International
Maximum security prison riot leaves three injured in Brazil
July 27 |
Two prisoners and a security agent injured is the preliminary balance of a riot that broke out on Wednesday in the Antonio Amaro prison, located in the city of Rio Branco, capital of the Brazilian state of Acre, and it is not yet known if the police have the situation under control.
According to authorities, the riot began in the morning hours when a group of approximately 13 inmates took two policemen hostage in the isolation ward of the prison, one of them injured by a bullet grazing his face, detailed the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
The Secretariat of Justice and Public Security of Acre (Sejusp) reported that “two prisoners were injured during an internal confrontation between members of rival criminal organizations and were taken to a nearby medical center”. One of them was later released.
After being notified of the state of rebellion in the prison, the National Secretariat of Criminal Policies (Senappen) created a contingency team to manage the situation in the prison, in whose outskirts were grouped family members who came to the visiting day that was suspended by the situation.
Senappen summoned intelligence operators who are closely following the events in order to reinforce actions to control the situation and guarantee the safety of those involved, according to an official statement. The crisis cabinet is also formed by representatives of the military and criminal police, the Gefron and the Bope.
Although the authorities have not informed about the state of the injured, the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, put his team “at disposal to help in any way possible”. For his part, Rafael Velasco, Secretary of Penal Policies, emphasized that “all necessary measures are being taken to reestablish order”.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Acre assured in a statement that it will investigate “the circumstances that led to this episode of violence”, especially after the accused requested the presence of the human rights prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Acre, Tales Tranin, who was acting as negotiator.
According to data released by Senappen, violent prison riots are very frequent in overcrowded prisons, such as those in Brazil, whose penitentiary system has a considerable shortage of places. As of December 2022, the South American giant had a prison population of 643,137 convicts.
International
Colombia slams Ecuador’s 30% tariff as ‘economic aggression’
Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma, on Wednesday described as an “economic aggression” the 30% “security fee” imposed by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on imports from Colombia.
“We reject the tariff measure imposed by Ecuador, an economic aggression that breaks the principle of regional integration,” Palma said in a post on X.
President Noboa explained that the decision was taken due to what he described as a “lack of reciprocity and firm actions” by Colombia in the fight against drug trafficking. He added that despite Ecuador having made “real efforts of cooperation,” including maintaining a trade deficit exceeding $1 billion annually, the country’s armed forces continue to face drug-linked criminal groups along the border without any cooperation.
For that reason, Noboa stated that the measure will remain in place “until there is a real commitment” from Colombia to jointly confront drug trafficking and illegal mining along the 586-kilometer shared border, with the same level of determination Ecuador is currently applying.
According to official data, Ecuador seized 214.5 metric tons of drugs in 2025, down from the record 294.6 tons confiscated in 2024.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on January 7 that during his administration, which began on August 7, 2022 and ends this year, drug seizures have increased significantly, adding that total confiscations are expected to exceed 3,500 tons by the time he leaves office.
International
José Jerí claims destabilization attempt after videos of secretive meetings surface
Peru’s interim president, right-wing leader José Jerí, on Wednesday denounced an alleged plot against him and warned of a deliberate attempt to destabilize the country, following the release of a series of videos showing semi-clandestine meetings with a Chinese businessman, as well as visits to the Government Palace by another businessman of the same nationality who is under house arrest.
“I also want to know who is behind this entire plot. I am an objective and impartial president who does not give in to pressure, but someone has found a way to do so. I want to know who is behind it and what their real objective is,” Jerí said while appearing before Congress’ Oversight and Comptroller Commission.
The interim president, who recently marked 100 days in office after replacing former president Dina Boluarte (2022–2025) in his role as head of Congress, insisted that he has never lied to the country. Without directly accusing any individual or group, he argued that routine activities—such as visiting a restaurant or a shop—are being portrayed with a “malicious” intent.
So far, reports indicate that on December 26, close to midnight, Jerí visited a chifa restaurant—a Peruvian-Chinese eatery—owned by Chinese businessman and state contractor Zhihua “Johnny” Yang, accompanied by Interior Minister Vicente Tiburcio, and wearing a hood. On January 6, he also visited a shop belonging to the same businessman, which had been shut down by municipal authorities just hours earlier.
The revelations have fueled political controversy and renewed scrutiny of the interim administration’s actions amid Peru’s ongoing political instability.
International
Mexican influencer “La Nicholette” kidnapped in exclusive area of Culiacán
The content creator known as “La Nicholette,” also referred to as “La Muchacha del Salado,” was kidnapped Tuesday afternoon in Isla Musalá, one of the most exclusive residential areas of Culiacán, capital of the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa, according to local media reports on Wednesday.
The abduction was captured by the security camera of the young woman’s vehicle, a lilac-colored Tesla Cybertruck, which was later found abandoned at the scene.
Video footage circulating on social media shows a masked man carrying a long firearm preventing the influencer from entering her vehicle, while another individual forces her into a white sedan, reportedly an older-model Toyota Corolla.
According to media reports, the incident occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. local time (2300 GMT) at the intersection of Tachichilte Avenue and San Esteban Street, within the Musalá residential area.
Authorities have not yet released official details regarding the victim’s whereabouts or the motives behind the kidnapping.
Colombia slams Ecuador’s 30% tariff as ‘economic aggression’
José Jerí claims destabilization attempt after videos of secretive meetings surface
Mexican influencer “La Nicholette” kidnapped in exclusive area of Culiacán
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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