International
Bolivia president vows to punish ‘coup’ accused
AFP
Bolivia President Luis Arce vowed in a lively parliamentary session Friday to work tirelessly to punish those accused by the government of an alleged coup in 2019, when former leader Evo Morales lost power.
“We won’t cease… to demand the processing and punishment of those responsible for the coup d’etat,” said Arce during an event to mark the founding of Bolivia on August 6, 1825.
He also claimed there were “international accomplices.”
Leftist Morales resigned as president in November 2019 after weeks of protests against his re-election to an unconstitutional fourth term.
The then-leader of the Movement for Socialism party that has dominated Bolivian politics for more than 15 years, quit after losing the support of the military following an Organization of American States (OAS) audit that found clear evidence of fraud in his re-election.
Conservative Jeanine Anez assumed the interim presidency, as she was the highest ranking government official not to have resigned.
She retained that role until new elections, which had been twice postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, were organized a year later.
– ‘Illegitimate and violent acts’ –
Those who provoked the fall of Morales, “must respond to the courts for the illegal, illegitimate and violent acts perpetrated against the people, democracy and the political constitution of the state,” said Arce, who also represents MAS.
He was referring to clashes between MAS supporters and security forces following the resignation of Morales.
Thirty-five people have died in total in clashes between MAS supporters and opponents following the 2019 election.
Centrist former president Carlos Mesa hit out at Arce on social media for pandering to Morales “and his obsession to seek power at any cost.”
In February, the MAS-dominated congress gave political amnesty to those prosecuted for acts of violence in the chaos that followed the election.
Anez and several of her interim ministers, as well as ex-military and police chiefs, have been detained since March, as the government seeks to have them prosecuted for the alleged coup.
Just before her arrest, Anez tweeted: “The political persecution has begun.”
The government claims regional right-wing allies of Anez, such as Ecuador’s then-president Lenin Moreno (2017-2021) and Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) of Argentina, had sent weapons to Bolivia.
They also claim the European Union, Catholic Church and former Bolivian presidents Mesa (2003-2005) and conservative Jorge Quiroga (2001-2002) were part of a conspiracy to oust Morales and replace him with Anez.
The EU has rejected the accusation.
Anez, a former senator, only took power because the vice-president and presidents of both houses of congress — all MAS party members — had also resigned.
The parliamentary session on Friday was interrupted several times by rival politicians shouting at each other.
The day before had seen fresh clashes between government supporters and opponents in La Paz.
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
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala arrests first escaped gang member after Barrio 18 prison break
-
International3 days agoMexico reports 64 dead, 65 missing after devastating central region floods
-
International3 days agoVenezuela calls for continued global pressure to secure ‘just peace’ for Palestine
-
International3 days agoPope Leo XIV to skip COP30 in Brazil but plans future visit, Lula confirms
-
Central America4 days agoFraijanes II prison in Guatemala reports gradual escape of 18th Street gang inmates
-
International2 days agoSheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
-
International4 days agoHeavy rains leave dozens dead in Hidalgo, Puebla, and Veracruz
-
International2 days agoArmed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
-
International2 days agoVenezuelan media faces fresh restrictions after reporting on opposition leader’s Nobel win
-
International1 day agoMexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
-
International1 day agoNew road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
-
International2 days agoCaracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win