International
Three Peru police generals, others arrested in alleged graft plot
| By AFP |
Authorities in Peru arrested three police generals and three other people on Monday for alleged involvement in the corruption case against ousted president Pedro Castillo, the interior ministry said.
A “mega-operation” netted the six who are suspected of involvement of “irregular promotions” in the police force, said a ministry statement.
Three of the six are active police generals suspected of having approved promotions, with Castillo’s alleged blessing, in exchange for money.
The operation involved searches in several cities, including two homes in Lima of former defense minister Walter Ayala, also under investigation, said the ministry.
Both Ayala and Castillo have denied the charges.
A former commander of the army, General Jose Vizcarra, and of the air force, Jorge Chaparro, alleged in November that Castillo’s government had put pressure on them to promote officers who did not qualify.
Castillo was removed from office and arrested on December 7 after trying to dissolve parliament to rule by decree in a failed attempt at a so-called self-coup.
Castillo, who was president for less than a year-and-a-half, now stands accused of rebellion and conspiracy and has been ordered held in pre-trial detention for 18 months.
The ouster of the former rural school teacher and union leader caused protests countrywide, with Peru’s rights ombudsman reporting 22 people killed in clashes and more than 600 injured.
International
Heavy rains leave dozens dead in Hidalgo, Puebla, and Veracruz
The death toll from heavy rains in Mexico has risen to 44 after the government confirmed three additional fatalities on Sunday, as civilian and military rescue teams work to clear roads and reach isolated communities.
The states of Hidalgo, Puebla (central) and Veracruz (east) account for the highest number of victims and material damage, according to a statement from the Federal Ministry of Security.
These regions share a large area of the Sierra Madre Oriental, which has been affected by a tropical system from the Gulf of Mexico, bringing intense rainfall since last Thursday amid an already heavy wet season.
The government stated that it is accelerating relief and recovery efforts in the areas affected by the storms.
On Sunday, the clouds began to clear, allowing rescue teams to intensify efforts to reopen numerous mountain roads, which still leave dozens of small communities cut off.
International
Venezuela launches ‘Independence 200’ defense plan amid U.S. naval presence
Venezuela launched on Saturday the defense plan ‘Independence 200’, mobilizing armed civilians, police, and military personnel in the eastern states of Anzoátegui, Monagas, and Bolívar, joining five other regions activated in recent days. The government cited “various threats” from the United States, which maintains a naval presence in the Caribbean Sea near the South American nation.
The Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, led the event in Monagas, explaining that the plan aims to prepare the population, police forces, and the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) to face the threats confronting the country. Cabello emphasized the need to assess strengths and weaknesses rigorously.
“These exercises are not about hiding in a trench and waiting to see what happens, nor expecting the enemy to tire themselves out. No, the enemy will wear down—but through our permanent harassment, denying them rest, driving them to despair, and appearing everywhere by any means,” he said.
The minister also called for active and prolonged resistance and a permanent offensive, warning that the “imperialist enemy has decided to direct all its weapons against the homeland of Simón Bolívar.”
President Nicolás Maduro confirmed via Telegram that the plan is active in Anzoátegui, Monagas, and Bolívar, describing the area as a vital corridor stretching from the Caribbean to the Orinoco River and the southern border with Brazil. He noted that the Integrated Defense Operational Zones (ZODI) will be activated state by state across the country, following the rollout in Carabobo, La Guaira, Aragua, Falcón, and Zulia.
Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino López stated that the exercises involve 27 tasks, including monitoring U.S. aerial campaigns, ensuring food and hospital reserves, maintaining community radio communications, defending cities and key access points, and patrolling ports.
While the U.S. defends its naval deployment as an operation against alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking, Maduro’s government insists it constitutes a threat aimed at promoting regime change.
International
Peruvian president Jerí leads prison raids to tackle organized crime
Peruvian President José Jerí led a major prison inspection operation on Saturday aimed at fighting extortion and contract killings linked to organized crime, the National Penitentiary Institute (INPE) reported.
Hundreds of inmates were moved from their cells to the yard at the maximum-security Ancón I prison, where President Jerí arrived wearing a white shirt.
“By the president’s order, an extraordinary search has been conducted to combat crime, especially contract killings linked to organized crime,” said INPE chief Iván Paredes to the press.
“President Jerí has been clear: we must fight crime, and on his first day in office, the first thing he did was come here to supervise a prison raid,” Paredes added.
During his inauguration speech, Jerí emphasized that the fight against crime and organized crime is one of the country’s main challenges and called for immediate action.
“The main enemy is outside, on the streets—the criminal gangs, the organized crime groups. They are today our enemies, and as enemies, we must declare war on them,” the president said.
Citizen insecurity led to the removal of former President Dina Boluarte by Congress on Friday.
The operation involved 200 officers and was carried out simultaneously in four prisons, including El Milagro in Trujillo, about 500 km north of Lima, and Challapalca in Tacna, located at 4,600 meters above sea level.
Peru has 68 prisons with an overpopulation of 102,000 inmates, according to INPE.
Fraijanes II prison in Guatemala reports gradual escape of 18th Street gang inmates
Heavy rains leave dozens dead in Hidalgo, Puebla, and Veracruz
Venezuela launches ‘Independence 200’ defense plan amid U.S. naval presence
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 agoTexas court halts execution of Robert Roberson, citing evolving science on Shaken Baby Syndrome
-
International4 days agoFootball world mourns Miguel Ángel Russo as tributes pour in
-
International4 days agoCanada’s Carney backs peace accord, urges Hamas to free all hostages
-
International5 days agoOAS secretary general condemns attack on ecuadorian President Noboa
-
International4 days agoPresident Trump says Ukraine War could be next after Israel-Hamas peace deal
-
International3 days agoMaría Corina Machado calls 2025 Nobel Peace prize a victory for venezuelan people
-
International5 days agoMaduro dismisses reports that Trump halted diplomatic efforts With Venezuela
-
International3 days agoNetanyahu says Trump deserved 2025 Nobel Peace prize
-
International5 days agoEcuador charges 17 military personnel in case of four minors’ forced disappearance
-
International2 days agoPeruvian president Jerí leads prison raids to tackle organized crime
-
International2 days agoVenezuela launches ‘Independence 200’ defense plan amid U.S. naval presence
-
International5 days agoSix mexicans detained in Israel arrive safely back home
-
Central America18 hours agoFraijanes II prison in Guatemala reports gradual escape of 18th Street gang inmates
-
International18 hours agoHeavy rains leave dozens dead in Hidalgo, Puebla, and Veracruz