International

Colombians mobilize in support of Petro’s government

Photo: El Universal

July 20 |

The Central Unitary Workers’ Union (CUT) of Colombia called for a new march this Thursday in support of the government of President Gustavo Petro, to commemorate Independence Day.

Affiliated unions of the CUT will participate in the demonstration, as well as those that make up the Colombian Federation of Educators (Fecode). Likewise, the Unitary Departmental Command (CUT) of the department of Bolivar announced that it would join the mobilization.

The concentration will take place from 14H00 (local time) at Plaza Bolivar, in Bogota (capital), where the workers’ support to the labor, pension and health reforms to be presented by the Government before Congress during the second semester of this year will be ratified.

Previously, the president of the CUT, Fabio Arias, stated that the central will support the Government of change, “all its progressive social reforms, which attends the clamor and vindication of workers and many sectors of the population, most especially with the health reform, labor and pension reform.”

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CEL

“We are summoning the citizens in general and the population, the ordinary people and particularly the workers to be present, in all the regions, the streets, and public squares to support the social reforms”, he added.

Regarding the legislative period that begins this Thursday, Fecode considered that the Congress “will have to make crucial decisions that will determine whether to pave the way for the main reforms promoted by the Government or whether to impose new barriers that would maintain the status quo, as the big economic unions want”.

Similarly, the teachers’ federation added that it will also mobilize to express its rejection of the “school vouchers” project, which, according to the organization, promotes the commercialization of public education and the privatization of teaching.

This is a bill presented to Congress by Senator Paloma Valencia, of the Democratic Center (party of former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, 2002-2010), which promotes that children in vulnerable situations enter private schools and their studies are paid for by the Colombian State.

Valencia alleged that the private education system has a higher educational quality than the public one and that, by enrolling in the latter, minors would be condemned to a poor education, instead of supporting the Government’s decision to allocate a larger budget to education and to create better working conditions for the members of the school community.

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Regarding this proposal, Fecode underlined that “it constitutes a new attempt by the Creole right wing to hand over the public education budget to private individuals, revive clientelism and business at the cost of destroying the public education system and reversing its secular and democratic character”.

International

Zelenski urges global action after russian ballistic missile strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski called on the international community Thursday to “respond” to Russia’s ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, which he said has heightened the “escalation and brutality” of the conflict.

“The world must react. So far, there has been no strong response,” Zelenski lamented in a social media statement.

“We must act. We must pressure. We must push Russia towards real peace, which is only achievable through strength,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Thursday that Russia had launched a new type of hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine in its “non-nuclear configuration.”

International

Elon Musk plans sweeping cuts to U.S. bureaucracy and spending

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The billionaire entrepreneur plans to target hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending, including funds for public broadcasting and Planned Parenthood. Musk called government bureaucracy an “existential threat” to American democracy.

Teaming up with fellow businessman and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk aims to streamline federal regulations and implement significant administrative and cost reductions.

“We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as external volunteers, not federal officials or employees,” Musk and Ramaswamy stated in the article.

International

Putin warns of escalation, suggests strikes on western weapon suppliers

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These remarks come after a day of heightened tensions, during which Russia launched a state-of-the-art medium-range missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead. However, this particular missile was loaded with conventional explosives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the missile strike, calling it the action of a “deranged neighbor” using Ukraine as a “military testing ground.”

Earlier, Ukraine accused Russia of attacking the central-eastern city of Dnipro with a missile exhibiting “all the characteristics” of an intercontinental missile, an unprecedented development in the ongoing conflict.