International
Peru protesters mourn their dead as clashes continue
January 12 | By AFP |
Demonstrators in Peru blocked roads and held mass funerals on Wednesday for those killed in violent anti-government protests that have gripped the country for weeks, as the United States called for “restraint” on both sides.
The deadly clashes have spread to the tourist city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, where one protester was killed Wednesday and more than 30 people, including 19 police officers, were wounded.
In total, at least 41 people have died in more than a month of demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, who took over after the ouster and arrest of her predecessor Pedro Castillo on December 7.
The violence has drawn a rebuke from the United Nations, and a delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) arrived in the country Wednesday to investigate the protests and accusations of political repression.
On Tuesday, Peru’s prosecutor’s office said it was opening a genocide investigation against Boluarte and other top officials as a result of the deaths.
The epicenter of the protests has been in the Aymara region of Puno, on the border with Bolivia, where thousands of residents walked the streets of Juliaca on Wednesday with the coffins of 17 civilians who were killed earlier this week.
Each coffin bore a photograph and was draped in a Peruvian flag.
“Dina killed me with bullets,” read the white coffin of Edgar Huaranca, carried on the shoulders of six family members.
Dominga Hancco held a portrait of her young daughter — shot dead during a protest.
“She was walking and only complained that her belly hurt,” she told AFP. “A few minutes passed and she fell, no one noticed how (the bullet) entered.”
The government has imposed a three-day curfew on the Andean region in a bid to calm the tensions, while also declaring a day of mourning on Wednesday for those killed.
In Cusco, demonstrators tried to reach the city’s airport after mobilizing to demand the president’s ouster.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, with protesters responding by throwing stones. Some demonstrators held up street signs as shields against projectiles fired by security forces.
The ombudsman’s office said one protester had been killed, identifying him on Twitter as Remo Candia Guevara, the president of a local community group.
“We demand an immediate investigation to find those responsible for the death and proceed to the respective sanction,” it added.
In Arequipa, Peru’s second city, hundreds also marched against the government, while in Tacna, on the border with Chile, an indefinite strike began, marked by episodes of vandalism.
Rights probe launched
The regional governments of Puno and Cusco are demanding Boluarte step down as a first step to resolving the crisis.
Puno began an indefinite strike a week ago to demand the resignation of Boluarte, immediate presidential and legislative elections and the convening of a Constituent Assembly.
The IACHR commissioners were received by Boluarte at the Government Palace, the seat of the Peruvian executive.
“We are going to verify the human rights situation. We regret the loss of human life during the demonstrations,” said head of mission Edgar Stuardo Ralon, whose delegation will remain in Peru until Friday.
They will meet with authorities, victims and their relatives in Lima, Ica and Arequipa.
The United States on Wednesday urged restraint and the minimal use of force, and backed an investigation into the dozens of deaths.
“We recognize the right for peaceful protest and expressing grievances through democratic channels, and call for calm, dialogue and for all parties to exercise restraint and non-violence,” a State Department spokesperson said.
International
Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer amid coup conviction
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been diagnosed with skin cancer while serving a historic sentence for attempting a coup d’état. His medical team confirmed that the lesions have been removed and that, for now, he does not require further procedures, though he will need regular monitoring.
On Wednesday, September 17, Bolsonaro’s doctors confirmed the diagnosis. The announcement comes shortly after the former leader was convicted of orchestrating an attempted coup.
According to his physician, Claudio Birolini, Bolsonaro has “squamous cell carcinoma, which is neither the most benign nor the most aggressive form — it is intermediate.” Birolini warned, however, that this type of skin cancer “can carry more serious consequences.”
International
Milei praises Paraguay’s growth, calls Argentina’s last 20 years a ‘decline’
Argentine President Javier Milei praised Paraguay’s economic growth over the past two decades during a speech before the Paraguayan Congress on Wednesday (Sept. 17, 2025), crediting it to incentives that favored capitalism. At the same time, he contrasted that progress with what he described as Argentina’s deepening “decline” during the same period.
“If we compare the last 20 years of Paraguay with those of the Argentine Republic, we will find almost diametrically opposite results,” Milei told lawmakers during a special session of Parliament on the second and final day of his official visit to Asunción.
“While you have not stopped growing, we have deepened our decline. If we understand incentives as the engine of capitalism, Paraguay focused on preserving and strengthening them, while Argentina dedicated itself to chaining, directing, and suffocating them,” the right-wing leader stated.
International
Trump administration launches large-scale immigration operation in Chicago
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump intensified a large-scale immigration operation in the Chicago area with the arrival of additional Border Patrol agents on Tuesday and the presence of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem during a raid.
Noem posted a video on her X account showing the immigration operation, in which DHS reportedly removed “violent criminals” from the streets. The footage shows Noem observing the arrest of a man taken into custody at his home early Tuesday morning at an undisclosed location.
“I was in Chicago today to make it clear that we will not back down,” the secretary wrote. “Our work is just beginning,” she added.
The warning from Noem was echoed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Gregory Bovino, who posted a video on X Tuesday showing multiple Border Patrol vehicles arriving in the city with the caption: “Chicago, we are here!”
Bovino, who led the immigration crackdown in Los Angeles implemented since last June, said the team will remain in Chicago to continue the mission they started in California.
Operation “Midway Blitz” is currently focused on the Chicago metropolitan area and its suburbs. Activists and residents have reported sightings of masked agents and unmarked vehicles in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.
Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer amid coup conviction
Milei praises Paraguay’s growth, calls Argentina’s last 20 years a ‘decline’
Trump administration launches large-scale immigration operation in Chicago
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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