International
OAS mission will ‘analyze’ Peru political crisis
| By AFP |
The Organization of American States said Thursday it will send a “high-level group” to Peru after President Pedro Castillo asked for the body’s help in tackling the country’s political crisis.
The decision came during a special OAS Permanent Council session in Washington following embattled Castillo’s announcement late Wednesday he had sought the body’s help to foster a national dialogue.
The council adopted a resolution offering “solidarity and support” for the “preservation of the democratic political institutional process” in Peru, calling on “all actors” to work within the “rule of law.”
The OAS designated “a high-level group consisting of representatives of member states, and consistent with the Inter-American Democratic Charter, to visit Peru in order to analyze the situation and report to this council,” the resolution said.
Addressing the nation live on TV Wednesday, Castillo said he had last week asked the 35-member OAS to invoke its “democratic charter,” which sets out the body’s mission “to promote and consolidate representative democracy.”
Under the document, a member state can ask for assistance “for the strengthening and preservation of its democratic system” if it fears this to be at risk.
On Thursday, the OAS declared it was available to “provide support and cooperation” in “promoting dialogue and strengthening its democratic system of government.”
Castillo, a former rural school teacher, has been under nonstop fire since unexpectedly taking power from Peru’s traditional political elite in elections last year.
He has survived two impeachment attempts since taking office in July 2021 and is the target of six criminal investigations for alleged graft and plagiarizing his university thesis.
In addition to these, Peru’s attorney general last week filed a constitutional complaint accusing Castillo of heading a criminal organization involving his family and allies.
The complaint — the first of its kind against a sitting president — must be examined by parliament, and unlike a criminal case, can lead to Castillo’s suspension. Fewer votes are required than for impeachment.
‘Not corrupt’
Castillo, serving a five-year term that ends in 2026, cannot be criminally tried while in office.
In recent months, police have raided the presidential palace in Lima, where Castillo resides, as well as his private home in rural Peru in search of evidence to back the corruption claims.
On Wednesday, Castillo accused “the money sectors, the traditional politicians who have always thrived on corruption” of being behind the “coup” attempt against him.
“I am not corrupt,” he insisted on Twitter.
Peru is no stranger to instability: It had three different presidents in five days in 2020, and five presidents and three legislatures since 2016.
But six open investigations into a sitting president is unprecedented.
Also on Thursday, Fitch Ratings downgraded its assessment of Peru’s long-term debt outlook to “negative” from “stable” in response to the “weakening of Peru’s political governance institutions.”
“A deterioration in political stability and government effectiveness has increased downside risks to Peru’s ratings,” it said.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
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