International
Evo Morales defends the legality of the MAS congress in the face of the non-attendance of the electoral body
The former president of Bolivia Evo Morales (2006-2019) said this Sunday that the ruling congress of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) that will be held on Monday meets the convening requirements despite the fact that the electoral authority ruled out the supervision of the event.
Morales, who is the leader of the MAS, announced a few days ago that the party meeting for the renewal of the board will take place in the town of Villa Tunari, in the Tropic of Cochabamba and that it will have about 1,300 delegates and at least 20,000 attendees.
Therefore, its sector presented some legal actions to instruct the accompaniment of the electoral body to the event, as happened with the congress that the social organizations related to the Government of Luis Arce or ‘arcists’ that carried out at the beginning of May in El Alto, a neighboring city of La Paz.
At that meeting, the leader Grover García was elected as the new president of the MAS replacing Morales, but that appointment has been rejected by the ‘evista’ wing of that party that recognizes the former ruler as its leader, intends to re-elect him and proclaim him a candidate for the 2025 presidential elections.
The member of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) Tahuichi Tahuichi Quispe declared on the eve that the electoral body “will not attend” the event “because the formal requirements were not met.”
Evo Morales said in his Sunday program on the Coca-Cola station Kawsachun Coca that it was observed that the call to congress has not been “consensued” with the leaders of the social sectors close to the Government and that the former president’s sector rejects.
“They are forcing us to agree with the other leaders without bases. All the Bolivian people know (that they are leaders) based on prebends,” he added.
The former president maintained that even the TSE requested that the call be signed by the 10 members of the directive despite the fact that according to the rules of the MAS it is enough for the president of the organization to make the call.
“The plan that the Government has, like the United States – the empire – and as the right, if it is not to take away the acronym (of the MAS) is to outlaw and disable Evo,” Morales said.
The peasant leader Ponciano Santos said on the eve that the MAS congress in Villa Tunari will be held “yes or yes,” even without the accompaniment of the electoral body.
However, Santos, who accompanied Morales on his radio program this day, nuanced and said that in the absence of the electoral body at the meeting, it could become “a national congress” from which some decisions come out.
“We’re going to have to see each other on the streets face to face,” he said.
The MAS congress promoted by the ‘evista’ block will be held only on Monday at the Villa Tunari stadium in the midst of tensions with President Luis Arce’s ‘arcista’ block.
Arce and Morales have been away since 2021, and last year their differences were deepened by a national party congress in which, in the absence of the president and his loyal sectors, Evo Morales was ratified as leader of the MAS and elected “single candidate” for the 2025 presidential elections.
Arce and Vice President David Choquehuanca were not at that meeting considering that social organizations, the basis of the party, were not represented as they should be.
Tensions increased after the TSE decided to cancel the 2023 congress and instruct a new consensual one to be convened.
Last May, the sectors close to the president held a congress in El Alto, but the electoral authority rejected that meeting because it did not comply with the party’s regulations.
The electoral body stressed that both groups must agree on a new meeting, however, the Evo Morales bloc already had the date to hold the congress for July 10, but it anticipated it to June 10.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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