International
Former Trump advisor Bannon charged with fraud in New York
AFP | by Nicolas Revise and Alex Kent
Donald Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon was charged with fraud Thursday over a scheme that misappropriated millions of dollars donated for the construction of a wall between the United States and Mexico.
Bannon, 68, a far-right ideologue who was closely involved in Trump’s rise to the American presidency, turned himself in earlier in the day to face the charges in New York.
Standing outside the Manhattan prosecutor’s office, he accused the judiciary of “persecuting” him.
Bannon and a nonprofit organization called We Build The Wall were charged with money laundering, conspiracy and fraud over what prosecutors said was a year-long fundraising scheme that netted more than $15 million from donors based on false promises.
“It is a crime to turn a profit by lying to donors, and in New York, you will be held accountable,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as he announced the charges at a news conference.
Federal fraud charges were brought against Bannon in 2020 over the same allegations, but he was pardoned by Trump before he could be brought to trial.
Building a wall along the US-Mexico border was a key campaign promise by Trump in his run for the presidency in 2016.
“There cannot be one set of rules for everyday people and another for the wealthy and powerful — we all must play by the same rules and must obey the law,” said Letitia James, New York’s state attorney general.
“Mr. Bannon took advantage of his donors’ political views to secure millions of dollars which he then misappropriated. Mr. Bannon lied to his donors to enrich himself and his friends.”
‘Never shut me up’
CNN cited Bannon’s lawyer Robert Costello as saying the former advisor would plead not guilty.
Walking handcuffed through the corridor into the courtroom, Bannon vowed that “they will never shut me up.”
“They’ll have to kill me first.”
That mood echoed a statement he released Tuesday, in which he denounced “bogus lawsuits” against him 60 days before the November 8 midterm legislative elections.
He blasted “an armed partisan politicization of the criminal justice system.”
The criminal indictment comes six weeks after Bannon was convicted in a federal court in Washington of obstructing the investigative powers of Congress.
He had refused to cooperate with the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 assault on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters.
Even after leaving the White House in August 2017, Bannon had remained close to Trump, speaking with him the day before the Capitol riot.
Trump is himself at the center of multiple probes, including an investigation in New York into his business practices, legal scrutiny over his efforts to overturn results of the 2020 election, and in connection with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.
The FBI is also investigating Trump’s handling of classified materials, following a raid on his Florida home.
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”
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