International
The figure of Alan García is blurred in Peruvian politics five years after his death
Five years after his death, the figure of the powerful president Alan García (1949-2019) has been blurred without the appearance of a visible heir of his political legacy, or of his leadership in the historic Peruvian Aprista Party (PAP), which even lost its registration in the electoral register for two years.
García committed suicide on April 17, 2019 when he was going to be arrested for his alleged links to the Odebrecht case, although his closest collaborators have insisted during these years that he was the victim of a “criminal conspiracy.”
The controversy about his death was briefly revived last March, when several of his followers, including former Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo, complained about the decision of the Judiciary to authorize the Prosecutor’s Office to check two cell phones that were seized in his home.
Although that decision prohibited the Public Ministry from extracting or recovering information outside the process for the ‘Lava Jato’ case in Peru, Del Castillo assured that it was “outlaw,” since the investigation against the former president “ended with his death.”
Alan García was 69 years old when he committed suicide to prevent a group of police and prosecutors who arrived at his house from preliminarily detaing him for his alleged connection with the Odebrecht case, which he always denied.
He was made a farewell with massive funerals held at La Casa del Pueblo, the historic place of the PAP located in the center of Lima, and his remains were cremated on April 19, 2019.
From the beginning, his death generated controversies and clashes between followers and detractors, which have not been attenuated over time and even led a couple of years ago politicians such as the ultra-conservative Rafael López Aliaga, who has been mayor of Lima since 2023, to affirm that they would request that she be investigated.
In May of that year, former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who is also being prosecuted for alleged corruption crimes related to the Odebrecht case, directly accused the Prosecutor’s Office of having “led to death” Alan García.
His closest followers have always pointed out that “he was the victim of a criminal conspiracy,” which they linked to incidents prior to his death, such as his entry into the Uruguayan embassy, whose Government refused in December 2018 to grant him the asylum he requested with the argument that he was a “political persecuted.”
Shortly before, Odebrecht executives assured that they had given him four million dollars during his second government, which he reached despite the fact that the shadow of corruption already haunted him from his first administration, from 1985 to 1990, when his administration left his country immersed in an unprecedented economic crisis.
Beyond that, and despite the fact that Alan García maintained a very active presence in Peruvian politics, his memory is decreasing both in local media, which in life they dedicated great coverage to him, and in the political space, something that has been consolidated by the absence of representatives of the PAP in Congress.
Although his supporters defend that his legacy cannot be erased, shortly after his death the leaders of his group engaged in internal disputes that generated a crisis that led to his retirement from the 2021 general elections.
Faced with that situation, in September of that year the National Election Jury (JNE) confirmed that the PAP, which was founded in 1930 by Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, had lost its official registration.
Finally, after numerous procedures and challenges, the party managed in March 2023 to confirm that it had been re-registered in the Registry of Political Organizations (ROP) of the JNE, so it will be able, in principle, to participate again in the elections to be held in Peru in 2026.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
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