International

1 dead, 17 hurt in Chile as police clash with indigenous protesters

AFP

One person died and 17 others were injured Sunday as riot police clashed with protesters in the Chilean capital during a rally by the indigenous Mapuche community.

About a thousand activists — many wearing ponchos and traditional headbands, and playing ceremonial drums — marched near Plaza Italia in the center of Santiago, demanding autonomy for the Mapuche.

When police moved in to disperse the protest with water cannon and tear gas, protesters responded with sticks and stones in a confrontation that lasted about 40 minutes, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.

“A hooded group constantly attacked the police with fireworks”, said Enrique Monras Alvarez, chief of the police of the metropolitan area.

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“One of (the fireworks) hit one of the protesters, who was with the police.”

Police bodycam footage showed Denisse Cortes, a lawyer with the Ombudsman’s Office, had walked over to speak to the officers when the missile struck.

The 43-year-old was rushed to hospital, where she was operated on.

“Unfortunately, the patient died during the intervention in the afternoon,” said a hospital statement.

The Prosecutor’s Office had opened an investigation into “this disproportionate violence,” said Rodrigo Delgado, minister of the interior.

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Chilean police said in a statement that 17 police officers were also hurt in the clashes.

A total of 10 people were arrested.

The Chilean state has long been accused of discrimination against the Mapuche people, the country’s largest indigenous group, who centuries ago controlled vast areas of Chile but have since been marginalized.

Considered the earliest inhabitants of parts of Chile, the Mapuche fought against the Spanish conquerors and later the Chilean army after the country’s independence in the 19th century.

Their numbers were reduced to only 700,000, a fraction of Chile’s current population of 17 million.

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International

Former South Korean President Yoon sentenced to five years in prison

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for obstruction of justice and other charges, concluding the first in a series of trials stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.

The sentence is shorter than the 10-year prison term sought by prosecutors against the 65-year-old conservative former leader, whose move against Parliament triggered a major political crisis that ultimately led to his removal from office.

Yoon, a former prosecutor, is still facing seven additional trials. One of them, on charges of insurrection, could potentially result in the death penalty.

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on one of the multiple secondary cases linked to the affair, which plunged the country into months of mass protests and political instability.

International

U.S. deportation flight returns venezuelans to Caracas after Maduro’s ouster

A new flight carrying 231 Venezuelans deported from the United States arrived on Friday at the airport serving Caracas, marking the first such arrival since the military operation that ousted and captured President Nicolás Maduro.

On January 3, U.S. forces bombed the Venezuelan capital during an incursion in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. Both are now facing narcotrafficking charges in New York.

This was the first U.S.-flagged aircraft transporting migrants to land in Venezuela since the military action ordered by President Donald Trump, who has stated that he is now in charge of the country.

The aircraft departed from Phoenix, Arizona, and landed at Maiquetía International Airport, which serves the Venezuelan capital, at around 10:30 a.m. local time (14:30 GMT), according to AFP reporters on the ground.

The deportees arrived in Venezuela under a repatriation program that remained in place even during the height of the crisis between the two countries, when Maduro was still in power. U.S. planes carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued to arrive throughout last year, despite the military deployment ordered by Trump.

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International

Sheinbaum highlights anti-drug gains after U.S. says challenges remain

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday highlighted her government’s achievements in the fight against drug trafficking, after the United States said challenges remain in combating organized crime.

On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following the meeting, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that “despite progress, challenges still exist” in addressing organized crime.

“There are very strong results from joint cooperation and from the work Mexico is doing: first, a 50% reduction in fentanyl seizures at the U.S. border,” Sheinbaum said during her regular morning press conference.

The president also said that authorities have seized nearly 320 tons of drugs and that there has been a “40% decrease in intentional homicides in Mexico” since the start of her administration on October 1, 2024.

Sheinbaum added that the United States should implement campaigns to reduce drug consumption within its territory and curb the flow of weapons into Mexico.

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“There are many results and there will be more, but there must be mutual respect and shared responsibility, as well as respect for our sovereignties,” she said.

On Monday, Sheinbaum held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss security issues. She said she once again ruled out the presence of U.S. troops in Mexico to fight drug cartels.

Security has been a recurring issue used by Trump to threaten tariffs on Mexico and to pressure negotiations over the USMCA (T-MEC) free trade agreement, which are scheduled for 2026.

The agreement is crucial for Mexico’s economy, as about 80% of the country’s exports are destined for the United States.