International
Justin Trudeau announces his resignation from the leadership of his party and as Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced on Monday his resignation as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party at a press conference after remaining in power for more than nine years.
“I intend to resign as party leader and as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a competitive and rigorous process at the national level,” Trudeau said.
The prime minister explained that, although he is a “fighter”, he has come to the conclusion that he is not the “best option” for the next elections, scheduled for October, and therefore he has decided to step aside.
“During the holidays, I have also had the opportunity to reflect and I have had long conversations with my family about my future,” he explained to add: “Yest night, during dinner, I communicated my decision to my children.”
The decision means that Trudeau will remain provisionally as Prime Minister of Canada until the Liberals find a replacement.
“The Liberal Party of Canada is an important institution in the history of our great country and our democracy. A new prime minister and party leader will maintain the ideas and values of the Liberal Party,” he explained.
Trudeau, who came to power at the end of 2015, faces the collapse of his image in opinion polls and a growing rebellion within the Liberal Party, aggravated by the unexpected resignation of his deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, on December 16.
Avoid a motion of censure in the Parliament of Canada
Trudeau also reported that the Canadian Parliament will remain closed until March 24, which will prevent opposition parties from immediately filing the announced motion of censure against the Government.
The Canadian leader justified the controversial decision, which has been approved by the country’s governor general, Mary Simon, who acts as head of state on behalf of the English monarch, to extend Parliament due to the “paralysis” of the Lower House.
“That is why this morning I advised the governor-general that we need a new session of Parliament. He has authorized the petition and the Lower House will be extended until March 24,” he said.
Trudeau acknowledged that, once the sessions of Parliament are restarted, the opposition parties will present a motion of censure to overthrow the Government
The extension, which effectively ceases all legislative activities, is a controversial mechanism that was last used in 2020 when Trudeau was facing a serious scandal about government contracts with an NGO.
In December 2008, the then Prime Minister, the Conservative Stephen Harper, also extended Parliament to avoid a motion of censure that would have caused the fall of his government.
Opposition parties, which have a majority in Parliament, had announced that they would table a motion of censure against Trudeau as soon as Lower House sessions resumed.
Trudeau exalts those he considers his achievements
He also listed what he considered achievements of his nine-year government, such as poverty reduction and the fight against climate change, but also regretted not having been able to reform the Canadian electoral system to avoid the political “polarization” that is being experienced in the country.
Finally, he expressed his desire that his resignation would allow the next general election, scheduled for October of this year, not to be so divisive.
Opposition parties point out that resignation does not change anything
The deferred resignation announced by the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has not changed anything, said the leaders of the three main opposition parties in the country, who reaffirmed their intention to present a motion of censure as soon as possible.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the main opposition group, the Conservative Party, issued a statement after Trudeau’s announcement in which he assured that “this does not change anything.”
“Canadians desperate to turn the page of this dark chapter in our history may be relieved that Justin Trudeau is finally leaving. But what has really changed?” said Poilievre, who according to the polls is destined to win the next general elections.
Polievre added that the reason why the Liberal Party has decided to replace its leader is because the Liberal deputies “feel guilty” for the policies that he considers have broken the country during Trudeau’s nine-year term.
International
Protests erupt over Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ migrant jail in the Everglades
Hundreds of environmentalists, Indigenous leaders, and activists gathered on Saturday to protest against the planned opening of a migrant detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” which, according to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, could begin operating as early as Tuesday and hold up to 3,000 migrants.
The protest took place amid active construction at the site, located in the Everglades Natural Park—an ecologically sensitive wetlands region west of Miami. Demonstrators raised concerns about the environmental impact on an area that is home to 36 native species of plants and animals that are threatened or endangered.
Protest signs read messages such as: “This scam will cost us $450 million and destroy our precious Everglades,”“Continuing with ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ is criminal,” and “These are concentration camps on Indigenous land.”
The backlash intensified after a televised segment aired the night before on Fox and Friends, where DeSantis toured the facility—built on an abandoned airport—and suggested the detention center could start receiving migrants as early as Tuesday.
Internacionales
Jalisco’s grim discovery: drug cartel mass grave found in construction site
A mass grave was discovered in a residential area under construction in the municipality of Zapopan, part of the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco.
“After analyzing the recovered remains, they correspond to 34 individuals,” said a state official during a press conference. Jalisco has one of the highest numbers of missing persons in Mexico, largely due to the activity of drug cartels.
As of May 31, official data shows that Jalisco has recorded 15,683 missing persons, according to the state prosecutor’s office. Authorities attribute most of these cases to criminal organizations, which often bury or cremate their victims clandestinely.
“The construction company notified us at the end of February after discovering some remains,” explained the official, González, adding that excavation efforts have been ongoing since then.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) operates in the region and was designated as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Washington has accused CJNG and the Sinaloa cartel of being the main sources of fentanyl trafficking, a synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S.
Mexico has accumulated more than 127,000 missing persons, most of them since 2006, when the federal government launched a heavily criticized military-led anti-drug offensive.
International
U.S. targets families of sanctioned drug traffickers with new Visa restrictions
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday a new visa restriction policy targeting the family members and close associates of individuals sanctioned for drug trafficking, as part of efforts to combat the spread of fentanyl.
Overdoses from this synthetic opioid remain the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 44. According to official sources, more than 220 overdose deaths are reported daily in 2024, and over 40% of Americans know someone who has died from opioid-related causes.
“Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy (…) which will apply to close family members and personal or business associates of individuals sanctioned for drug trafficking,” Rubio said in a statement.
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