International
The president-elect of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, promises repatriation of migrants crossing the Darién
José Raúl Mulino promised during his proclamation act as president-elect of Panama repatriations for migrants crossing the Darién, the border jungle with Colombia. He will do it with international help and “respecting” human rights.
“Panama and our Darién is not a transit route. No, sir, that’s our border. The concept of closure that I have outlined implies a philosophical concept that is related to closing the border on the basis that we will start, with international help, a repatriation process with all respect for human rights,” Mulino said in his speech.
“So that those there and those who would like to come know that the one who arrives here will be returned to their country of origin,” he added.
The National Scrutiny Board made Mulino official as the new president for the period 2024 – 2029 and gave him the credentials during an event in Panama City.
However, the new Government officially begins on July 1, after a staggered transition process that will begin on June 3.
Panama has become the epicenter of an unprecedented migration crisis. So far this year, more than 130,000 people, mostly Venezuelans, have already passed through the Darién on their way to North America, a number that could exceed the historic figure of 520,000 migrants in 2023.
“Not only do we finish a cycle in the democratic life of our country, but we end that cycle peacefully. Everything is left behind as far as I’m concerned, everything that happened in this election that was unprecedented. Those facts and circumstances are unprecedented,” Mulino said.
And he added: “That for me is part of a memory that I don’t want anyone to live. I will make every effort within 5 years so that by this time the new president assumes power in a peaceful transfer in free elections.”
Mulino, a politician with a trajectory and a strong character, won the Presidency of Panama last Sunday with 34.2% of the votes, supported by the Realizing Goals (RM) and Alianza parties, according to 100% of the minutes already scrutinized.
He accidentally became a presidential candidate, two months before the elections, since he was the running mate of former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009 – 2014) until the former governor was politically disqualified after being sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for laundering. Case that led him to take asylum at the Embassy of Nicaragua in Panama.
Mulino, 64, acknowledged during his speech that the elections were “unique” and “unpublished”, with a high turnout (77.64%).
He applauded the triumph of the independent candidacies, led by young people who won 20 of the 71 seats in Parliament. Thus becoming the first force within the Legislature and displacing traditional parties to a second place.
He reiterated his intention to govern alongside the opposition, extending his hand to that independent bench.
“The most important thing is the message of Sunday, May 5, that the political renewal of the country began (…) the number of (independent) deputies in the National Assembly was impressive and I sent a clear message, that you have to do things right thinking that everything is final,” he said.
Mulino spoke of working for maximum economic efficiency: “there is no money to continue in the francachela that we came with the borrowed money.”
International
Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer amid coup conviction
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been diagnosed with skin cancer while serving a historic sentence for attempting a coup d’état. His medical team confirmed that the lesions have been removed and that, for now, he does not require further procedures, though he will need regular monitoring.
On Wednesday, September 17, Bolsonaro’s doctors confirmed the diagnosis. The announcement comes shortly after the former leader was convicted of orchestrating an attempted coup.
According to his physician, Claudio Birolini, Bolsonaro has “squamous cell carcinoma, which is neither the most benign nor the most aggressive form — it is intermediate.” Birolini warned, however, that this type of skin cancer “can carry more serious consequences.”
International
Milei praises Paraguay’s growth, calls Argentina’s last 20 years a ‘decline’
Argentine President Javier Milei praised Paraguay’s economic growth over the past two decades during a speech before the Paraguayan Congress on Wednesday (Sept. 17, 2025), crediting it to incentives that favored capitalism. At the same time, he contrasted that progress with what he described as Argentina’s deepening “decline” during the same period.
“If we compare the last 20 years of Paraguay with those of the Argentine Republic, we will find almost diametrically opposite results,” Milei told lawmakers during a special session of Parliament on the second and final day of his official visit to Asunción.
“While you have not stopped growing, we have deepened our decline. If we understand incentives as the engine of capitalism, Paraguay focused on preserving and strengthening them, while Argentina dedicated itself to chaining, directing, and suffocating them,” the right-wing leader stated.
International
Trump administration launches large-scale immigration operation in Chicago
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump intensified a large-scale immigration operation in the Chicago area with the arrival of additional Border Patrol agents on Tuesday and the presence of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem during a raid.
Noem posted a video on her X account showing the immigration operation, in which DHS reportedly removed “violent criminals” from the streets. The footage shows Noem observing the arrest of a man taken into custody at his home early Tuesday morning at an undisclosed location.
“I was in Chicago today to make it clear that we will not back down,” the secretary wrote. “Our work is just beginning,” she added.
The warning from Noem was echoed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Gregory Bovino, who posted a video on X Tuesday showing multiple Border Patrol vehicles arriving in the city with the caption: “Chicago, we are here!”
Bovino, who led the immigration crackdown in Los Angeles implemented since last June, said the team will remain in Chicago to continue the mission they started in California.
Operation “Midway Blitz” is currently focused on the Chicago metropolitan area and its suburbs. Activists and residents have reported sightings of masked agents and unmarked vehicles in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.
Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer amid coup conviction
Milei praises Paraguay’s growth, calls Argentina’s last 20 years a ‘decline’
Trump administration launches large-scale immigration operation in Chicago
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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