International
Colombian protesters clash with police on anniversary of unrest
AFP
Protesters clashed with police in several Colombian cities Thursday as hundreds of demonstrators marked the one-year anniversary of a mass uprising against outgoing conservative president Ivan Duque.
In Bogota, Medellin and Popayan, hooded protesters threw stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at riot officers.
Police responded with flash bombs, non-lethal ammunition and tear gas.
One protester was wounded in the eye and several young people were detained at National University in Bogota, AFP journalists observed.
One year ago — in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic — Duque’s government proposed a tax increase, igniting a wave of social unrest across the country that lasted until June.
Roads were blockaded and civilians engaged in bloody confrontations with security forces.
According to a UN report, at least 46 people died in last year’s clashes — 44 civilians and two police.
Next month, Colombians will choose Duque’s successor, with leftist opposition candidate Gustavo Petro favored in polls.
In the run-up to the protest anniversary, Petro’s coalition was divided over how involved they should be.
Although part of his leftist coalition decided to join in, the centrist labor and teachers’ unions which led the protests last year chose to remain on the sidelines.
“Any violent act and riots will be the action of a criminal strategy of the right wing to accuse Gustavo Petro and affect elections,” declared Wilson Arias, a senator-elect for the leftist coalition Pacto Historico, in a tweet.
International
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 4,490, according to the latest official figures released by the government on social media.
Authorities reported that 16,740 people have been injured, while more than 19,500 residents remain in temporary shelters after the twin earthquakes devastated Caracas and the neighboring state of La Guaira.
Rescue teams from Venezuela and several foreign countries continue searching through collapsed buildings in an effort to recover victims who remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Government officials said the earthquakes damaged more than 850 buildings, with 190 structures completely collapsing.
Thousands of families who lost their homes are currently staying with relatives or friends, while more than 19,500 displaced people are living in overcrowded emergency camps set up in parks, stadiums, and public squares across La Guaira and Caracas.
International
Tensions Escalate in Middle East as U.S. Bombs Iran After Maritime Attacks
The United States launched new strikes against Iran on Wednesday, following President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington would “hit hard” against the Islamic Republic. While Trump ordered the retaliation after attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, he also said he hoped the latest wave of bombings would end soon and left the door open for renewed negotiations.
U.S. forces “have begun carrying out additional strikes against Iran to further reduce its ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the United States Central Command said in a post on X.
Washington blamed Iran for what it described as “recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping.”
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that explosions were heard in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Chabahar.
“This is in retaliation for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will be much worse,” Trump wrote on social media alongside an image showing what appeared to be a bombing at an Iranian location.
Before ordering the strikes, the U.S. president said that the ceasefire with Iran had ended. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar called for de-escalation, while the United Nations also urged both sides to reduce tensions.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint in the Middle East conflict, which began in late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran-linked attacks on at least three vessels in recent days triggered a U.S. offensive against Iranian targets on Tuesday. Tehran responded by launching attacks against Gulf countries that are allies of Washington.
International
Deadly Drug Trade Rivalry Suspected After Eight Bodies Discovered in Southern Mexico
Eight bodies were found Wednesday along a highway in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, in an incident authorities believe may be linked to a dispute over local drug sales.
The victims — six men and two women — were found abandoned on a road in a mountainous area of the municipality of El Bosque, according to the state prosecutor’s office in a statement published on Facebook.
Initial investigations indicate that the killings may be connected to “a dispute over retail drug sales between local criminal groups operating in the region,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Local media reports that several criminal incidents have increased in the area since the beginning of the year.
The road where the bodies were discovered is located in a mountainous region largely inhabited by Indigenous communities. Authorities have not released further details about the victims or possible suspects as the investigation continues.
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
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