Putin, Lukashenko discuss migrant stand-off on Poland-Belarus border

AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his ally, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, on Tuesday discussed a migrant stand-off on the border between Poland and Belarus, the Kremlin said.

In a statement, Moscow said the two long-time leaders “exchanged opinions on the situation with refugees” on the border, where a wave of migrants has amassed in recent days.

Western critics have for months accused Lukashenko’s regime of luring migrants from the Middle East to Belarus to send them across the border, in retaliation for European sanctions.

Belarus denies the claim and accuses Poland of violating its humanitarian obligations by refusing to allow the migrants in.

20251101_amnistia_mh_cuotas_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_intereres_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_multas_728x90

20250701_dengue_728x90

20250901_vacunacion_vsr-728x90

20250901_minsal_tetra_-728x90

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Minsk said the pair discussed the “harsh actions of the Polish side towards peaceful people”.

In a statement, Lukashenko’s press office said the pair had “noted a particular concern over the deployment of regular Polish troops to the border”.

It said the leaders — both in power for more than 20 years — discussed events at the border “in detail”.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Kremlin said it was “very carefully watching” the migrant stand-off on the EU’s eastern border.

“It is a real problem that concerns Belarus and Poland. We are, of course, very concerned,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

20251101_amnistia_mh_cuotas_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_intereres_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_multas_728x90

20250701_dengue_728x90

20250901_vacunacion_vsr-728x90

20250901_minsal_tetra_-728x90

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

For weeks, Poland has reported an increasing number of migrants — mostly from the Middle East — attempting to cross its border from Belarus.

The crisis came to a head on Monday when hundreds of migrants marched to the border in a bid to cross, where they were blocked by rows of Polish border guards behind razor wire.

Putin is the primary backer of Lukashenko, increasingly isolated after orchestrating a brutal crackdown on the opposition last year.

Trump says GOP ‘learned a lot’ after democratic election wins

U.S. President Donald Trump said that he and the Republican Party “learned a lot” from the Democratic victories in Tuesday’s state and local elections. He also compared Democrats to “kamikaze pilots” over the ongoing budget standoff.

Speaking at an event with Republican senators on Wednesday, Trump described the results as an unexpected setback.

“These were very Democratic areas, but I don’t think it was good for Republicans. In fact, I don’t think it was good for anyone. But we had an interesting night and we learned a lot,” he said during remarks broadcast by the White House.

Trump agreed with pollsters that two key factors led to Republican losses in New York’s mayoral race and the gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia.

International

Bolivia’s Jeanine Áñez freed after Supreme Court annuls her conviction

Former Bolivian interim president Jeanine Áñez was released from a women’s prison in La Paz on Thursday, where she had spent more than four and a half years for an alleged coup, after her conviction was annulled, AFP journalists confirmed.

Dozens of supporters and family members gathered outside the facility to celebrate her release. Áñez left the prison waving a Bolivian flag around 15:00 GMT.

“It is comforting to see that justice will once again prevail in Bolivia. She was the only woman who took on the role with bravery and courage,” said Lizeth Maure, a 46-year-old nurse who had come to show her support.

Áñez, a 58-year-old lawyer and conservative politician, governed Bolivia for nearly a year until November 2020, when she handed power to leftist leader Luis Arce.

She was arrested in 2021 and sentenced the following year to 10 years in prison for “resolutions contrary to the Constitution,” accused of illegally assuming the presidency after Evo Morales resigned in 2019 amid social unrest.

20251101_amnistia_mh_cuotas_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_intereres_728x90

20251101_amnistia_mh_sin_multas_728x90

20250701_dengue_728x90

20250901_vacunacion_vsr-728x90

20250901_minsal_tetra_-728x90

20250701_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250701_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20250715_donacion_sangre_central_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Her sentence was overturned on Wednesday by the Supreme Court of Justice, Bolivia’s highest judicial authority.

The court ruled that Áñez should have been subjected to a “trial of responsibilities” before Congress— a constitutional process reserved for sitting presidents, vice presidents, ministers, and top judges — rather than prosecuted in an ordinary criminal court.

As she was welcomed by relatives and supporters upon release, Áñez declared:
“I feel the satisfaction of having fulfilled my duty to my country, of never having bowed down. And I will never regret having served Bolivia when it needed me.”

International

Peru declares Mexico’s president Persona Non Grata over political asylum dispute

Peru’s Congress declared Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum persona non grata on Thursday, accusing her of “unacceptable interference in internal affairs” after granting political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez.

The motion, introduced by right-wing parties, passed with 63 votes in favor, 33 against, and two abstentions. Lawmakers argue that Sheinbaum has maintained a hostile stance toward Peru since taking office.

Peru severed diplomatic relations with Mexico on Monday following the asylum decision. Chávez, who is facing charges for her alleged involvement in former President Pedro Castillo’s failed coup attempt in December 2022, remains under protection at the Mexican embassy residence in Lima.

Following the diplomatic break, interim President José Jerí said on X that Mexico’s chargé d’affaires in Peru, Karla Ornela, has been notified by the foreign ministry that she must leave the country within a strict deadline.

The Mexican government condemned Lima’s decision as “excessive and disproportionate,” asserting that offering asylum to Chávez is a legitimate act grounded in international law and does not constitute interference in Peru’s domestic matters.