International
Indigenous-led protests block Ecuador roads to demand fuel price cuts
AFP
Indigenous protesters blocked roads across Ecuador Monday to demand a fuel price cut, in the latest such demonstration amid rising inflation, unemployment and poverty in the oil-producing South American country.
The nationwide demonstration kicked off at midnight and saw roads blocked with burning tires and barricades of sand, rocks and tree branches in at least 10 of Ecuador’s 24 provinces, authorities said, with access to the capital Quito partly cut off.
The protest was called by the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), which is credited with helping topple three presidents between 1997 and 2005.
Indigenous peoples make up over a million of Ecuador’s 17.7 million inhabitants.
“This is our show of strength until the government listens,” 42-year-old Manuel Cocha, one of dozens of protesters blocking part of the Pan-American Highway south of Quito, told AFP.
President Guillermo Lasso warned late Sunday that the government would not allow roads or oil installations to be taken over by protesters.
On Monday, Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo said police and soldiers were deployed to “guarantee public order” and Defense Minister Luis Lara said fuel depots and other strategic installations were “under control.”
– We will go on –
Police commander Fausto Salinas appealed to protesters to stay within the law, saying, “We cannot bring the country to a standstill.”
But Conaie leader Leonidas Iza insisted the demonstrations would continue for as long as was necessary.
The organization wants the fuel price lowered to $1.50 per gallon (about 3.78 liters) for diesel and $2.10 for gasoline.
Fuel prices have risen sharply since 2020, almost doubling for diesel from $1 to $1.90 per gallon and rising from $1.75 to $2.55 for gasoline.
Lasso froze prices at this level last October after a round of protests led by Conaie that saw dozens arrested and several people, including police, injured in clashes.
Lasso’s price freeze failed to assuage simmering anger in a country that exports crude oil but imports much of the fuel it consumes.
Poverty affects more than a quarter of Ecuadorans, according to 2021 data, and only about one in three have “adequate employment,” in a country with a large informal job sector.
The protesters are demanding the government address these issues, as well as price controls on agricultural products that hurt farmers and mining concessions granted in indigenous territories.
Lasso, who took office a year ago, warned on Twitter late Sunday that “we cannot allow political groups that seek to destabilize… to paralyze the country again.”
In 2019, Conaie-led protests resulted in 11 deaths and forced then-president Lenin Moreno to abandon plans to eliminate fuel subsidies — a way for the government to reduce public spending in exchange for loans from the International Monetary Fund.
International
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Seven out of ten Mexicans born into poverty remain poor throughout their lives, highlighting an urgent need for public policies focused on promoting social mobility through equal opportunity, according to civil society organizations.
The 2025 Social Mobility Report in Mexico, published by the Espinosa Yglesias Center for Studies (CEEY), reveals that 73% of individuals born into the bottom 20% of income households in Mexico — Latin America’s second-largest economy — continue to live in poverty based on income.
The report signals a worrisome stagnation in social mobility, defined as the ability of individuals to improve their socioeconomic standing compared to that of their parents. This lack of upward movement indicates that one’s economic origins are largely inherited, according to CEEY.
Geographically, disparities are stark:
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In northern Mexico, 37% of those born in poverty remain there.
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In the south, that number rises dramatically to 64%.
Gender gaps are also evident. Among those born in wealthier households, women experience less upward mobility, with a rate of 47% compared to 53% for men.
The report also notes that 48% of economic inequality in Mexico stems from inequality of opportunity — placing Mexico among the top ten countries with the highest opportunity inequality across 50 nations analyzed globally.
International
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Spain registered a record-breaking temperature of 46°C (114.8°F) on Saturday, June 28, in El Granado, Huelva — a southern town near the Portuguese border — marking the highest temperature ever recorded in June in the country, according to Spain’s national meteorological agency, Aemet.
The temperature was officially recorded at 4:40 p.m. local time, surpassing the previous June record of 45.2°C (113.4°F)set in Seville back in 1965, also in the Andalusia region.
Like many parts of Southern Europe, Spain is experiencing a severe heatwave, with large areas of the country facing temperatures above 40°C even though summer has just begun.
As one of Europe’s countries most vulnerable to climate change, Spain has endured its three hottest years on recordfrom 2022 to 2024, marked by repeated heatwaves and temperature extremes.
Climate scientists have long warned that global warming is amplifying the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts — trends now evident across the Iberian Peninsula and the broader Mediterranean region.
International
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
The Republican administration of Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Monday against Los Angeles officials, challenging the city’s sanctuary policies as illegal amid an intensifying federal immigration crackdown.
The Department of Justice accused the Democratic-led city of interfering with federal immigration enforcement, arguing that its sanctuary policies have contributed to “violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement” recently seen in Los Angeles.
“The sanctuary city policies were the cause of violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in an official statement.
The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, names Mayor Karen Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and the entire City Council as defendants.
While Los Angeles had long been considered a sanctuary city for immigrants, the City Council officially adopted the designation through a municipal ordinance in November last year, following Trump’s election to the presidency.
The legal action seeks to limit local authorities’ cooperation with federal immigration agents under Trump’s policies.
With over one-third of its population being immigrants, Los Angeles has become a flashpoint in the battle against Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, which began with his campaign promise to deport millions.
Tensions in the city escalated earlier this month after an increase in workplace immigration raids, sparking mass protests downtown. The situation further intensified when Trump overrode California Governor Gavin Newsom and ordered the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to the area.
7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
Spain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
Trump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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