International
Displaced by the crime in southern Mexico threaten to boycott the elections
Inhabitants displaced by organized crime in the Sierra de Guerrero, a southern state of Mexico that faces a wave of violence, protested this Thursday to demand security and warned of a boycott in Sunday’s elections.
The group of people from the municipality of Leonardo Bravo was placed with banners at the entrance to the municipal capital, Chichihualco, where they will block the interstate road, if they do not have a solution before the elections.
“We want a solution now, before Sunday, because, if not, there are no votes on Sunday,” said one of the protesters with a half-covered face.
The protesters belong to about 20 communities in the mountains, with between four and six years of having left their villages due to the threats of criminal groups.
In addition, they denounced that the criminal group of Los Tlacos looted or burned their homes, appropriated their land and stole their animals.
The demonstrators asked for help from the federal government and the state of Guerrero to recover his life, so they requested the permanent installation of two Army operations bases in El Carrizal and Filo de Caballos, for which they demanded the intervention of the governor, Evelyn Salgado.
They also demanded a hearing with the municipal president, Saúl Villa Adame, whom they have not seen in the area for a year. They accused him of not attending to them.
Chichihualco is a constant scene of armed clashes for the control of that corridor in Mexico, where at the beginning of the month a group of self-defense from the municipality of Heliodoro Castillo arrived, linked to Los Tlacos, although after protests they left the place.
The protest reflects the exacerbation of violence in the midst of the elections in Guerrero, where this Wednesday Alfredo Cabrera, opposition candidate for the mayor of Coyuca de Benítez, was murdered in the last hours of the campaign, which aroused a condemnation of the Electoral Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS).
The standard-bearer of the National Action Party (PAN), the Institutional Revolutionary (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution (PRD) alliance was shot twice in the head as he came down from the temple where he had offered his closing speech.
In addition, the demonstration takes place in the midst of a national upturn in homicides, which rose by 7.37% in April to 2,622, the deadliest month of the year, in the midst of political violence that has left dozens of political murders.
More than 98 million voters are called to renew more than 20,000 positions, including the presidency, the 128 senators and the 500 deputies.
Eight state governments and the Head of Government of Mexico City and its 16 mayor’s offices will also be renewed.
Likewise, 1,098 local councils, 1,802 municipal presidencies, 1,975 syndicates, 204 councils, 14,560 councils, 22 municipal board presidencies, 88 municipal board councils, 22 municipal board unions and 299 community presidencies.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
International
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
The administration of President Donald Trump is evaluating new immigration guidelines that could deny permanent residency to immigrants based on their political views, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The proposed measures, outlined in internal Department of Homeland Security documents, would instruct immigration officials to take applicants’ public expressions and ideological positions into account when reviewing green card applications.
According to the report, cases involving “possible anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideologies” would need to be referred to higher authorities for additional review.
Even if applicants have not violated any laws, authorities could still reject residency requests if they determine that individuals have “endorsed, promoted, or supported anti-American views.”
Among the factors listed in the guidelines are participation in pro-Palestinian activities, actions considered antisemitic, and the burning of the U.S. flag.
The documents reportedly describe such actions as “heavily negative” factors in immigration evaluations, potentially blocking applicants from obtaining permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
The directives also place particular attention on demonstrations held on university campuses following the 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
However, flag burning has previously been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as a form of protected free speech under the Constitution.
The proposal has sparked criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition.
Its president, Murad Awawdeh, warned that the policies could pose a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
International Project Tackles Gender Violence in Indigenous Communities in Panama
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International2 days ago
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
-
Central America1 day agoU.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
-
International3 days agoMexico Arrests CJNG Leader “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
-
International4 days agoSuspect Armed With Shotgun and Knives Detained at White House Correspondents Dinner
-
International2 days agoTrump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
-
Central America1 day agoInternational Project Tackles Gender Violence in Indigenous Communities in Panama
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala’s President to Hold Private Interviews for Attorney General Candidates