International
Boric announces regiver of university debt and proposes a new financing system
The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, announced his promised bill to forgive part of the debt that more than 1.2 million university students contracted in special credits to pay for their studies, while presenting a new public financing system.
“Most of those who are listening to these words today know someone who is in debt today for having studied in higher education with the State-Endorsed Credit (…) Today the CAE is a problem for all of Chile,” Boric said on national television.
Created in 2005 during the government of the socialist Ricardo Lagos (2000-2006), the CAE allowed thousands of young people with limited resources to access universities, but “over time it became a burden for students and their families,” the president added.
Despite what was promised in the campaign, the pardon will not be universal, but partial, and will be made “based on criteria of justice and merit,” and it will be taken into account if the person ended his career or if he has the debt up to date, Boric explained.
“Thus, we will support debtors with fewer resources, we will recognize those who have responsibly paid their dues and we will encourage the regularization of those who still owe payments,” he said.
The legislative initiative, which will be presented this Tuesday in Parliament – where the Government does not have a majority – replaces the CAE with the so-called Public Financing for Higher Education (FES), an instrument with which beneficiary students do not disburse resources or go into debt, but pay their careers with a kind of progressive tax when they join the labor market, of no more than 8% of their monthly salary.
The FES, Boric said, “will involve a significantly lower fiscal expenditure than the State currently disburses for CAE,” which to date amounts to 9 billion dollars.
“Banks will not participate in this new financing instrument. With the FES, there will be no room for speculation, abuse, or profit, but a fair reward for the training received,” he concluded.
Boric, 38, forged his political career in the student mobilizations of 2011 in favor of gratuitousness and against the CAE.
The initial interest of the CAE was 6%, but after the mobilizations the rate was reduced to 2% during the government of the center-right Sebastián Piñera (2000-2014).
Even so, those who graduate usually earn low incomes and pay credit to banks for years.
International
Donald Trump pledges strong borders and legal immigration at Univision Forum witv latino Voters
Presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump stated at a forum with Latino voters on Wednesday that he supports legal immigration and strong borders. He also reiterated the false claim that certain countries are sending their prisoners and emptying mental institutions to send them to the United States, a narrative he has used to criticize President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
Trump claimed at the Univision-organized forum that his immigration policies were “an unprecedented success” and that Biden should have maintained his strategy at the southern border, including the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which returns asylum seekers to Mexico while their applications are processed.
The Republican candidate alleged that countries like Venezuela “open their prisons and mental institutions” to send criminals and the mentally ill to the U.S., a generalization that stigmatizes undocumented immigrants and is not backed by data.
“Under me, immigrants came legally, and the system worked well (…) Let them come legally, and don’t release murderers, drug traffickers, and terrorists,” said Trump, who has promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
The former president repeated falsehoods and inaccuracies, such as claiming that “the world’s prison population is decreasing because they’re sending them to the U.S.” and that “Venezuela is emptying its prisons so they can come here.” He reiterated, “We want people to come, but not killers.”
Trump sought to win over Latino voters with promises to support small businesses, attract investment and new jobs, and reduce inflation by lowering energy prices and increasing oil and gas production.
“The Democrats don’t know anything about growth (economically). We will attract companies and end abuse and waste,” said Trump, adding that he now has the support of SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk to help control federal government spending.
Trump has narrowed the gap in Latino voter support between Democrats and Republicans since the 2016 elections, an improvement that could be crucial in winning key states like Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania to secure the White House after the November 5 election.
International
Experts highlight role of public sector in advancing technology in Central America at EFE Forum
Representatives from the business sector, multilateral organizations, and the Government of El Salvador highlighted on Wednesday, during a forum organized by EFE for its 85th anniversary, the importance of the public sector in advancing technology in Central America, particularly in areas such as health, education, and the climate crisis.
Under the theme ‘Innovation and Development: Driving the Future in Central America,’ the forum held in San Salvador brought together the Minister of Economy, María Luisa Hayem, the CEO of Asesuisa, Ficohsa Group, Enzo Bizzarro, and the country representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Olga Gómez.
According to Hayem, the Central American region has a “window of opportunity” in integrating its innovation ecosystems to achieve greater multilateral investment.
“The greater the impact of these projects, not just from El Salvador, but from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica, the more we will attract the attention of investment funds,” said the Salvadoran official.
She noted that this conversation has already begun, at least with the Ministry of Economy of Guatemala.
For her part, Gómez pointed out that “disruptive technologies represent a significant opportunity for El Salvador and the region” by creating new opportunities.
She emphasized that these advances have important applications in health, education, businesses, and addressing the climate crisis.
“All these disruptive technologies will allow us better access to education, identify knowledge gaps, (…) and lead to major transformations,” she said.
The IDB representative added that “this is a revolution here to stay” and believes “the public sector’s role is crucial” in creating the necessary conditions.
International
Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies after tragic fall in Argentina
British musician and singer Liam Payne, former member of the band One Direction, has died after falling from a hotel in Palermo, Argentina, according to international media reports this Wednesday afternoon.
Payne, 31 years old, fell from one of the floors of an Argentine hotel, dying instantly. Argentine news outlets report that authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident.
Born in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, Payne was part of the iconic group One Direction, one of the biggest pop sensations in recent years, alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik.
Donald Trump pledges strong borders and legal immigration at Univision Forum witv latino Voters
Experts highlight role of public sector in advancing technology in Central America at EFE Forum
Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies after tragic fall in Argentina
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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