International

Former Peruvian president asks to be released from prison for cancer treatment

November 4 |

Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo requested Friday his release from prison to receive treatment for cancer, in his first intervention in the trial he faces for allegedly having received millions in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

“I ask you please, it has to do with the issue of my health, I ask you to let me defend myself in freedom (…) I have cancer,” pleaded Toledo, 77, his voice cracking as he addressed the court.

Toledo even suggested to be prosecuted “under house arrest” if he does not regain his freedom, according to the hearing broadcast by the Judicial Power channel, to which the press has no access.

The former governor (2001-2006) gave as an example the legal situation of two other former presidents who succeeded him, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Ollanta Humala, who are defending themselves in freedom in other trials derived from the Odebrecht mega-scandal in Peru.

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Toledo remarked that it is “vital” to have access to a clinic to treat cancer. However, he did not specify what type of cancer he suffers from, although he pointed out that for the last 15 years he has been suffering from “serious illnesses” that were treated in the United States.

The former president has been held since April 23 in a small prison for former presidents east of Lima, where he is serving 18 months of preventive detention, after being extradited by the United States. Also in the prison are former presidents Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) and Pedro Castillo (2021-2022).

Toledo began his trial on October 17 for allegedly receiving a bribe of US$35 million. The prosecution has requested 20 years and 6 months in prison for the alleged crimes of collusion and money laundering to the detriment of the State.

According to the indictment, the bribe allowed Odebrecht to win a concession to build a section of the Interoceánica Sur highway between Peru and Brazil.

Toledo denies the charges since in 2016 Brazilian Odebrecht revealed before the US justice system a corruption scheme at regional level to obtain public works.

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The Odebrecht corruption scheme splashed four former Peruvian presidents. In addition to Toledo, prosecutors investigated Alan García (2006-2011), who committed suicide in 2019 before being arrested, Ollanta Humala (2011-2016) and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018).

International

Hypothermia Linked to Most Deaths During New York’s Recent Cold Spell

Hypothermia “played a role” in 13 of the 16 deaths recorded in New York City during the recent period of extreme cold, Mayor Mandami said at a press conference. Three of the deaths were classified as drug overdoses.

None of the individuals were sleeping on the streets at the time of their deaths, the mayor added, noting that some had previously been in contact with emergency shelter services.

Mandami said the city has activated emergency warming centers and deployed a fleet of 20 vehicles staffed with medical personnel to respond to the cold weather crisis.

“As of this morning, we have made more than 930 referrals to shelters and safe facilities. We have also involuntarily transported 18 New Yorkers who were deemed a danger to themselves or others,” he said.

According to official statistics, New York City recorded between nine and 27 cold-related deaths per year from 2005 to 2021. That number rose to 34 in 2021 and climbed further to 54 in 2022.

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City Comptroller Mark Levine estimated that there are “tens of thousands” of homeless New Yorkers, “most of them families with children.”

He said that “nearly 95%” of the city’s homeless population lives in municipal shelters.

In August 2021, those shelters housed 44,586 people, the “lowest daily population in nearly a decade,” according to official data.

However, the shelter population increased from 22,955 to 62,679 people between January 2000 and January 2020, highlighting the long-term growth of homelessness in the city.

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International

NFL Investigating Emails Linking Giants Executive to Jeffrey Epstein

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Monday that the league will “examine all the facts” regarding contacts between New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and Jeffrey Epstein, revealed in documents recently released about the late convicted sex offender.

The batch of files, made public on Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice, includes emails suggesting that Epstein introduced several women to Tisch.

Tisch, a film producer who has never been charged in connection with Epstein, issued a statement last week denying any wrongdoing.

“I had a brief relationship in which we exchanged emails about adult women, and we also discussed film, philanthropy, and investments,” Tisch said of his correspondence with Epstein, which dates back to 2013.

“I did not accept any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all now know, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret having associated with,” he added.

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Speaking at a press conference in San Jose, California, on Monday, Goodell said the NFL would carefully review the details of the ties between Tisch and Epstein.

“We’re going to examine all the facts,” the commissioner said. “We’re going to look at the context of those exchanges, try to understand them, and see how that fits within the league’s policies.”

Tisch, 76, could face disciplinary action under the NFL’s strict personal conduct policy, even if he is not found guilty of a crime.

“We’re going to take this step by step. First, let’s gather all the facts,” Goodell said at the press conference, which was part of the events leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.

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International

Spain Seeks to Ban Social Media Access for Children Under 16

The Spanish government wants to ban access to social media for children under the age of 16 to shield them from a world of “pornography” and “violence,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday in Dubai.

“Spain will ban access to social media for minors under 16,” Sánchez said during a speech at the World Governments Summit, being held in the United Arab Emirates city.

The Spanish leader said social media platforms will be required to implement effective age-verification systems, going beyond simple checkboxes to establish “real barriers that actually work.”

“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone,” Sánchez said, describing an environment of “addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation and violence.”

“We will no longer accept this,” he added.

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The left-wing prime minister also announced plans to change the law so that “platform executives are legally responsible for many of the violations that occur on their websites.”

“This means that the CEOs of these technology platforms will face criminal liability for failing to remove illegal content or material that incites hatred,” Sánchez said.