International
Evo Morales reinforces his security in the Tropic with foreigners and hopes that more will arrive
The former president of Bolivia Evo Morales (2006 – 2019) will strengthen his security in the Tropic of Cochabamba, his political and union stronghold, with the presence of young foreigners who formed the International Committee on Defense and Solidarity with the former president, two of its leaders reported this Sunday.
“We are going to have vigil activities in defense of Evo Morales (…) We came to Lauca Ñ and here we are going to be with several activities but also in (the central city of) Cochabamba where we will give talks from the committee,” said the university student of Argentina María Macedo, interviewed on the Kawsachun Coca radio, related to Morales.
Macedo together with the Chilean Felipe Barriga arrived at the town of Lauca Ñ, where the former president has been protected by hundreds of coca growers and peasants since November 2024.
The student emphasized that she and her partner arrived in Bolivia “on their own free will” and that they will follow Morales out of “conviction and loyalty.”
“I was surprised (the news of) that there was a committee of defense and solidarity with Evo, at first I didn’t believe so much, time goes by, it was confirmed and I am totally convinced that we have some brothers and sisters outside Bolivia who support our policy,” Morales said.
The former governor ceased to be the president of the official Movement to Socialism (MAS) in November 2024, after the judicial and electoral bodies validated a congress held in May 2024 by the ‘arcista’ faction, as the followers of President Luis Arce are known, who elected as the new leader of the party the peasant leader Grover García, related to the Government.
Despite these resolutions, Morales announced that he will go to the general elections in August as a “single candidate” united with the Front for Victory (FPV) party, after resigning from the MAS after 30 years of leadership.
Macedo indicated that some delegations of foreign students and social movements will arrive in the coming weeks from Mexico, Paraguay, Argentina, Peru and Chile to support the former president.
“We will continue here until the elections are held and until our leader assumes the Presidency,” said the student of the Federal University of Latin American Integration.
Macedo indicated that the committee he represents is against the “political persecution” that Morales “suffers”, so they will accompany him in Lauca Ñ and will organize themselves in the city of Cochabamba.
The Bolivian Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the former president for aggravated human trafficking, in which he is accused of having had a relationship with a minor with whom he would have had a child in 2016 in the southern region of Tarija, when he held the Presidency.
In October, the arrest warrant was issued against Morales, which was ratified in February of this year, however the Police has not yet executed it.
The Justice also issued the declaration of rebellion against the former governor, for not appearing to two precautionary hearings before a court, forbade him to leave the country, ordered the preventive annotation of his assets and the freezing of his bank accounts.
Morales’ followers carry out permanent vigils in all the populations of the Tropic of Cochabamba, they announced that they will dig wells to prevent the landing of planes or helicopters in the area and in recent days they were seen armed with sticks and stones in different populations.
The judicial process aggravates the relationship between Morales and President Luis Arce, distanced since the end of 2021 due to differences in the administration of the State and the control of the MAS.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
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