International

Peru braces for new rally in Lima despite state of emergency

Photo: Cris Bouroncle / AFP

January 17 | By AFP |

Lima was bracing for a new rally against Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Monday as thousands of demonstrators began mobilizing in the capital following weeks of deadly unrest.

Protesters from all over the country began heading to Lima over the weekend in a bid to maintain the pressure on authorities, even as a state of emergency war declared in a bid to maintain order.

At least 42 people have died in five weeks of clashes between protesters and security forces, according to Peru’s human rights ombudsman.

Supporters of ousted president Pedro Castillo — who was arrested and charged with rebellion amongst other offenses after trying last month to dissolve parliament and rule by decree — have set up burning roadblocks, attempted to storm airports and staged mass rallies.

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They are demanding Boluarte’s resignation, the closure of Congress and fresh elections.

“We’re going to be in the capital to make our protest voice heard,” Jimmy Mamani, an Aymara indigenous leader from Puno region, told AFP.

Mamani, the mayor of a small village near the border with Bolivia, said peasants from all over Peru had arranged to meet up in Lima for a “peaceful” demonstration.

Protesters are set to defy a state of emergency in the capital.

“It’s not right that the executive cannot listen to our demands, they turn a deaf ear,” added Mamani, who ruled out dialogue with authorities.

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At least 3,000 protesters from Andahuaylas in southeastern Peru were heading for Lima on Monday in a caravan of trucks and buses.

In Cusco province, dozens of peasants were organizing themselves to leave for the capital.

The government extended by 30 days a state of emergency from midnight Saturday for Lima, Cusco, Callao and Puno, authorizing the military to back up police actions to restore public order.

The order also suspended constitutional rights such as freedom of movement and assembly, according to a decree published in the official gazette.

In protest epicenter Puno, the government declared a new night-time curfew for 10 days, from 8:00 pm to 4:00 am.

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Almost 100 stretches of road remained blockaded Sunday in 10 of Peru’s 25 regions — a record, according to a senior land transport official.

Castillo, a former rural school teacher and union leader, faced vehement opposition from Congress during his 18 months in office and is the subject of numerous criminal investigations into allegations of widespread graft.

His December 7 ouster sparked immediate nationwide protests, mainly among the rural poor.

– ‘Terrible cruelties’ –

In the run-up to Monday’s demonstrations, attitudes among both protesters and government officials appeared to harden.

“We ask that Dina Boluarte resign as president and that Congress be shut down. We don’t want any more deaths,” Jasmin Reinoso, a 25-year-old nurse from Ayacucho, told AFP.

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Prime Minister Alberto Otarola called for protesters to “radically change” their tactics and opt for dialogue.

“There is a small group organized and paid for by drug trafficking and illegal mining that wants to take power by force,” Otarola said on local television.

Defense Minister Jorge Chavez said the government would do everything in its power “to avoid a violent situation” in Lima.

But he also pleaded with protesters to demonstrate “peacefully without generating violence.”

An Ipsos poll published Sunday said Boluarte had a 71 percent disapproval rating.

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The unrest has been largely concentrated in the southern Andes, where Quechua and Aymara communities live.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has said that in order to end the crisis, these groups need to be better integrated into Peruvian society.

– Radical groups? –

Peru has been politically unstable for years, with 60-year-old Boluarte the country’s sixth president in five years.

Castillo has been remanded in custody for 18 months, charged with rebellion and other crimes.

Authorities insist radical groups are behind the protests, including remnants of the Shining Path communist guerrilla group.

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As proof, they have presented the capture this week of a former member of that organization, Rocio Leandro, whom the police accuse of having financed some of the unrest.

International

Trump moves to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous substance

Former U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous addictive substance, a move aimed at encouraging medical research without immediately opening the door to federal-level decriminalization.

Trump said that “people were begging” him to make the decision, particularly individuals suffering from chronic pain. He stressed, however, that the measure “is not at all a decriminalization” of marijuana for non-medical use.

“I’ve always told my children: don’t use drugs, don’t drink, don’t smoke,” Trump added. He is a well-known teetotaler.

A senior government official described the decision as “common sense” during a briefing with reporters, noting that marijuana and CBD-based products — a compound derived from cannabis known for its relaxing properties — are already widely used in the United States by patients dealing with chronic pain.

Most U.S. states currently allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes, and more than 20 states, along with the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., have also legalized recreational use.

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International

Shakira’s El Salvador concerts sell out in hours, fans demand more dates

The sell-out of all three announced Shakira concerts in El Salvador in less than 24 hours has sparked a collective call for additional dates, highlighting an overwhelming demand that transcends borders and positions the country as a cultural hub in Central America.

Ticket sales for Shakira’s Central American residency confirmed the artist’s massive impact across the region. The three shows scheduled for February 12, 14, and 15 in El Salvador sold out in under 24 hours, triggering an immediate public response from fans who were unable to secure tickets and are now urging promoters to open new dates, according to an official statement from promoters Two Shows and Fenix Entertainment.

Even before ticket sales officially opened, thousands of people joined virtual queues that exceeded the usual capacity of the country’s ticketing platforms. Despite logging in early and waiting for hours, many users were unable to complete their purchases and were ultimately left without tickets, Two Shows reported.

The unprecedented demand was widely documented through screenshots, testimonials, and social media posts, showing slow-moving waiting lists, ticketing websites overwhelmed by traffic, and purchase processes that failed to go through despite users following all required steps within the designated timeframes.

According to the organizers, demand to see Shakira perform in El Salvador remains strong even after the sell-out. Meanwhile, hotels have reported booking inquiries beyond the announced concert dates, pointing to a larger-than-expected tourism influx tied to the event.

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International

Rubio rules out 2028 presidential bid if Vance runs

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not seek the presidency in 2028 if current Vice President JD Vancedecides to run as the Republican nominee to succeed President Donald Trump.

“If JD Vance runs for president, he will be our candidate, and I will be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio said in an interview with Vanity Fair, in which he appeared alongside other senior members of the presidential cabinet.

Rubio, 54, and Vance, 41, are widely viewed as two of the leading Republican figures who could headline the party’s ticket in the 2028 election. Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump is barred from seeking another term after completing two presidential mandates.

In a lighthearted moment during the interview, Vance jokingly offered photographers $1,000 if they managed to make him look better than Rubio in the photos. Both leaders have received public backing from Trump, who last October floated the idea of a joint ticket featuring Rubio and Vance, without clarifying who would lead it.

“I think that if they ever teamed up, they would be unstoppable. I don’t think anyone would run against us,” Trump said at the time.

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White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who also took part in the interview, confirmed that Trump does not intend to violate the 22nd Amendment, which prohibits a third presidential term, though she acknowledged that the president is “having fun” with speculation about a possible return to office.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, served as a Republican senator from 2010 to 2025. He sought the party’s presidential nomination in 2016 but was defeated by Trump after a bruising primary contest. His name was floated as a potential vice presidential pick in 2024, but Vance ultimately secured the spot. After taking office, Trump appointed Rubio as secretary of state, making him the first Latino to hold the position.