International
Subcommittee on Constitutional Accusations of Congress meets today for ‘Los Niños’ case
February 13 |
This Monday, February 13, the Sub-Commission of Constitutional Accusations of the Congress of the Republic will meet to continue with the investigation process for the case of ‘Los Niños’. The meeting has been scheduled for eight o’clock in the morning and the hearings will continue in order to clarify the alleged crimes against the parliamentarians of Acción Popular.
The constitutional complaint reaches congressmen Raúl Doroteo, Juan Carlos Celis, Jorge Flores, Darwin Espinoza, Ilich López and Elvis Vergara, all members of the political party Acción Popular. The legislators are being accused as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of aggravated collusion, improper passive bribery, criminal organization and influence peddling.
According to Parliament’s agenda, this session will include the testimonies of several civilian witnesses in the case. Beder Camacho, Salatiel Marrufo, Biberto Castillo and congressmen Hilda Portero and Silvia Monteza have also been called to participate.
Anibal Torres, former president of the Council of Ministers, participated as a witness in the sub-commission of Constitutional Accusations of the Congress on the ‘Los Niños’ case. The former premier assured that he is not aware that the denounced legislators have received any benefit from former president Pedro Castillo.
“The congressmen who have participated, have intervened, have not talked to me, except for some rare exceptions. Time is not enough because we are collecting the concerns of the local authorities, as well as those of the citizens,” he said.
The denunciation filed by Congresswoman Patricia Chirinos highlights that those investigated colluded with Pedro Castillo to benefit with works if they supported him in the event of an eventual vacancy and thus the former president would remain in power.
For his part, PNP Colonel Harvey Colchado remarked that the hypothesis of the Prosecutor’s Office indicates that the congressmen benefited in the Produce ministry, due to the fact that in the vacancy debate against former president Pedro Castillo, the so-called ‘Los Niños’ voted against the initiative, in spite of their party’s position.
According to Harvey Colchado’s version, Congressman Darwin Espinoza was the one who recommended the Minister of Production, Jorge Palomino, to former President Pedro Castillo to occupy the position so that everything would have a single “connection”.
“The congressman at first attacked the Government and the Minister of Production because they had appointed a minister that they had not recommended. The former president Pedro Castillo asked the congressman Darwin Espinoza to give him a month to change the head of the sector and place the one he believes convenient, being appointed Jorge Palomino”, he mentioned.
The member of the Special Team against Corruption of Power made it known in front of the Sub-Commission of Constitutional Accusations that, last September 7, 2021, the congressmen called ‘The Children’ arrived at the Government Palace to hold a meeting with Pedro Castillo; however, he was absent due to the health condition of his youngest daughter.
In addition, it was mentioned that this would not be the first time that these congressmen held meetings with the former president in strict privacy.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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