International
Four complaints in a month for sexual abuse against public figures shake Chile
Four complaints in just one month for alleged abuse and alleged sexual assaults have shaken Chile, which this Thursday saw as the most notable of them, the former Undersecretary of the Interior Manuel Monsalve, one of the most powerful men in the country, was detained at his home in Viña del Mar, more than a month after the complaint was filed.
The so-called ‘Monsalve Case’, the first to explode, on October 17, was succeeded days later by the complaint with preventive imprisonment of the retired soccer player and former figure of the Chilean national team two-time champion of America, Jorge Valdivia, the complaint against Deputy Marcela Riquelme, member of the Frente Amplio, the coalition that supports President Gabriel Boric, and the arrest last weekend of an escort of the President of Vietnam, Luong Cuong, on an official visit to the country.
In addition, a woman accused the captain of the Colo Colo, league champion, and soul of the Chilean soccer team, Arturo Vidal, of sexual abuse in a case that is still in the air.
Monsalve case
The facts of Monsalve’s alleged rape of one of his advisors, according to the complaint, would have occurred on September 22 in a restaurant and hotel in downtown Santiago.
The woman reported that she got up in the undersecretary’s bedroom without remembering what had happened since they left the restaurant and that she discovered evidence that she was sexually forced, so she decided to report it.
Monsalve was arrested this Thursday and the Government has highlighted the facts under the umbrella of the Constitution that ‘in Chile there is no privileged person or group’.
‘Culture of rape’ in Chilean football
After the accusation against the former undersecretary, two new complaints appeared, but this time against the former Colo Colo footballer, Jorge Valdivia, who accused and formalized for rape against the first victim.
The second complainant claims to have suffered the abuse in the athlete’s apartment, after a date in a restaurant and continuing in a nightclub. The victim claims that he had “drugged” her to have sex, and claimed to have woken up in his own home without remembering what had happened.
The reformalization for this second complaint will continue next week, in the meantime, Valdivia will continue to comply with the precautionary measure of house arrest.
Colo Colo, the winning team of the Chilean Super Cup, also took more prominence after the accusation of drugging a woman and allegedly committing a crime and sexual nature by footballer Arturo Vidal and a group of teammates.
There are still no detainees and the name of all those involved is unknown, but Carabineros Colonel Gerardo Aravena confirmed that Vidal, 37, was the only one taken to the police station and subsequently released.
The events occurred in a bar in the capital commune of Vitacura, from where the complaint was also made and where Carabineros registered all those identified.
“Prohibition of returning to Chile”
This Monday, the Government of Chile reported on the complaint of sexual abuse by a member of the security device of the Vietnam delegation, who was on an official visit to the country.
According to local media, the Vietnamese official allegedly sexually abused a worker at the hotel where he was staying.
The subject went to detention and formalization control, and the conditional suspension of the procedure for two years was arranged as an alternative solution and the prohibition of entering the country and approaching the victim was determined.
The case of a deputy
In the fourth, the deputy of the Frente Amplio, Marcela Riquelme, is involved, who this week decided to denounce herself and renounce her affiliation to the progressive party despite the fact that she assures that she is innocent and that there is no formal complaint against her in the Prosecutor’s Office.
The parliamentarian made this decision after the information leaked to the press and the party announced the start of an internal investigation, hinting a possible conspiracy.
“I have been the subject of a complaint and it has been within the party, and that complaint was leaked to the press, causing serious damage not only to the alleged victim, but also to myself, my family, my friends and of course to my team,” said the legislator for the 15th district of the O’Higgins Region, in the center of the country.
“For that reason, I have decided that the complaint is where it has to be, which is in the Courts of Justice and today I have self-denounced. In the same way, and hoping to provide all the necessary means of proof to clarify the truth, with the same transparency that we have always had as a deputation, what we have done is renounce the Frente Amplio,” which he also accused of not supporting it.
International
FBI Says It Disrupted Alleged Plot Targeting White House During UFC Event
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Tuesday that it had disrupted an alleged plot to attack the White House during a major Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held in Washington over the weekend.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the threat was identified on June 10 through a joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. According to Patel, swift action by authorities led to the arrest of several suspects before the alleged plan could be carried out.
