International
Peru closes Machu Picchu as protesters arrested in Lima
January 22 | By AFP |
Peru closed the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu Saturday amid steady anti-government protests, stranding hundreds of tourists for hours, as authorities expelled protesters from a Lima university where they have been holed up as part of the crisis engulfing this divided country.
Protests demanding the resignation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte have been ongoing since early December, leaving 46 people dead and prompting the government to impose a state of emergency in violence-hit areas.
This crisis triggered by the ouster of leftist Indigenous president Pedro Castillo last month stems largely from a gaping inequity between Peru’s urban elite and poor rural Indigenous people in the Andean region who saw him as one of their own and working to make their lives better.
Authorities announced Saturday yet another protester had died following demonstrations Friday in the town of Ilave in that Andean region in the south.
Video footage from Ilave that went viral on social media shows police shooting right at a crowd of Indigenous demonstrators in the town square. Enraged protesters responded by setting fire to a police station, local media reported.
Clashes between police and the crowd in that town near Lake Titicaca and the border with Bolivia left 10 people injured, hospital officials said.
Prior to the closing of Machu Picchu, rail services to the site had already been suspended due to damage to the track by demonstrators. The only way to get up to the popular tourist site is by train.
At least 400 people, including 300 foreigners, were stranded at the foot of the site, in the town of Aguas Calientes, and pleading to be evacuated.
Rescue teams later evacuated 418 tourists, the Tourism Ministry said in a Twitter post accompanied by pictures of a train and seated travelers.
“The closure of the Inca trails network and the Machu Picchu citadel has been ordered due to the social situation and to preserve the safety of visitors,” the Ministry of Culture said in a Saturday statement.
Tourism is vital for Peru’s economy, representing between three to four percent of the country’s GDP.
‘I’m worried’
In Lima, where two days of mass mobilization by demonstrators from the country’s poor Andean region had seemingly concluded, the situation Saturday remained tense.
As night fell hundreds more protesters gathered in the city, mainly around the Congress building.
During the day security forces used an armored vehicle to breach the gate of the University of San Marcos in the city’s downtown, in an attempt to expel protesters who have been sleeping there.
A large contingent of police searched occupants, sometimes forcing them to lie on the ground, AFP journalists observed.
Interior Minister Vicente Romero Canal N television that police intervened after university authorities said some of the squatters were committing crimes. He did not specify what these were.
Around 200 people were arrested, said Alfonso Barrenechea, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office.
Protesters are trying to keep up pressure on the Peruvian government, defying a state of emergency that now covers almost one-third of the country.
The European Union on Saturday condemned the chaos and the “very large number of casualties,” calling for a peaceful political solution in Peru.
The protests were sparked when former president Castillo, a rural schoolteacher, was removed from office and arrested on December 7 after attempting to dissolve the country’s legislature and rule by decree, amid multiple corruption investigations.
Among the 46 dead since the protests began, 45 were protesters and one was a police officer.
International
20th Festival Salvadoreñísimo brings together thousands of salvadorans in Houston
Parades, baton twirlers, and a mix of Salvadoran and international music set the tone for the 20th edition of the Festival Salvadoreñísimo, held in Houston, Texas, with Tony Villatoro once again leading the organization.
This year, the highly anticipated event moved to a new venue: The Crown Festival Park in Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, within the “space city.” Despite the scorching sun of the open-air setting, spirits remained high, and a brief drizzle later brought relief and renewed energy to the celebration.
More than 5,000 Salvadorans gathered at the park, joining with Guatemalans, Hondurans, and even Mexicans to commemorate 204 years of independence for El Salvador and Central America. The festival was marked by a family-friendly atmosphere, where traditional foods such as pupusas, panes con gallina, pastelitos, and horchata could not be missed.
“Twenty years with this festival, and I am very grateful to the Salvadoran community that always shows up. Thanks to them, the sponsors, and to Diario El Salvador for supporting us since the beginning,” said Tony Villatoro, as more compatriots continued arriving to the celebration.
“I am satisfied. I didn’t expect this level of attendance, especially since we were trying a new outdoor venue with some challenges, but we made it through successfully,” Villatoro added.
The Festival Salvadoreñísimo, now a two-decade-long tradition, once again took place as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time when independence festivities run from mid-September through October.
International
El Salvador unveils 2025-2029 National Reintegration Plan for returned migrants
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched the National Reintegration Plan for Returned Salvadorans 2025-2029, a strategy designed to create greater opportunities, ensure access to quality services, and provide a favorable environment for Salvadorans returning to their home country to rebuild their lives.
The initiative is supported by the United Nations Network on Migration, coordinated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), financed by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), and backed by the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Migration Unit.
During the presentation, Vice Minister of Diaspora and Human Mobility Cindy Mariella Portal emphasized that migrants often face multiple challenges upon returning to their communities.
“That is why we are implementing actions that generate real and sustainable opportunities for these individuals,” she stated.
International
Authorities capture CJNG financial chief in international airport operation
A man identified as the main financial operator of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was arrested Thursday at Mexico City’s international airport, authorities reported.
The individual, named by Mexican media as Óscar Antonio Álvarez, was apprehended during an operation involving the army, navy, National Guard, police, and the attorney general’s office, according to a joint statement.
Álvarez is considered the primary financial operator of a criminal group originating in Jalisco, and the capture took place at Benito Juárez Airport as he arrived on a flight from Barcelona, Spain.
Authorities stated that Álvarez faces charges of organized crime and money laundering, specifically for receiving and transferring illicit funds. His work with the CJNG reportedly included purchasing properties and managing businesses in the tequila and livestock sectors.
According to El Universal, Álvarez was directly under the command of Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho”, the cartel’s top leader, for whom the U.S. offers a $15 million reward.
The CJNG, which operates throughout Mexico and in various parts of the world, was designated earlier this year as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the U.S. government.
Álvarez was handed over to the federal public prosecutor to determine his legal situation, the report added.
20th Festival Salvadoreñísimo brings together thousands of salvadorans in Houston
El Salvador unveils 2025-2029 National Reintegration Plan for returned migrants
22-Year-Old Suspect Arrested After 33-Hour Manhunt in Small Western U.S. Town
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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