International
Rómulo Roux, the presidential candidate who promises a Constituent Assembly to refound Panama
Rómulo Roux, leader and presidential candidate of the opposition Democratic Change (CD) party of Panama and who came second in the 2019 elections, is considered a politician who does not live off the system.
This gives it the power to carry out its main objective: a new Magna Carta that refounded Panama and frees it from corruption.
“I’m not a professional politician, I don’t live off the system, I don’t live on my donors, and that gives me the freedom to make the decisions that the country requires them to be made,” such as changing the Constitution through a constituent assembly,” the lawyer and doctor of law said in an interview with EFE.
Roux, standard-bearer of the traditional CD and Panameñista Party (PPa) and third in the most recent survey published by the newspaper La Prensa, tries again to reach the presidency of Panama with a series of basic columns, including economics, education and the reform of public institutions.
Winning, apart from “punctual” proposals such as creating 500,000 jobs and tripling, up to five million, the number of annual visitors to the country, he intends to leave the change of the 1972 Constitution as one of its “legacys”.
This new legal framework is needed, among others, “to eliminate the number of deputies (71), lower it to no more than 51 deputies and that they cannot raise their own budget when they feel like it, that they cannot take the Executive hostage.”
“Yes (refound), give the country a structure and a new legal framework that eliminates a system that today is made to shield the thugs, to shield corruption, to shield impunity. That system has already collapsed,” said Roux, born in Panama in 1965.
He admitted, however, that cases of corruption such as Odebrecht’s have been of people within the traditional political parties “who have done things wrong.”
But between fleeing “as others have done, one can choose to reform the party, ensure that it operates as it has to operate and that it does things right.”
“Those who want the usual path, the path of politicking, clientelism, malantry, I don’t even want them here,” he remarked.
Roux is fighting for the presidency for the period of 2024-2029 with former president Martín Torrijos (2004-2009) for the Popular Party (PP); the current vice president José Gabriel Carrizo for the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) and the Molirena; and Ricardo Lombana for the Movimiento Otro Camino (Moca) party.
His opponents are also former Minister José Raúl Mulino for the Realizing Goals (RM) collective and the Alianza Party (PA) instead of former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) – politically disqualified after being convicted of money laundering – and the candidates for the free application Melitón Arrocha, Maribel Gordón and Zulay Rodríguez.
Closely defeated in the 2019 elections by Laurentino Cortizo, Roux recalls that he always said that he “had doubt whether the official result reflected the will of voters at the national level in number of votes in different popular election positions.”
Even so, he now considers that the electoral system at that time “was what it was, and we decided to move forward for five more years, fight and be this May 5 again, to win the presidency.”
In that way, whoever was head of Foreign Affairs and minister for Channel Affairs with Martinelli’s government (2009-2014) points out that nothing distracts him, not even those who talk about his ‘American nationality’, something he denies and assures is a “dirty” campaign that comes from the disabled former president and Mulino, who leads the most recent survey with 29%.
“Why is it me who is attacked the most, if he says that they are flying in the polls? That they attack other candidates. Do they have an ass (fear)?” he said.
Roux, who claims to have his “own polls” and find out what happens while touring the country, affirms that he is not worried about his rivals either, but that it is important is that the Supreme Court of Justice “decide quickly” on the complaint of unconstitutionality against Mulino’s candidacy, “not to remove candidates, but to eliminate uncertainty.”
The lawsuit was filed on March 4 by a lawyer considering that, after the Electoral Tribunal disqualified Martinelli, Mulino’s candidacy is not valid because she was not subjected to primaries and also violates constitutional articles on the election of the president and the vice president of the country.
Among the issues that have marked the debate in the electoral campaign is that of the Cobre Panama mine, of the Canadian First Quantum Minerals (FQM) and disabled by a court ruling last November after massive protests against mining activity.
The issue has persecuted Roux for his relationship with one of the law firms involved in the signing of the first contract of the mining concession, but he responded without hesitation to EFE’s question about the fact that, in case of winning the presidency, things vary and the mine stays to continue operating.
“No, the mine is leaving. The mine is leaving because there is already a ruling from the Court and the people spoke,” he said, but that it must be “closed in an orderly manner and that it does not cost the country anything. Always close it, taking care of the environment.”
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
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.
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
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Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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