International
More than 480 arrested during protests in Panama for Social Security reforms
More than 480 people were arrested this Wednesday in Panama during violent protests in rejection of a Social Security reform project, triggering clashes between the police and the demonstrators that left at least 16 injured.
The director of the National Police (PN) of Panama, Jaime Fernández, reported in a press conference that there are “more than 480 people detained”, after an “unprecedented escalation of violence” this morning, which left a balance of damage “to the national police and its resources” in the amount of “267,000 dollars”.
In addition to being injured, “16 units of the National Police”, two of which hit with blunt objects (blocks, screws and steel bars among others) thrown by the demonstrators from the top of a tower under construction of a public hospital for children, where they entrenched themselves.
The Single Union of Workers in the Construction and Similar Industry (Suntracs) blocked a section of the maritime avenue, one of the main arteries of Panama City, and other key points of the capital in rejection of the bill that reforms the Social Security Fund (CSS), under discussion in the Legislature.
Previously, the police director had pointed out, in statements to journalists, that “they have had to set up a special prison” because they are going to “judicialize” “all” the demonstrators, including the “union leaders”, within the framework of respect for due process, he said.
The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, described it as “intolerable” that the work of the pediatric hospital is used as a “barricade of union terrorists to subvert public order” and asked for the action of the Prosecutor’s Office with “all the weight of the law.” After that, the Prosecutor’s Office initiated an “ex officio investigation” for these acts.
For his part, Saúl Méndez, the leader of Suntracs – the most powerful union in the country – said in a video broadcast by his official channels that his protest was “peaceful” and regretted that he was “repressed” in the area of the hospital under construction, which was “besieged”.
Student protests have also been reported in front of the University of Panama, which canceled classes for this Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Parliament discussed two bills (independent of each other) on the Social Security Fund of Panama, key to the economic future of that entity, submerged for years in an administrative and financial crisis, which could liquidate one of the two pension subsystems.
The deputies have already approved the first of them that authorizes the Executive the transfer of 91 million dollars as “extraordinary funds” to “partially reinforce the costs” of the retirements corresponding to this month of February, according to official information.
And they discuss in the second of the three mandatory debates, another bill, broader and of greater importance, that reforms Panamanian Social Security after months of discussion by blocks in the parliamentary health commission in the face of the difficulties requested by the Panamanian president and other social sectors.
This bill is a proposal of the Executive made in consensus by dialogue tables with economic, trade union and social sectors. The original document included a three-year increase in the retirement age – up to 65 for men and 60 for women – and 3% of the employer’s quota, among others.
However, the deputies of the commission overturned the article that raised the retirement age, one of the points most rejected by the parliamentarians, unions and the population, and increased the annual contribution of the Executive to 1.4 billion dollars compared to the 1.2 billion dollars proposed by the Government.
The hemicycle, composed of 71 seats, will hold two rounds of discussions in this second phase with half an hour of pleading for each deputy, so the debate could last approximately two weeks, according to an official source told EFE.
This proposal to change Social Security has raised controversy in Panama with some demonstrations in the streets in recent months, a wide public debate and requests for specific modifications by private companies.
International
ACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday asked two federal judges to block the U.S. government under President Donald Trump from deporting any Venezuelan nationals detained in North Texas under a rarely used 18th-century wartime law, arguing that immigration officials appear to be moving forward with deportations despite Supreme Court-imposed limitations.
The ACLU has already filed lawsuits to stop the deportation of two Venezuelan men held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center, challenging the application of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The organization is now seeking a broader court order that would prevent the deportation of any immigrant in the region under that law.
In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan detainees of being members of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal gang. These accusations, the ACLU argues, are being used to justify deportations under the wartime statute.
The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three times in U.S. history — most notably during World War II to detain Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration has claimed the law allows them to swiftly remove individuals identified as gang members, regardless of their immigration status.
The ACLU, together with Democracy Forward, filed legal actions aiming to suspend all deportations carried out under the law. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed deportations to resume, it unanimously ruled that they could only proceed if detainees are given a chance to present their cases in court and are granted “a reasonable amount of time” to challenge their pending removal.
International
Dominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
A man identified as Rafael Rosario Mota falsely claimed to have rescued 12 people from the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo—a tragedy that left 231 people dead—but he was never at the scene.
Intelligence agents in the Dominican Republic arrested the 32-year-old man for pretending to be a hero who saved lives during the catastrophic incident, authorities announced.
Rosario Mota had been charging for media interviews in which he falsely claimed to have pulled survivors from the rubble after the nightclub’s roof collapsed in the early hours of April 8, during a concert by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed.
“He was never at the scene of the tragedy,” the police stated. The arrest took place just after he finished another interview on a digital platform, where he repeated his fabricated story in exchange for money as part of a “media tour” filled with manipulated information and invented testimonies.
“False hero!” read a message shared on the police force’s Instagram account alongside a short video of the suspect, in which he apologized: “I did it because I was paid. I ask forgiveness from the public and the authorities.”
Central America
Nicaraguan Exiles to Mark 7th Anniversary of 2018 Protests with Global Commemorations
The Nicaraguan opposition in exile announced on Thursday that it will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the April 2018 protests against the government of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, with events in Costa Rica, the United States, and several European countries.
The commemorative activities—which will call for justice for the victims, as well as freedom and democracy for Nicaragua—will include religious services, public forums, cultural fairs, and other public gatherings, according to official announcements.
In April 2018, thousands of Nicaraguans took to the streets to protest controversial reforms to the social security system. The government’s violent response quickly turned the demonstrations into a broader call for the resignation of President Ortega, who is now 79 and has been in power since 2007.
The protests resulted in at least 355 deaths, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), although Nicaraguan organizations claim the toll is as high as 684. Ortega has acknowledged “more than 300” deaths and maintains the unrest was an attempted coup d’état.
ACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
UN complaint filed against Costa Rica over detention of migrant children
Dominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America4 days agoHonduran Police Offer $135K for Tips Leading to the Arrest of Romeo Vásquez
-
Central America3 days agoPetro questions Ecuador’s vote, cites reports of military control and arrests
-
International4 days agoMPV Denounces Electoral Blockade as Secretary-General is Disqualified for May Elections
-
International2 days agoArsenal stun Real Madrid at the Bernabéu to reach Champions League semifinals
-
International4 days agoMaduro Plans Major Workers’ March on May 1st to Defend Venezuela’s Freedom
-
International2 days agoBogotá residents line up for yellow fever vaccine amid national alert
-
International1 day agoDominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
-
Central America1 day ago
Nicaraguan Exiles to Mark 7th Anniversary of 2018 Protests with Global Commemorations
-
International2 days agoMexico refuses to restore ties with Ecuador while Noboa remains in office
-
International2 days agoDeSantis’ immigration crackdown sparks alarm in Venezuelan Communities in Doral
-
International3 days agoColombia: Search continues for missing limb of italian scientist found dismembered
-
International54 mins agoACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
-
Central America57 mins agoUN complaint filed against Costa Rica over detention of migrant children