International
Lula da Silva says that Bolivia “can’t fall into the trap again” of coups d’état
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said on Tuesday that Bolivia “cannot fall back into the trap” of the coups d’état, in reference to the military uprising that occurred on June 26 at the presidential headquarters in La Paz.
Da Silva is in Bolivian territory as part of a two-day official visit, in which he held meetings with his Bolivian counterpart, Luis Arce, to sign bilateral integration agreements.
“On the eve of celebrating its bicentennial, in 2025, Bolivia cannot fall into this trap again. We cannot tolerate authoritarian dreams or coups d’état,” Lula da Silva said in his official statement, after the signing of several agreements and meeting with Arce, in the eastern city of Santa Cruz.
The ruler of Brazil thanked his Bolivian peer for receiving him in the midst of a situation in which Bolivia demonstrated “its courage in the face of a serious threat,” after the armed uprising more than two weeks ago.
“We have the enormous responsibility to defend democracy in the face of attempts to push it back,” said Lula da Silva.
Military personnel under the command of the ousted Army commander Juan José Zuñiga took the headquarters of the Executive in La Paz for a few hours, on June 26.
After the military had a confrontation with the Bolivian president, he withdreted along with tanks and soldiers. Hours later he was arrested and is currently in pre-trial detention in a prison in the center of the country.
The president of Brazil said that his visit not only means the resumption of a friendship, but also represents “the communion of two countries whose trajectories have important parallels.”
Lula mentioned what happened in his country in 2022, when Brazil celebrated its bicentennial. “Instead of celebrating it, we were invaded by a wave of extremism that ended on January 8 with an attempted coup,” he recalled.
He affirmed that, like Brazil, Bolivian democracy “has prevailed after a long journey dotted with coups d’état and dictatorships.”
“All over the world, the disunity of democratic forces has only served the extreme right,” said the Brazilian president.
With Lula da Silva’s visit to Bolivia, bilateral relations were strengthened with the signing of 10 agreements in different areas such as health, migration, energy, security, mining and agriculture, among others.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
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
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