International

Demonstrations return in Peru to demand Boluarte’s resignation

Photo: Infobae

June 15 |

Some 300 Peruvians marched Wednesday in Lima to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte and members of Congress, in a resumption of widespread protests from December to February that began in the Andes and left more than 60 dead.

The demonstrators moved peacefully through the streets of the capital’s historic center, where anti-government marches were banned in February by order of Mayor Rafael Lopez-Aliaga, an ultra-conservative and ally of the president.

Although the protests in the capital had calmed down, in the southern region of Puno, bordering Bolivia, marches have been recurrent.

A week ago, on local flag day, rural Peruvians marched with black and white flags to mourn the shooting deaths of 18 civilians in confrontations with police in early January.

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Shirley Muñoz, a 51-year-old cosmetics saleswoman, waved a Peruvian flag alongside riot police on Wednesday. “If she is a mother, if she is a woman, let her think about the young people who have died and let her resign so she can be at peace with her conscience,” the woman said in reference to President Boluarte.

Angie Quispe, a 31-year-old domestic worker, was marching with her seven-month-old son Liam to demand the resignation of the president, but also to ask for an improvement in her salary. “Since Dina’s government began, there has been no improvement for workers,” she said.

The proposals to bring forward the presidential and parliamentary elections, which were debated at the beginning of the year in the midst of protests, do not seem to interest the Congress, which has sent to the file five plans that sought to shorten the mandate of Boluarte and the 130 legislators.

Both the unicameral Parliament and the president maintain high unpopularity ratings, according to all polls. The firm Ipsos Peru revealed a recent national poll in June where 81% of Peruvians reject the work of the Parliament, while 77% disapprove of the President’s administration.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations agreed in May that security forces used excessive force in repressing anti-government demonstrations that began after then President Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve Parliament on December 7 to avoid being removed from office.

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Hours later, on the afternoon of December 7, Congress removed Castillo for moral incapacity. He was succeeded by Dina Boluarte, who was vice president.

Demonstrations against his administration began in the southern Andes, where much of the country’s mining and tourist wealth is concentrated, and in areas with strong identification with Castillo, now in preventive prison for three years while he is tried for alleged crimes of rebellion and corruption.

International

Javier Milei vows to work ‘side by side’ with the U.S. on trade rules

Determined to work “side by side” with the United States, Argentine President Javier Milei announced in Mar-a-Lagothat his government will modify trade regulations to meet the requirements of Donald Trump’s newly imposed tariffs.

Milei arrived in Florida amid the trade war triggered by the latest round of tariff hikes announced by the Republican leader. While many countries are considering retaliation, Milei’s ultraliberal Argentina has opted to adapt instead.

“Argentina will move forward in adjusting its regulations to comply with the reciprocal tariff proposal drafted by President Trump,” Milei stated at the Gala of American Patriots, organized by the Make America Clean Again (MACA) Foundation and the We Fund the Blue NGO, according to his office.

He further explained that Argentina has already met nine out of the 16 necessary requirements and has instructed his administration to comply with the remaining ones in order to resolve trade asymmetries with the U.S. in a short time frame.

International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.