International
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit the first free town in America, in the Colombian Caribbean
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, visited this Saturday San Basilio de Palenque, which located in the Colombian Caribbean is the first free people in America, where they talked with leaders about cultural identity, structural racism and advances towards historical reparations for slavery.
Accompanied by the Colombian vice president, Francia Márquez, the dukes first visited the Tambores de Cabildo de La Boquilla School in Cartagena de Indias, where they talked with children and young people and were able to play the ancestral drums, as a first step in a day of investment to the most African roots that Colombia has.
“When we look at that sea, we remember our African heritage. (…) In this piece of land we receive the boys and girls to protect them, with the drums we seek to change their lives (…) we invite them to help us take care of them and take care of our territory, which is threatened,” the director of this school, Rafael Ramos, told them upon arrival.
The vice president made them a teacher on this tour, assuring that they were in an “ancestral territory” that was there “since we were kidnapped in Africa,” and claimed a “sustainable, ecological tourism that does not commodify women,” from one of the most touristic points in the country.
From Cartagena, the dukes and the deputy minister moved to San Basilio de Palenque, declared Cultural and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, to preserve the musical, cultural and oral traditions of their people, with African roots, as well as their language, the palenquero.
In a short visit, of just an hour, the cultural exhibitions allowed Prince Harry and Meghan to interact with the Afro communities and they also visited the cultural house and the Benkos Biohó square, which is named after the leader who commanded the Maroon slave rebellion in the 17th century, after which he became king of St. Basil, which is why he was hanged and dismembered in 1621.
“I wanted our guests to know the essence of what we are as a black people, of our spirituality, of our culture. The strength of the women and men of Palenque. That ancestral legacy that Benkhos, Wiwa, our ancestors, left us, which is what has allowed us to say that we can, that we continue to fight for the restoration of our people and our country,” the vice president claimed in the square.
Meanwhile, Meghan assured that they understand the importance of the people and what they represent for Colombia and was grateful to have been able to know it.
And Prince Harry alleged: “what we are seeing here is all that is a community, do not forget the message of the vice president, they are stronger together, they are stronger united as one.”
During their first visit to Colombia, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex toured several schools in Bogotá since Thursday, focused on children and technologies to promote education and the fight against cyberbullying, and tomorrow they will finish their tour in the city of Cali.
International
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
Peru’s interim president, José Jerí, stated Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the post he assumed last Friday, following the removal of former president Dina Boluarte, despite growing unrest over the death of a protester during massive demonstrations in Lima on Wednesday.
“I will not resign,” Jerí declared outside the Government Palace in Lima, where he returned on foot after making a surprise visit to Congress headquarters alongside Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez.
Earlier, after leaving the Legislative Palace, the president acknowledged that the country is going through “difficult times” and condemned what he described as “a small group attempting to impose an agenda different from the citizens’ expression of discontent.”
Jerí expressed condolences for the death of Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year-old man who died during Wednesday’s protest against the government and Congress, amid growing anger over corruption and insecurity.
“We stand in solidarity with his family,” he said, without offering further details about the incident, which has sparked outrage among Peruvians.
The president also described the demonstrations as “a legitimate civic expression” that later turned violent due to “certain groups seeking to provoke chaos by exploiting a peaceful citizen movement.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the rights of both demonstrators and security forces must be protected,” Jerí emphasized, adding that “as a result of that situation, this unfortunate death occurred outside the main area where the protest was taking place.”
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.
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
Nicaragua grants 2,500-hectare mining concession to chinese firm in protected region
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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