International
Peru’s Castillo shakes up police leadership after raid of govt headquarters
AFP
Leftist Peruvian President Pedro Castillo replaced the leadership of the country’s national police Saturday, two weeks after anticorruption officials searched government headquarters in search of the leader’s wanted sister-in-law.
During the raid earlier this month, which Castillo has called “illegal,” investigators looked for Yenifer Paredes, who is accused of taking part in a corruption ring which prosecutors allege is run by the president and his wife, Lilia Paredes.
Among others, Castillo is now seeking to dismiss the head of that operation, Harvey Colchado, whom he says violated presidential immunity.
Deputy Internal Order Minister Abel Gamarra Saturday the turnover is a “natural change” as part of regular personnel switch-ups at the Interior Ministry.
“Norms (on appointment requirements) have not been violated,” Gamarra told RPP radio, adding that the “police command is not being crushed.”
Nevertheless, right-wing opposition lawmaker Jorge Montoya, who sits on the Internal Order parliamentary committee, on Twitter called the changes an “indiscriminate abuse of authority” by Castillo.
According to human rights lawyer Carlos Rivera Paz, Castillo “seems to want a police force that accommodates his interests,” which could include obstructing any investigations of which he is a target.
The ordeal is the second scandal Castillo has faced in regards to personnel changes at the top of Peru’s security forces.
In January, he was forced to name a new cabinet head after controversy over promotions in the Peruvian National Police (PNP) and the armed forces.
Those promotions are under investigation by prosecutors, which alleges that Castillo and former secretary of the presidency Bruno Pacheco engaged in influence peddling.
Castillo is currently the subject of an unprecedented six investigations for offenses including organized crime, obstruction of justice and plagiarism, though he carries presidential immunity through the end of his term in July 2026.
And Castillo’s family also faces legal trouble — his daughter risks three years of preliminary detention for her role in the corruption plot, while his wife could be banned from leaving the country.
Castillo, who has faced two impeachment attempts in his 13 months in office and currently has a disapproval rate around 70 percent; he has denied involvement in any crimes and claims he is a victim of a campaign trying to remove him from power.
International
María Corina Machado: “Venezuela is closer than ever to regaining freedom”
Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado declared on Friday that Venezuela is facing “the most decisive moment in its contemporary history” and that the country is “closer than ever to regaining freedom and democracy.”
Her remarks were delivered via video message during the 81st General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Machado emphasized that the situation in Venezuela remains “extremely serious” due to censorship and repression imposed by Nicolás Maduro’s regime, particularly in a global context where “society is built on information.”
She warned that authoritarian governments manipulate public opinion through “psychological warfare” and disinformation, while shutting down media outlets and persecuting journalists.
“The only way to topple these regimes is through the constant, relentless, and unrestricted preaching of the truth. It is absolutely true that the truth will set us free,” she stated.
International
Millions to join “No Kings” march in U.S. amid Trump’s growing authoritarian backlash
Millions of Americans are set to take to the streets this Saturday in more than 2,500 cities across the United States for the second edition of the “No Kings” march, a massive protest organized by progressive groups and activists against what they describe as the authoritarian direction of President Donald Trump’s second administration.
The demonstration, expected to be the largest since Trump’s return to power, comes amid a federal government shutdown, further heightening political tensions in Washington.
From the White House, press secretary Abigail Jackson dismissed the event with a brief “Who cares?”, while senior Republican leaders labeled the march as an act of “hate against America.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson accused Democrats of blocking negotiations to reopen the government and claimed they were “unable to stand up to their raging base.” He also linked the protests to “supporters of Hamas and the Antifa terrorist group.”
President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News, blamed Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer for the legislative deadlock.
“He’s got nothing else left to do. Everyone’s hitting him hard,” Trump said.
The organizers — a coalition of Democratic leaders and more than 200 civil society and labor groups — argue that the Republican refusal to reopen the government is a clear symptom of the authoritarianism they seek to denounce.
The main rally will take place in Washington, D.C., which has been under heightened National Guard surveillance for weeks, officially to control rising crime. However, organizers contend the deployment is aimed at intimidating and silencing dissent.
Protesters have been urged to wear yellow, a reference to the 2019 pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
“With this color, we align ourselves with a historical context and remind the world that power must come from the people, not from crowns,” organizers stated on their website.
In addition to the capital, large marches are scheduled in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, and Honolulu, as well as abroad in London, Paris, Frankfurt, and several Spanish cities — Madrid (Puerta del Sol), Barcelona (Plaça Sant Jaume), Seville (Plaza Nueva), and Málaga (Plaza de la Marina).
During the first edition, held in June, the movement gathered around five million people, a figure organizers expect to surpass this weekend.
International
Petro expresses concern over fatal shooting during mass protests in Lima
Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced his “concern” on Thursday over recent events in Peru, following the death of a protester reportedly shot during a massive demonstration in Lima against the government and Congress.
“I must express my concern over the events in Peru. A young artist has been killed in citizens’ protests,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Colombian leader also noted that in Peru, “a popularly elected president remains imprisoned without conviction,” referring to Pedro Castillo, who led the country from July 2021 to December 2022 until he was removed by Congress following a failed attempted coup.
“This is a blatant violation of the American Convention on Human Rights,” Petro stated, adding, “I hope Peru seeks social and political dialogue to legitimize its public institutions.”
On Wednesday, Peru experienced widespread protests in several cities, with the largest demonstration in Lima in recent years, driven by citizens’ concerns over corruption and public insecurity.
During the capital’s mobilization, the Ombudsman’s Office confirmed the death of Eduardo Ruiz, 32, and reported clashes that left over 100 injured, including 78 police officers and 24 protesters, as well as ten arrests.
The Attorney General’s Office, investigating Ruiz’s death “in the context of serious human rights violations,” confirmed that the protester was shot.
María Corina Machado: “Venezuela is closer than ever to regaining freedom”
Millions to join “No Kings” march in U.S. amid Trump’s growing authoritarian backlash
Environmental groups denounce Nicaragua’s mining deals as ‘ecocide’ in protected areas
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
-
International4 days agoMexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
-
International4 days agoNew road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
-
International5 days agoSheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
-
International5 days agoArmed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
-
International14 hours agoMaría Corina Machado: “Venezuela is closer than ever to regaining freedom”
-
International2 days agoPetro expresses concern over fatal shooting during mass protests in Lima
-
International15 hours agoMillions to join “No Kings” march in U.S. amid Trump’s growing authoritarian backlash
-
Central America2 days agoNicaragua grants 2,500-hectare mining concession to chinese firm in protected region
-
International2 days agoPeru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
-
International5 days agoVenezuelan media faces fresh restrictions after reporting on opposition leader’s Nobel win
-
Central America2 days agoPanama’s president accuses U.S. Embassy official of visa threats amid China tensions
-
Central America1 day agoEnvironmental groups denounce Nicaragua’s mining deals as ‘ecocide’ in protected areas
-
International5 days agoCaracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win