International
High-profile murder trial shines light on Argentine discrimination
January 28 | By AFP | Philippe Bernes-Lasserre |
The shocking story of a teenager beaten to death by eight young rugby players has opened old wounds and shed light on class, race and gender discrimination in Argentine society.
Eight friends, now age 21 to 23, are facing life in prison if convicted of the premeditated murder of Fernando Baez three years ago in a popular seaside resort.
The trial is under way in Dolores, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Buenos Aires, and has gripped the nation, as did the original murder that sparked protests in several cities.
In the early hours of January 18, 2020, a fight broke out in a nightclub in Villa Gesell, a resort city popular with young people.
After those involved were evicted from the club, their quarrel continued in the street, but Baez, then 18, became isolated from his friends and surrounded by the eight defendants, who beat him so severely that he died of his injuries.
The trial opened three weeks ago but precious little light has been shone on who did what that night.
Some defendants have even denied hitting Baez.
The matter of who, or what, exactly was responsible for Baez’s death has inflamed social media debates.
“The question of class plays an important role in this case,” said sociologist Guillermo Levy, a professor at the universities of Buenos Aires and Avellaneda.
“Most of the rugby players are from rich, rural families.”
Some have pointed the finger at rugby itself, and the culture that surrounds it.
“It’s true that it is a cocktail of violence, racism, machismo, alcohol, etc. But I’m going to add the component of rugby training,” Facundo Sassone, a sociologist at the University of San Martin who is also a junior rugby coach, told AFP.
He said the “herd” mentality nurtured within a team environment had a role to play.
‘Why did rugby values fail?’
For all its positive publicity as a sport where respect and camaraderie are integral, rugby has a dark side in which gratuitous violence, and sometimes deeply inappropriate pranks, are commonplace and unquestioned.
“If we… say that it is a sport of values and friendship, why did it fail?” asked Sassone.
“Some issues can be misunderstood by rugby players and can generate situations of violence away from the pitch.”
Some former professional players have spoken out on the matter.
Former Argentina captain Agustin Pichot was one of the people to hit out at his sport after meeting Baez’s family in 2021.
He said rugby had “normalized bad things” by failing “to differentiate good from bad” in some of the practices that have developed within and around the sport.
Rugby by no means has a monopoly on violence — barely a year goes by without a death related to clashes between rival football fans, while drink-fueled fights outside nightclubs are commonplace.
It is a minority sport in Argentina, whose popularity pales compared with football.
But it stands out because it is traditionally played and watched by a wealthy elite.
And that is why this case has captured the public’s imagination in a way that violence between poor people would not, said sociologist and writer Alejandro Seselovsky.
The wealthy white “who kills, that’s like ‘a man bit a dog’, it’s newsworthy,” said Seselovsky.
‘Society needs to reflect’
The racial aspect of this murder is also forcing Argentine society to confront an awkward truth it would rather brush under the carpet.
According to witnesses, the defendants called Baez — whose parents, a bricklayer and a caregiver, are both Paraguayan immigrants — a “shitty black” while beating him.
“You cannot escape the reference to Fernando’s blackness in the assault,” sociologist Sebastian Bruno, an immigration specialist, told AFP.
The “racism and classism” is obvious, said Bruno, although Levy points out that it “doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have attacked him if he weren’t” Paraguayan.
In a country where the majority of the population is descended from white Europeans, mostly from Spain, Italy or Germany, the term “black” has been widely used to describe indigenous people or migrants from neighboring countries viewed as inferior, said Bruno.
“We need to reflect on the society that produced this,” said Levy.
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.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
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 agoJamaica faces widespread destruction as hurricane Melissa hits the island
-
International5 days agoColombian president Gustavo Petro denies alleged ties to criminal networks
-
International3 days agoMelissa leaves path of destruction in Caribbean, 735,000 evacuated in Cuba
-
International1 day agoHurricane Melissa kills over 30, leaves thousands displaced in the Caribbean
-
International5 days agoMexican journalist reporting on drug cartels killed in Durango
-
Central America4 days agoNew dismembered bodies found in San Juan river days after mass killing in Palencia
-
Central America4 days agoFour guatemalan soldiers arrested for stealing weapons from Northern Air Command
-
International2 days agoHurricane Melissa leaves Jamaican residents homeless as recovery efforts begin
-
Central America4 days agoArévalo accuses Porras and judge of undermining democracy in Guatemala
-
Central America5 days agoEl Salvador cracks down on narcotics: 24 tons confiscated in major anti-drug operation
-
International3 days agoArgentina’s Milei opens dialogue with parties to push “Second-Generation Reforms”
-
International2 days agoUS Deputy Secretary criticizes Mexico’s call to end Cuba trade embargo at UN
-
Central America5 days agoEl Salvador’s FGR prosecutes 89,875 gang members under state of exception
-
International2 days agoVenezuela warns citizens who call for invasion risk losing nationality
-
International2 days agoTrump orders immediate U.S. nuclear testing, ending 30-year moratorium
-
International1 day agoU.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
-
International2 days agoBrazilian president defends coordinated anti-drug operations after deadly Rio raid
-
International1 day agoTrump sets historic low refugee cap at 7,500, prioritizes white South Africans
-
International2 days agoMexico advances continental shelf claims at UN Commission in New York
-
International1 day agoU.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
-
International2 days agoSimeón Pérez Marroquín, ‘El Viejo,’ detained for role in Miguel Uribe Turbay assassination plot
-
International1 day ago
UNICEF: Over 700,000 children affected by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean
-
International1 day agoPope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
-
International5 hours agoFloods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
-
International5 hours agoFBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens