International
Peru’s President Boluarte demands answers from prime minister over alleged irregular contract
Peruvian President, Dina Boluarte, has ordered the early return of Prime Minister Alberto Otárola from an official trip to Canada to demand explanations regarding an audio in which he allegedly offered a job to a young woman with whom he apparently had a relationship before she was hired at the Ministry of Defense.
“We have been informed in the Cabinet that the president has ordered the early return of the premier to become aware of the situation and take the necessary actions,” said Minister of Women, Nancy Tolentino, in a press conference.
In the audio, aired on Sunday by the Panorama program, Otárola is purportedly heard speaking very familiarly to a woman identified as Yaziré Pinedo, asking her to send her resume immediately and then inquiring about when he can see her.
Congress members demand the Prime Minister’s resignation
Congress members from various political groups called on Monday for the resignation of Peru’s Prime Minister, Alberto Otárola, after the release of an alleged audio in which he offered a job to a young woman before her hiring at the Ministry of Defense.
The first vice president of Parliament, Arturo Alegría, told local media that “what is appropriate for the peace of mind of Peruvians is to take action.”
“When private matters cross the line and become public actions, decisions must be made,” Alegría said about the apparent familiarity Otárola displayed in the phone conversation with 25-year-old Yazire Pinedo, after previously denying knowing her.
The legislator added that “for that simple lie, there must be a decision” by President Dina Boluarte.
The Prime Minister’s troubles
In turn, legislator Carlos Zeballos, from the Podemos Perú party, said the Prime Minister “must offer his resignation” to Boluarte, as soon as he returns to the country from his trip to Canada to attend a mining convention, because it is a “very serious situation.”
“It involves state funds being used for personal matters,” said the congressman.
Zeballos added that “when an entire cabinet falls, several ministries need to be reshuffled.”
Meanwhile, the progressive bloc of Change Democratic-Together for Peru said on its social media account that “Otárola’s tenure at the PCM (Presidency of the Council of Ministers) is unsustainable.”
They announced that they will present “a motion of interpellation for the premier to answer for the acts of corruption attributed to him” and added that “the cycle of the Fujimori group’s operator and the right in the Government Palace has ended.”
Likewise, independent congressman Carlos Anderson also announced a motion of interpellation against the Prime Minister, “in response to public outrage over the audios” of Otárola.
“Being a ‘sugar daddy’ with state resources. This not only constitutes an ethical violation but also warrants exemplary punishment, if necessary,” he pointed out.
In the audio, aired on Sunday by the Panorama program, Otárola is purportedly heard speaking very familiarly to Pinedo and asking her to send her resume immediately, then inquiring about when he can see her.
Pinedo received two service orders last year for 18,000 and 35,000 soles (about 4,700 or 9,200 dollars) at the Ministry of Defense, a portfolio that Otárola held before becoming Prime Minister.
The Presidency of the Republic rejected in a statement “any action that goes against the interests of the State” and “any possible irregular hiring in exchange for favors.”
It announced that it will wait for Otárola’s return from abroad to “request the pertinent explanations and make the necessary decisions.”
Otárola himself commented on his social media account that “for months they have been trying to spread an audio whose content must be verified.”
He reiterated that in his administration, “there has been and will be no irregular hiring” and that he is not corrupt.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
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U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
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