International

Mobilizations in rejection of Dina Boluarte in Peru

Photo: EFE

December 8 |

Thousands of people gathered Thursday in the Plaza San Martin in Lima, capital of Peru, in rejection of the government of President-designate Dina Boluarte, on the first anniversary of the beginning of her mandate after the dismissal of the then president, Pedro Castillo.

The demonstrators protested against the government, corruption and the institutional crisis, one day after the release of dictator Alberto Fujimori, who had been sentenced to 25 years in prison, and the suspension of prosecutor Patricia Benavides by the National Board of Justice.

Pedro Castillo’s spokesman, Íber Maraví, reminded in declarations to the news multiplatform teleSUR that this December 7 is the first anniversary of the former president’s illegal detention, allegedly in flagrante delicto, in contravention of what was dictated by the Congress and the Andean country’s Constitution.

“That is why now the people, rejecting and repudiating the real coup d’état carried out by the ultra-right wing to anoint Mrs. Dina Boluarte as president, today the people go out to protest, to demand that once and for all, the Peruvian justice system releases the kidnapped president, Pedro Castillo, and orders his restitution to the presidency of the Republic”, he said.

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Regarding the suspension of Patricia Benavides for six months as Peruvian prosecutor, Maraví pointed out that she is an alleged leader of a criminal group inside the Public Prosecutor’s Office to vote against congressmen, the former prosecutor of the nation Zoraida Ávalos, the current ombudsman or the National Board of Justice.

“This same prosecutor who has been suspended is the one who participated in the preliminary and preventive detention of the kidnapped president, Pedro Castillo. So now we can realize that an alleged leader of a criminal organization also lent herself to the game of the coup d’état of December 7, 2023”, underlined Maraví.

Maraví specified that Dina Boluarte has to resign from her position because she is usurping a function that does not correspond to her, and warned that the country is in a crisis.

“They have just released a man who has been sentenced for homocide. A criminal, such as Mr. Fujimori. However, they have imprisoned a man who has not committed any crime,” he said.

The mobilizations are expected to continue in the coming days. Meanwhile, the families of the victims of the La Cantuta and Barrios Altos massacres, for which Alberto Fujimori is responsible, will offer a press conference tomorrow on the release of the dictator and the measures that will be taken in the following days.

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International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.