International
The military command in Bolivia changes and the Government accuses Evo Morales of wanting to cut the democratic order
The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, changed this Saturday the high military command of the country between requests for preservation of public order and democracy, at a time when the followers of former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) celebrate 13 days of an indefinite blockade of roads.
Air Major General Gerardo Zabala is the new interim commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces; General José Wilson Sánchez is Chief of Staff; General Eduardo Aguilar is the commander-in-chief of the Army.
General Juan Ballester is general commander of the Air Force and Rear Admiral Oscar Vaca Molina was sworn in as General Commander of the Navy.
New military chiefs
The new military leaders assumed their positions at an event at the Casa Grande del Pueblo, headquarters of the Bolivian Executive, chaired by Arce, Vice President David Choquehuanca and the Minister of Defense, Edmundo Novillo.
Arce emphasized that the change of military command occurs at a time when state institutions seek to “preserve the highest vital interests of the country such as state security and the restoration of public order.”
Arce mentioned that “the right to peaceful protest is guaranteed” although he considered that the blockades maintained by the sectors related to Morales violate “the freedom of movement and freedom of movement” of citizens.
Accusation of Evo Morales
The Bolivian Foreign Ministry denounced to the international community that former President Evo Morales (2006-2019) seeks to cut the democratic order of the country with the protests that this Saturday turn 13 days, something that would also affect the stability of the South American region.
“Bolivia denounces to the international community that a series of destabilizing actions led by former President Evo Morales Ayma are underway in our country, which aim to interrupt the democratic order,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
He also warned that this “constitutes a serious threat not only to Bolivia, but also to stability and security in our region.”
Blocked country
Evo Morales’ followers maintain an indefinite blockade of roads to demand that the Luis Arce government withdraw the judicial proceedings for human trafficking and rape against the also leader of the ruling Movement to Socialism (MAS), since they consider that he is part of a political persecution against him.
They also ask for solutions to the rise in food prices, the lack of dollars, the irregular provision of fuel and respect for a MAS congress that in 2023 declared Morales a “single candidate” for next year’s elections.
In this regard, the Foreign Ministry mentioned that the Government “has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to dialogue” and warned that behind the protests “there are personal interests” of Morales to manipulate Justice and seek its impunity.
“Democracy at risk”
Likewise, the official note denounces the presence of “violent groups” and armed people “who have publicly threatened with bloodshed.”
“Bolivia calls on the international community, the States, multilateral organizations and the peoples of the world to remain attentive to these destabilizing events that seek to put at risk the democracy recovered by the Bolivian people,” the Foreign Ministry remarked.
On Friday, the Police organized an unblocking operation in several sectors of the department of Cochabamba (center) and that connect the roads between the west and east of the country.
The critical point was in the town of Parotani, 40 kilometers west of Cochabamba, which ended with a confrontation between the Police and the demonstrators with 14 officers injured and 44 arrested.
Evo Morales’ complaints
For his part, Morales denounced that after the operation some groups of civilians carried out “fascist” attacks, such as the destruction of a coca leaf producing headquarters in Cochabamba and the aggression against one of their lawyers, who was beaten and the car destroyed.
The blockades, which according to the Bolivian Highway Administrator (ABC) remain in 16 areas, have exacerbated the country’s economic situation and generated a shortage of some food, gasoline and diesel.
The Government enabled flights or “air longings” to guarantee the provision of beef and chicken to the cities of La Paz and El Alto, while trucks with fuel travel alternative routes to reach the distribution plants.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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