International
Bolivia’s Constitutional Court ratifies that Evo Morales cannot be a candidate
The Plurinational Constitutional Court of Bolivia issued a ruling that confirms that re-election in the country is for one-time continuously or discontinuously, so former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) would be prevented from being a candidate for the Presidency in 2025.
The constitutional order, signed by magistrates René Espada and Gonzalo Hurtado, establishes that the elected authorities in the Legislative, Executive and Judicial powers have “the exercise of their mandate period, only for two periods, whether these are continuous or discontinuous without the possibility of extending to a third term.”
Rules against Evo Morales in Bolivia
The ruling, which is a response to an appeal for complementation and amendment presented by some legislators, points out that the Constitution promulgated in 2009, promoted by Morales, seeks to “avoid in any way the permanence of a president, in the case of the Legislative (and) Executive) Bodies for more than ten years in total.”
This affects Morales’ intentions to be a candidate for the Presidency again, since he has already governed Bolivia on three occasions (2006-2009, 2010-2014 and 2015-2019).
Likewise, the premise of the Constitutional Court also applies to the magistrates of the Judiciary, who can be re-elected by popular vote once, while for the electoral members there is no possibility of extending their mandate.
The resolution also establishes that “no elected authority that has passed two previous candidacies, may run and even less exercise” the positions of vice president, president of the Legislature, president of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.”
This week Senator Andrónico Rodríguez, akin to the official Morales bloc, was elected president of the Senate for the fourth consecutive time.
Opposition deputy José Carlos Gutiérrez, one of the legislators who raised the appeal, told EFE that the constitutional order is a “clarification” to the ruling issued by that same instance at the end of last year.
Constitutional impediment
The constitutional judgment of December 2023 established that in Bolivia the president and vice president can only be elected and exercise their mandate for two periods, whether continuous or discontinuous and that indefinite re-election does not exist and “is not a human right.”
“With this, what remains for Evo Morales is to leave Bolivia alone and stop trying to get power by force, facing Justice like any civilian, because he will never be able to be president ever again in his life,” Gutiérrez emphasized.
This week, in an interview with EFE in Lauca Ñ, Morales reiterated that he “is legally constitutionally, nationally, internationally qualified” and that the Government’s intention through Justice is “to make believe that Evo is disqualified.”
The ruling Movement to Socialism (MAS) is divided into two sides, some that support Morales and others supporters of the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, due to the internal tensions in the ruling party that began at the end of 2021.
This tension has increased in recent weeks due to the blockade of roads that Morales’ followers kept for 24 days in the center of the country to demand that the investigations for rape and human trafficking be lifted, in addition to respect for the 2023 congress that proclaimed him “single candidate” for the 2025 elections.
The Arce bloc and the Morales bloc are also facing control of the MAS, whose permanence as a party depends on an upcoming meeting in which the directive that Morales presides over is renewed.
International
Seven bodies found with signs of torture in Sinaloa
Mexican authorities discovered seven lifeless bodies on Wednesday, showing clear signs of torture, in the rural area of Culiacán, Sinaloa, just one day after the same number of bodies was found in several municipalities in the western state of Mexico.
Six of these seven victims were found along the side of the highway that connects Culiacán to Mazatlán, near Laguna de Canachi, according to local media reports, which also noted that messages addressed to a criminal group were found near the bodies.
This brings the total number of violent deaths in the region to seven within just 24 hours. On Tuesday, authorities reported more victims found in the municipalities of Culiacán, Elota, and Mazatlán.
Among the victims identified was a local cattle rancher named Ramón Velázquez Ontiveros, as well as a police officer from Mazatlán, who was killed by a motorcyclist outside his home in San Marcos.
International
Málaga paralyzed by new storm as torrential rains hit Spain
Thousands of people were evacuated and trains were suspended as torrential rains once again struck Spain on Wednesday, following the devastating floods that killed at least 223 people two weeks ago, most of them in the Valencia region.
The national meteorological agency (Aemet) issued a maximum, red-level alert for the Andalusian province of Málaga in the south, and for Tarragona in the northeast, due to the new DANA (isolated depression at high levels), also known as a cold drop.
The city of Málaga appeared to be the hardest hit by the rains, with more than 3,000 people evacuated from 1,000 homes near rivers, flooded streets, and the suspension of urban transport and train services to Madrid.
“Today Málaga is paralyzed,” said Andalusia’s regional president, Juan Manuel Moreno, to reporters. “I know it is a problem for citizens not being able to take their children to school or go to work, but after what we saw in Valencia, we need to ‘prevent’ and minimize the impact in terms of loss of life,” he added.
The storm also led to the postponement of a match between Spain and Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup women’s tennis competition, which was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Málaga.
International
Hezbollah launches explosive drone strike on Israel’s defense headquarters
The Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah claimed on Wednesday that it launched an attack with explosive drones against the Israeli army’s headquarters in Tel Aviv.
The Iran-backed organization reported in a statement that it had carried out “an aerial attack with a squadron of explosive drones” targeting the site that houses Israel’s main defense institutions.
Hezbollah later stated that it also fired a barrage of rockets at the Glilot military intelligence base in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.
The Israeli military indicated that “sirens sounded in several areas of northern and central Israel following the launch of projectiles from Lebanon.”
It later clarified that “five projectiles were identified over the territory, and some were intercepted.”
Seven bodies found with signs of torture in Sinaloa
Málaga paralyzed by new storm as torrential rains hit Spain
Hezbollah launches explosive drone strike on Israel’s defense headquarters
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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