.

Automotive analysts and critics reacted with disapproval, noting that the Luce departs from the brand's signature aesthetic. And while manufacturers seek to attract mainstream buyers with more affordable electric vehicles, another luxury offering appears to be a tough sell.

According to press reports, the selling price of the Luce in Italy is expected to be a staggering 500,000 euros. Its price for the United States has not yet been announced.

Bolivia Protests

Protests have broken out on the streets of Bolivia. Starting earlier this month, thousands of largely working class and indigenous citizens have marched in defiance of their newly elected government. Rodrigo Paz, only six months into his five-year presidential term, is now facing widespread calls to step down. This shocking turn around comes after Paz won the 2025 election handily, largely with the support of working voters who have now turned against him. 

President Paz, who ran as a centrist candidate, was able to break the two-decade long winning streak of Bolivia’s leftist platform, run on and off by the wily former president Evo Morales. An economic crisis, sparked by lower fuel exports and a lack of foreign currency reserves propelled a change in leadership in the impoverished South American nation. However, Paz has been unable to fix the country’s economic woes, and his pro-business decisions have alienated many of the nation’s poor miners, farmers and laborers. Protesters have clashed with police, exchanging rocks and tear gas. Roads to the capitol city have also been shut down by the unhappy marchers in an attempt to apply economic pressure on the government. It appears nothing short of Paz’s resignation will be enough to assuage the multitudinous malcontents. 

As of now, Paz shows no sign of stepping down. He has made some concessions, such as firing an unpopular labor minister, but to no avail. Only time will tell which side will crack first, as the economic situation continues to spiral. 

Colombia Guerrillas

The Colombian guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN) announced on Wednesday a four-day unilateral ceasefire ahead of the presidential elections on May 31, when Colombians will elect Gustavo Petro’s successor. In a statement, the ELN declared its “non-interference in the current electoral process,” and consequently instructed its members “not to carry out offensive military operations against the State Armed Forces.” The ceasefire will be in effect from May 30 to June 2, added the statement from the guerrilla group, which typically adopts such measures during electoral processes. The announcement came one day after the United Nations and the Office of the Ombudsman denounced the massacre of six people—including human rights defenders—in the volatile Catatumbo region, where the ELN maintains a presence.

Peru Election Update

Peru's Electoral Tribunal announced on Thursday that, this Sunday, it will proclaim the two candidates who will vie for the presidency in a runoff election on June 7—following the first round of general elections held on April 12 and 13—amidst allegations of alleged fraud raised by one of the contenders.

This decision postpones the announcement of the first-round results by two additional days, after the Tribunal had stated in late April that the results would be released on Friday. Authorities assert that they are currently processing many electoral tally sheets that have been challenged by the competing parties.

According to electoral authorities—with 99.982% of the presidential voting records tallied—the conservative Keiko Fujimori, of the Fuerza Popular party, was leading the vote count on Thursday with 17.179%, followed by the nationalist Roberto Sánchez, of Juntos por el Perú, with 12.030%, and—barely behind—the ultraconservative Rafael López Aliaga, of Renovación Popular, with 11.905%.

López Aliaga claims that a “fraud unique in the world” took place in Peru, yet he has presented no evidence; he has also protested alongside thousands of supporters outside the Tribunal’s offices and has repeatedly insulted the Tribunal’s president. The conservative figure has stated that he will not recognize the election results.

Forced Displacement in Guerrero

Between 800 and 1,000 families have been forced to flee their homes in the mountains of central Mexico after a criminal group attacked them with homemade explosives dropped from drones and high-powered weapons, community and human rights groups reported on Sunday.

The wave of violence in the state of Guerrero began on Wednesday, when a powerful criminal organization known as Los Ardillos began aggressively attacking communities in a rural mountainous region.

Thousands of people—including children and the elderly—were forced to flee in just a few days following what, they say, were years of escalating attacks. At least one person was injured. Videos show families fleeing their homes in the early hours of Sunday—on Mother's Day—under the cover of darkness and with nothing more than backpacks.