International
The president of Peru asks to open the debate to apply the death penalty to child rapists
The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, asked on Tuesday to open the debate on the application of the death penalty for juvenile rapists, after the recent murder of a minor in Lima that has moved public opinion.
During an official event at the Lima Air Base of Las Palmas, Boluarte said that “it is time to open the debate on the death penalty for juvenile rapists,” considering that “types like these to walk free in the streets” cannot be allowed.
The head of state called for the actions of the National Police to be strengthened to protect children for being the most vulnerable to this type of attack.
The case that opens in Peru the debate on the death penalty for child rapists
The death penalty is not applicable in Peru since the 1979 Constitution came into force, which only allows it for treason, and after the country ratified in 1978 the American Convention on Human Rights that restricts that punishment.
The president also asked for a minute of silence for the murder of a teenager on Sunday in Lima, whose body was found by her family in the house of an alleged security guard of an informal settlement in the district of Pachacámac, in the south of the capital.
The minor had disappeared from her home on Sunday, but the parents received a call from a person who had supposedly found her and said he would take her to the police station in the district of Villa María del Triunfo, according to the report of the América Noticias channel.
However, with the passing of the hours, the teenager did not appear at the police headquarters and the family accelerated their search with the geolocation of their mobile phone.
In this way, the family and the National Police arrived at a clearing of the Lúcumo settlement of Pachacámac, where they located the remains of the minor, apparently strangled, in a house.
Lack of clarity about the crime
The suspect identified as Yerson Juárez Tapia, 26, said he was a security guard of the place and, after being interrogated, apparently confessed to having been the author of the murder of the minor.
However, a local neighbor told the police that she had recorded the arrival of a motorcycle taxi with two men at that house in the early hours of Sunday.
A mob of neighbors attacked Juárez, after allegedly admitting the crime, so they had to admit him to a hospital, according to the newspaper El Comercio.
The Prosecutor’s Office Specialized in Violence against Women and Members of the Family Group of the district of Lurín has begun the preliminary investigation after finding the 12-year-old minor dead.
The Ombudsman’s Office reported that, from January to October 2024, 5,518 alert notes were recorded for missing women, most of them minors, and that in that same period 133 femicides were committed.
International
Nicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”
Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra on Wednesday described as “unjust” the legal proceedings in the United States against his father, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, following their capture in Caracas on January 3 by U.S. forces.
“Faced with the unjust trial taking place today, the people raised their voices with a single demand: We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady,” Maduro Guerra wrote on his Instagram account.
The lawmaker attended a rally in Caracas where supporters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)gathered to show support for the former president, who faces charges in the United States including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation. Flores is accused of crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.
The event was also attended by PSUV Vice President for Mobilizations and Events Nahum Fernández and Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, according to photos shared by Maduro’s son.
The third hearing in the case against Maduro and Flores concluded Wednesday at a federal court in New York after lasting only about 18 minutes. During the hearing, the judge preliminarily set June 2027 as the expected start date for the trial.
One of the main arguments from the defense will focus on immunity. Maduro’s lead attorney, Barry Pollack, who has also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said the defense plans to request immunity for both defendants, arguing that Maduro was serving as head of state and Flores as first lady at the time of their detention.
Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance in New York on January 5.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro’s capture, has not yet commented on Wednesday’s hearing in the United States.
International
Mexico Files 20 Complaints in U.S. Over Deaths of 17 Citizens During ICE Operations
The Mexican government announced that it has filed 20 legal complaints across different jurisdictions in the United States seeking investigations into the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens who died since May 2025 during immigration enforcement operations or while in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) reported that the complaints were submitted on July 13 by Mexico’s ambassador to the United States, Roberto Lazzeri. Of the total, eight cases were filed with state prosecutors’ offices and 12 with county prosecutors’ offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas.
According to the Mexican government, the legal actions seek to clarify the circumstances surrounding each death and determine whether any immigration authorities may bear responsibility.
During meetings with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE, Ambassador Lazzeri expressed Mexico’s concerns over conditions in immigration detention centers, including privately operated facilities, and requested thorough investigations into every case.
In addition to the complaints filed in the United States, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry sent a communication to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, informing him of the deaths and requesting that the UN gather information, assess the situation under international human rights standards, and issue recommendations to prevent similar incidents.
The SRE also stated that Mexico’s consular network continues to provide support to the families of the deceased citizens, including legal assistance, help with repatriation of remains, and other procedures requested by relatives.
The announcement comes after the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araújo, a Mexican citizen who died after being shot by ICE agents during an immigration operation in Texas. The case has gained additional attention after a federal judge in Houston ordered a halt to the deportation of José Trinidad Rojas Pliego, considered a key witness in the incident.
Mexican authorities reiterated that they will continue using all available legal and diplomatic mechanisms to monitor the investigations and defend the rights of Mexican citizens in U.S. territory.
International
India Approves New Dengue Vaccine as Global Cases Continue to Rise
India has approved a new dengue vaccine as health authorities seek to strengthen prevention efforts against a mosquito-borne viral disease that affects millions of people worldwide every year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of the global population is currently at risk of contracting dengue, which causes between 100 million and 400 million infections annually.
Since 2021, India has recorded more than one million dengue cases, including at least 1,500 deaths.
The virus can cause high fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, nausea, skin rashes and, in rare cases, internal bleeding and death.
The vaccine, authorized by India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), was developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. The Indian Health Ministry said the vaccine is recommended in two doses for people between 4 and 60 years old.
The treatment has already been approved by health authorities in around 40 countries worldwide.
Meanwhile, Indian pharmaceutical company Panacea Biotec has begun the final phase of clinical trials for a single-dose dengue vaccine, aiming to provide another prevention option against the disease.
Brazil recently announced the suspension of the use of another single-dose dengue vaccine developed in the country after two suspected deaths were reported.
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