Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 97

97th PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 97th edition of The PEP Weekly Digest, where we present to you the most recent updates and news on the global political stage.

Recent and upcoming elections influence the worldwide political landscape in eight nations, slated between Mar 12, 2025 and May 11, 2025. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

Jeannette Jara Resigns as Chile’s Labor Minister to Run for President, Chosen by Communist Party

One noteworthy event has occurred in Chile, Jeannette Jara resigned as Chile’s Labor Minister after being chosen by the Communist Party to run for president. She announced her decision after conferring with President Gabriel Boric Font at La Moneda. The Communist Party confirmed her candidacy.

Jara was chosen over former Recoleta Mayor Daniel Jadue. Party Chairman Lautaro Carmona praised Jara’s qualities, experience, and efficiency, noting her role in the Central Committee and Political Commission. “Jeannette has all the qualities and capacities, she has all the confidence, she is a member of the Central Committee, of the Political Commission, and together with that, she will have the active contribution of each one of us,” Carmona said.

After her resignation, she will be replaced by Labor Undersecretary Giorgio Boccardo on an interim basis while her permanent successor is yet to be announced.

Brazilian Communications Minister Juscelino Filho Resigns to Focus on Legal Defense Amid Misappropriation Charges

Shifting our focus to Brazil, Brazilian Minister for Communications, who oversees services including telecommunication and postal, said in a statement on Tuesday he decided to resign from his role to focus on his legal defense after charges against him had became public.

“I am leaving because I believe that, at this moment, the most important thing is to protect the country’s project that we helped to build and in which I continue to believe,” Minister Juscelino Filho said in the statement.

The office of Brazil’s prosecutor general presented charges against Filho as part of a probe of misappropriation of public funds while he was a lawmaker, another source told Reuters earlier on Tuesday, following local media reports.

France Appoints Jacques Billant as New High Commissioner in New Caledonia

In France, the French government has appointed a new High Commissioner in New Caledonia to replace Louis Le Franc. The new appointee is Jacques Billant, 65, whose career involves a long stint in the French military (when he served in ex-Yugoslavia within the United Nations’ protection force) but also as chief of staff in a previous Justice Minister’s office (2008-2009). Billant, married and the father of four, later served as prefect in the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe (French Caribbean) and La Réunion (Indian Ocean). His current posting is prefect of the French mainland department of Pas-de-Calais (North-western France). There, in 2022, he also replaced Le Franc at the time.

Block Inc. Settles Anti-Money Laundering Allegations with $40 Million Fine, to Appoint Independent Monitor

In the realm of regulatory affairs, Block Inc. has agreed to pay a US$40 million fine to resolve allegations of deficiencies in its anti-money laundering compliance program.

This settlement was announced by New York’s financial services regulator on Apr. 10. The regulator highlighted issues related to the company’s Cash App platform.

As part of the settlement, Block will appoint an independent monitor to oversee enhancements in its compliance processes, according to Adrienne Harris, New York’s superintendent of financial services.

Former Russian Minister Dmitrii Ovsiannikov Sentenced to Over 3 Years for Violating UK Sanctions and Money Laundering

Shifting our attention to Russia, a former Russian government minister who violated British sanctions by receiving financial support from family members was sentenced to more than three years in prison. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin, became the first person convicted of violating the sanctions put in place after the illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. He set up a British bank account to illegally receive tens of thousands of pounds from his wife and accepted gifts and payments from his brother, prosecutors said.

Ovsiannikov, 48, was convicted in Southwark Crown Court of six counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024, and two counts of money laundering. He was sentenced to 40 months behind bars.

Ovsiannikov, who also served as deputy minister for industry and trade, was an important political figure placed under European Union sanctions in 2017 for work that threatened the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, prosecutors said.

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