International
Morales affirms that there will be “a seizure” in Bolivia if he is disqualified in the 2025 elections
The former president of Bolivia Evo Morales (2006-2019) said in an interview with EFE that there will be a “convulsion” in the country if his presidential candidacy for the 2025 elections is disqualified and blamed the Government of Luis Arce, with whom he has a fight despite belonging to the same party.
“If Evo is disabled, there will be a seizure. If you want that, well, that will be the responsibility of the Government (…) that’s my calculation, I’m sincere,” warned the also leader of the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS).
Morales considered that “this kind of struggle is only won with mass action,” and said that he heard that various sectors anticipate “difficulties” in case his presidential candidacy is annulled.
At the end of last year, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling in which it mentions that indefinite re-election “is not a human right” and that it is only applied for once in a continuous or discontinuous way.
According to Morales, this must be understood as “an insinuation of a possible disqualification of his candidacy.”
The three-time president of Bolivia insisted that he is “legally and constitutionally authorized” to be a candidate, according to the consultations he himself made to “national and international experts.”
The ruling Movement for Socialism turns 29 years old and it is the first time that there are two separate celebrations.
In the city of La Paz, headquarters of the Government and the Legislative, the ‘arcist’ block celebrates, which supports President Luis Arce, while this Saturday will be the turn of the ‘evista’ wing, related to Evo Morales, in the town of Yapacaní, in the department of Santa Cruz.
Last year Morales and Arce coincided on the anniversary of the party in the Tropic of Cochabamba, the political bastion of the former president, in which there was friction among the militants of the MAS.
In that event, Evo Morales questioned the management of the one who was his Minister of Economy during his government, while Arce urged the MAS not to be afraid of the “pluralism” of ideas.
Morales pointed out that Arce “made a big mistake” by pointing out that “we should not be afraid of the pluralism of ideas” since, in his opinion, that marks an “ideological difference” with the ‘arcist’ sector, since the MAS is traditionally “anti-imperialist.”
The former president also questioned that the Arce Administration has not fulfilled two of the main mandates he received when he arrived at the Government in 2020, such as “prosecusing and imprisoning the coup plotters and genocide” for the 2019 crisis and “recovering the country’s economy”.
Morales resigned from the Presidency in 2019 after considering that he was the victim of a “coup d’état” after the frustrated elections of that year, between complaints from the opposition of an electoral fraud in his favor for a fourth consecutive term.
On November 12, 2019, Jeanine Áñez assumed the interim command of the country as the second vice president of the Senate, two days after the resignation of Evo Morales and all the officials in the presidential succession line.
“I thought that if (I) would return (to be president of Bolivia) it would be to do justice (…) because I have been given a (state) coup,” he said.
To the division for the anniversary of the MAS is added the struggle for the legality of the MAS congress, which was held last year in the Cochabamba region, and in which Morales was proclaimed as the “single candidate” for the 2025 presidential elections.
The ruling sectors related to Arce called for another congress, which will be held in May, after the electoral authority determined that a new meeting should be held.
Morales insisted that the congress that re-elected him as the top leader of the MAS met all the requirements and that the electoral body acted with “illegality,” while the call of the “arcists” is made by those who “are not militants” in that party.
The former president ratified that the MAS “is united at the level of the bases” and that a few leaders decided to demarcate themselves in exchange for alleged “bribes” offered to them by the Government.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
International
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
The administration of President Donald Trump is evaluating new immigration guidelines that could deny permanent residency to immigrants based on their political views, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The proposed measures, outlined in internal Department of Homeland Security documents, would instruct immigration officials to take applicants’ public expressions and ideological positions into account when reviewing green card applications.
According to the report, cases involving “possible anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideologies” would need to be referred to higher authorities for additional review.
Even if applicants have not violated any laws, authorities could still reject residency requests if they determine that individuals have “endorsed, promoted, or supported anti-American views.”
Among the factors listed in the guidelines are participation in pro-Palestinian activities, actions considered antisemitic, and the burning of the U.S. flag.
The documents reportedly describe such actions as “heavily negative” factors in immigration evaluations, potentially blocking applicants from obtaining permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
The directives also place particular attention on demonstrations held on university campuses following the 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
However, flag burning has previously been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as a form of protected free speech under the Constitution.
The proposal has sparked criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition.
Its president, Murad Awawdeh, warned that the policies could pose a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
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