International
Evo Morales defends the legality of the MAS congress in the face of the non-attendance of the electoral body
The former president of Bolivia Evo Morales (2006-2019) said this Sunday that the ruling congress of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) that will be held on Monday meets the convening requirements despite the fact that the electoral authority ruled out the supervision of the event.
Morales, who is the leader of the MAS, announced a few days ago that the party meeting for the renewal of the board will take place in the town of Villa Tunari, in the Tropic of Cochabamba and that it will have about 1,300 delegates and at least 20,000 attendees.
Therefore, its sector presented some legal actions to instruct the accompaniment of the electoral body to the event, as happened with the congress that the social organizations related to the Government of Luis Arce or ‘arcists’ that carried out at the beginning of May in El Alto, a neighboring city of La Paz.
At that meeting, the leader Grover García was elected as the new president of the MAS replacing Morales, but that appointment has been rejected by the ‘evista’ wing of that party that recognizes the former ruler as its leader, intends to re-elect him and proclaim him a candidate for the 2025 presidential elections.
The member of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) Tahuichi Tahuichi Quispe declared on the eve that the electoral body “will not attend” the event “because the formal requirements were not met.”
Evo Morales said in his Sunday program on the Coca-Cola station Kawsachun Coca that it was observed that the call to congress has not been “consensued” with the leaders of the social sectors close to the Government and that the former president’s sector rejects.
“They are forcing us to agree with the other leaders without bases. All the Bolivian people know (that they are leaders) based on prebends,” he added.
The former president maintained that even the TSE requested that the call be signed by the 10 members of the directive despite the fact that according to the rules of the MAS it is enough for the president of the organization to make the call.
“The plan that the Government has, like the United States – the empire – and as the right, if it is not to take away the acronym (of the MAS) is to outlaw and disable Evo,” Morales said.
The peasant leader Ponciano Santos said on the eve that the MAS congress in Villa Tunari will be held “yes or yes,” even without the accompaniment of the electoral body.
However, Santos, who accompanied Morales on his radio program this day, nuanced and said that in the absence of the electoral body at the meeting, it could become “a national congress” from which some decisions come out.
“We’re going to have to see each other on the streets face to face,” he said.
The MAS congress promoted by the ‘evista’ block will be held only on Monday at the Villa Tunari stadium in the midst of tensions with President Luis Arce’s ‘arcista’ block.
Arce and Morales have been away since 2021, and last year their differences were deepened by a national party congress in which, in the absence of the president and his loyal sectors, Evo Morales was ratified as leader of the MAS and elected “single candidate” for the 2025 presidential elections.
Arce and Vice President David Choquehuanca were not at that meeting considering that social organizations, the basis of the party, were not represented as they should be.
Tensions increased after the TSE decided to cancel the 2023 congress and instruct a new consensual one to be convened.
Last May, the sectors close to the president held a congress in El Alto, but the electoral authority rejected that meeting because it did not comply with the party’s regulations.
The electoral body stressed that both groups must agree on a new meeting, however, the Evo Morales bloc already had the date to hold the congress for July 10, but it anticipated it to June 10.
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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