International
The fiscal and police team investigating the president of Peru, at the Government Palace of Lima
The team of prosecutors and police officers that entered around midnight on Friday at the home of the president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, arrived around 4.30 a.m. (9.30 GMT) this Saturday at the Government Palace of Lima, where it will continue with the proceedings of an open investigation against the ruler.
Anti-corruption prosecutors and agents of the High Complexity Crimes Investigation Division (Diviac) of the Peruvian National Police (PNP) arrived at the government headquarters, in the historic center of the Peruvian capital, after staying for more than five hours in the house of Boluarte, in the Lima district of Surquillo.
The participants in the operation broke the lock of the main door of the Boluarte house after their requests to access the property were not met. The ruler was not at home at that time.
Both the prosecutors and the police officers who intervened in the operation told the journalists that the investigation is confidential and they cannot offer more information about the investigations.
The entrance to the Boluarte house and the Government Palace is made as part of a preliminary investigation opened against Boluarte for the alleged commission of the crime of illicit enrichment.
The Prime Minister of Peru, Gustavo Adrianzén, declared himself this Saturday “indignant” by the raid that the Prosecutor’s Office made on the president’s house and considered that there has been “an intolerable abuse of the dignity” of the Head of State.
“I am outraged by what happened, what has happened this midnight constitutes an intolerable abuse of the dignity of the presidency of the Republic and the nation it represents,” Adrianzén told the RPP station.
The prime minister added that “it is not possible” that they have to “witness absolutely disproportionate and if not unconstitutional actions,” since the ruler is protected by the immunity granted by her office.
The Boluarte house was searched by a team of prosecutors and agents of the Peruvian National Police (PNP) as part of a preliminary investigation opened against the ruler for the alleged commission of the crime of illicit enrichment.
The prosecutors carried out the operation for the purpose of registration and seizure of the luxury watches that, according to local media, Boluarte used in different public activities and has allegedly not declared as part of his estate.
Adrianzén recalled that the president requested that the proceedings of the case be rescheduled, but said that this “has not been granted” by the Prosecutor’s Office.
“It is unusual, to say the least, that at midnight and on a holiday, as we are right now, these actions have to be carried out,” he emphasized.
The Presidency of Peru and the Public Ministry have maintained a controversy in recent days regarding the proceedings initiated as part of the investigation opened for the alleged lack of declaration by the ruler of her luxury watches.
Last Wednesday, the Prosecutor’s Office denounced that the visits to the ruler were frustrated both at her home and in the Government Palace, while the Presidency assured that representatives of the Public Ministry were attended by members of the staff of the Boluarte office, who received a notification for the president.
Supreme Prosecutor Hernán Mendoza declared before the Congressional Oversight Commission that the president “had frustrated” the investigations by not attending the citations made for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
After that situation, the legal defense of Boluarte asked to reschedule the proceedings in the investigation of the case of luxury watches that the president did not declare and for which she is being investigated for illicit enrichment.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
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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