“On June 10, the FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat targeting UFC America 250 in Washington. Thanks to the rapid response of the FBI and our partners, multiple individuals are now in custody, and the alleged attack plans were stopped before they could be executed,” Patel said.
He emphasized that the operation demonstrated the ability of security agencies to detect and prevent potential threats at large public gatherings. Patel added that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details will be released as court proceedings move forward.
According to reports from U.S. media outlets, five individuals have been arrested so far. The suspects were identified as Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Álvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from California. Authorities are also investigating the possible involvement of 18 additional individuals.
Investigators allege that the plot involved the use of drones equipped with explosives to target buildings near the sporting event. The plan reportedly sought to trigger a mass evacuation and direct attendees toward areas where snipers were allegedly positioned. Authorities further claim that a second phase of the operation included an attempted assault on the White House.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it worked closely with the FBI throughout the operation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated that security teams conducted extensive efforts to identify those involved and eliminate any threat to attendees and protected facilities.
The investigation reportedly uncovered communications conducted through the messaging application Signal, where several suspects allegedly discussed details related to the planned attack. A forensic analysis of one of the seized mobile phones revealed at least 23 users participating in conversations connected to the alleged planning activities.
Court documents also indicate that some of the suspects allegedly intended to target U.S. political figures. Among the reported targets were members of Congress who had received contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Investigators further stated that one of the primary suspects had posted antisemitic messages and expressions of support for Adolf Hitler on social media, evidence that is now part of the ongoing judicial investigation.
International
Brazil helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro kills six, including pilots and international figures
The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed on Monday the identities of three of the six victims killed in a helicopter collision that occurred the previous morning in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.
All three identified victims are Brazilian nationals: the pilots of the aircraft, Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza, and music producer Lucas Brito.
The identities of the three foreign victims have not yet been officially confirmed. They include U.S. singer Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim—known online as “Gaspi”—and Argentine producer Lucas Vignale, all of whom were listed on the flight manifest.
According to police, forensic experts from the Legal Medical Institute have already collected DNA samples in order to identify the foreign victims, whose bodies were severely burned.
One of the helicopters crashed into a private parking lot, triggering a fire that destroyed around twenty electric vehicles. That aircraft was carrying the pilot and four passengers, including the three foreign nationals.
The second helicopter, which had only the pilot on board, crashed approximately 100 meters away from the first impact site.
Rio de Janeiro’s deputy mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, stated that both helicopters were operating transport flights toward Angra dos Reis on the Rio coastline and toward the mountainous region of the state.
Oliver Tree, 32, was in Brazil as part of an international tour. The artist, known for songs such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” had performed to a large audience in São Paulo a week earlier and was scheduled to continue his tour in Europe.
Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim, 23, had built a following of more than two million on social media platforms, gaining popularity for humorous and often controversial video productions that had occasionally been removed by hosting platforms.
International
Mexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
The governments of Mexico and the United States officially launched the Bilateral Implementation Group (BIG) on Friday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on security issues and enhancing joint efforts against transnational crime.
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced that he and Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco addressed officials from both countries who will lead what he described as a “new phase of bilateral cooperation.” The initiative seeks to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, illegal firearms, and human trafficking across the shared border.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that senior security officials from both nations would meet in Mexico City on June 12 to review and advance existing cooperation agreements.
Through social media, Ambassador Johnson explained that the new bilateral group is designed to improve coordination between the two governments by placing greater emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable results. The effort will also focus on combating transnational criminal organizations operating across North America.
“The participation of 15 U.S. government agencies, working alongside their Mexican counterparts, reflects the seriousness of this effort and our shared commitment to delivering measurable results,” Johnson said.
The ambassador also highlighted several achievements that he attributed to ongoing bilateral cooperation. According to Johnson, maritime drug trafficking into the United States has declined by more than 95 percent, while overdose deaths have fallen by 35 percent.
He further noted that Mexican authorities have seized more than 400 metric tons of illegal drugs and dismantled over 2,300 clandestine laboratories as part of their efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics production.
The launch of the Bilateral Implementation Group marks the latest step in the security partnership between Mexico and the United States, as both countries seek to address shared challenges related to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and the activities of criminal networks operating across the region.
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