International

Demonstrations return in Peru to demand Boluarte’s resignation

Photo: Infobae

June 15 |

Some 300 Peruvians marched Wednesday in Lima to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and members of Congress, in a resumption of widespread protests from December to February that began in the Andes and left more than 60 dead.

The demonstrators moved peacefully through the streets of the capital’s historic center, where anti-government marches were banned in February by order of Mayor Rafael Lopez-Aliaga, an ultra-conservative and ally of the president.

Although the protests in the capital had calmed down, in the southern region of Puno, bordering Bolivia, marches have been recurrent.

A week ago, on local flag day, rural Peruvians marched with black and white flags to mourn the shooting deaths of 18 civilians in confrontations with police in early January.

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Shirley Muñoz, a 51-year-old cosmetics saleswoman, waved a Peruvian flag alongside riot police on Wednesday. “If she is a mother, if she is a woman, let her think about the young people who have died and let her resign so she can be at peace with her conscience,” the woman said in reference to President Boluarte.

Angie Quispe, a 31-year-old domestic worker, was marching with her seven-month-old son Liam to demand the resignation of the president, but also to ask for an improvement in her salary. “Since Dina’s government began, there has been no improvement for workers,” she said.

The proposals to bring forward the presidential and parliamentary elections, which were debated at the beginning of the year in the midst of protests, do not seem to interest the Congress, which has sent to the file five plans that sought to shorten the mandate of Boluarte and the 130 legislators.

Both the unicameral Parliament and the president maintain high unpopularity ratings, according to all polls. The firm Ipsos Peru revealed a recent national poll in June where 81% of Peruvians reject the work of the Parliament, while 77% disapprove of the President’s administration.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations agreed in May that security forces used excessive force in repressing anti-government demonstrations that began after then President Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Parliament on December 7 to avoid being removed from office.

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Hours later, on the afternoon of December 7, Congress removed Castillo for moral incapacity. He was succeeded by Dina Boluarte, who was vice president.

Demonstrations against his administration began in the southern Andes, where much of the country’s mining and tourist wealth is concentrated, and in areas with strong identification with Castillo, now in preventive prison for three years while he is tried for alleged crimes of rebellion and corruption.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.