International
Protesters across Bolivia demand release of key opposition figure
January 11 | By AFP |
Thousands of people marched Tuesday in cities around Bolivia to demand the release of a prominent opponent to President Luis Arce.
Luis Fernando Camacho, the conservative governor of the country’s economic powerhouse region of Santa Cruz, was arrested in late December on terrorism charges, including for an alleged role in the resignation of leftist president Evo Morales in 2019.
TV footage on Tuesday showed that Camacho supporters rallied in La Paz, Santa Cruz, Sucre and four other big cities.
Camacho, 43, leads Bolivia’s second-largest opposition bloc in congress and came in third in presidential elections in October 2020 that were won by President Luis Arce, a Morales protege.
In Santa Cruz, Romulo Calvo, the president of a civil society and business group that convened the protests, said Arce is stifling dissent in Bolivia.
“We are like Venezuela and Nicaragua now, under repression and abuse of power,” Calvo said, alluding to two Latin American countries ruled by leftist governments with spotty records on respecting democratic norms.
Camacho was arrested on December 28 and transferred to La Paz, where a judge quickly ordered him held for four months in pre-trial detention.
He had been under investigation for his role in the strikes and sometimes violent protests in 2019, prompted by Morales’s disputed election to a fourth term.
Morales ultimately resigned under pressure after losing the support of the military.
Camacho has repeatedly denied having fomented a coup against Morales.
In Tuesday’s march in La Paz, anti-government protesters clashed with Arce supporters who threw rocks and firecrackers at them. No injuries were reported.
International
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
A U.S. strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday, according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, marking the latest in a series of attacks in international waters.
The United States has deployed ships to the Caribbean and sent fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a large military force that Washington says is aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known to our intelligence for being involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,” Hegseth stated on X. “Three narcoterrorists were aboard the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters,” he added.
Experts argue that the attacks, which began in early September, amount to extrajudicial executions, even if the targets are known traffickers.
Washington has yet to publicly provide evidence that the targeted individuals were actively smuggling drugs or posed a threat to the United States.
Hegseth said the U.S. would continue “hunting… and killing” suspected traffickers. He also shared video footage of the strike, showing the vessel being hit and engulfed in flames. As in previous videos, sections of the ship were blurred, making it impossible to verify the number of people on board.
The United Nations called on Friday for Washington to halt its attacks.
International
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
At least 23 people were killed and 11 others injured in an explosion at a supermarket in Hermosillo, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, local authorities reported on Saturday.
“So far, there are 23 confirmed deaths and 11 injured, including minors,” said Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo in a video message. He added that the injured are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the city.
“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and assign responsibility where appropriate,” Durazo said.
The explosion occurred at a Waldo’s store in downtown Hermosillo. Local authorities confirmed that the incident was not an attack nor related to any violent act against civilians.
Meanwhile, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on X, offering sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
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
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