International

Colombians mobilize in support of Petro’s government

Photo: El Universal

July 20 |

The Central Unitary Workers’ Union (CUT) of Colombia called for a new march this Thursday in support of the government of President Gustavo Petro, to commemorate Independence Day.

Affiliated unions of the CUT will participate in the demonstration, as well as those that make up the Colombian Federation of Educators (Fecode). Likewise, the Unitary Departmental Command (CUT) of the department of Bolivar announced that it would join the mobilization.

The concentration will take place from 14H00 (local time) at Plaza Bolivar, in Bogota (capital), where the workers’ support to the labor, pension and health reforms to be presented by the Government before Congress during the second semester of this year will be ratified.

Previously, the president of the CUT, Fabio Arias, stated that the central will support the Government of change, “all its progressive social reforms, which attends the clamor and vindication of workers and many sectors of the population, most especially with the health reform, labor and pension reform.”

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“We are summoning the citizens in general and the population, the ordinary people and particularly the workers to be present, in all the regions, the streets, and public squares to support the social reforms”, he added.

Regarding the legislative period that begins this Thursday, Fecode considered that the Congress “will have to make crucial decisions that will determine whether to pave the way for the main reforms promoted by the Government or whether to impose new barriers that would maintain the status quo, as the big economic unions want”.

Similarly, the teachers’ federation added that it will also mobilize to express its rejection of the “school vouchers” project, which, according to the organization, promotes the commercialization of public education and the privatization of teaching.

This is a bill presented to Congress by Senator Paloma Valencia, of the Democratic Center (party of former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, 2002-2010), which promotes that children in vulnerable situations enter private schools and their studies are paid for by the Colombian State.

Valencia alleged that the private education system has a higher educational quality than the public one and that, by enrolling in the latter, minors would be condemned to a poor education, instead of supporting the Government’s decision to allocate a larger budget to education and to create better working conditions for the members of the school community.

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Regarding this proposal, Fecode underlined that “it constitutes a new attempt by the Creole right wing to hand over the public education budget to private individuals, revive clientelism and business at the cost of destroying the public education system and reversing its secular and democratic character”.

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.