International
Chile court freezes multi-million dollar lithium deal
AFP
A Chilean appeals court on Friday suspended a million-dollar state lithium tender issued two days earlier that had generated controversy for coming just two months before the end of conservative President Sebastian Pinera’s term.
“Bearing in mind that the contested act is in full execution, it is agreed not to innovate, paralyzing the bidding and award process for the lithium, while this appeal is resolved,” said the court in Copiapo in the north of the country, according to documents seen by AFP.
China’s BYD Chile SpA and Chile’s Servicios y Operaciones Mineras del Norte S.A. were awarded the right to extract 80,000 tons of lithium each over 20 years, the minerals ministry said Wednesday.
Leftist president-elect Gabriel Boric’s team had asked the government to postpone the tenders and set up a “roundtable” to discuss various conditions to apply to the contracts.
Mining minister Juan Carlos Jobet had said Wednesday the government would work with the successful companies to ensure that “a portion of the payments they must make be used to support local communities and to invest in research and development.”
And on Friday, the mining ministry said the tender has not been the subject of a “definitive cancellation” and that the process had been “open, informed, transparent and has complied with all current legislation.”
The court accepted an appeal for protection filed by the governor of Copiapo, Miguel Vargas, together with a group of Aymara and Diaguita Indigenous communities that inhabit a salt flat in the Atacama desert.
Although the government tender does not stipulate the place of extraction of the lithium, the salt flats of northern Chile are where the main deposits of the mineral are to be found.
According to the mining ministry, the tender process seeks to restore Chile’s position in the world lithium market. Until 2016, the country was the world’s largest producer with 37 percent of the market, but today it ranks second behind Australia, with 32 percent.
If the country fails to increase its production, by 2030 its share would fall to 17 percent, according to official statistics.
International
Over 450 bags of human remains found near Jalisco’s World Cup stadium
At least 456 bags containing human remains have been found in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, according to reports from the search collective Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco. The remains were discovered at various locations, all near Akron Stadium — one of the venues selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — said José Raúl Servín García, a member of the organization.
“We are counting approximately 456 bags, more or less, and they are all in the vicinity of Akron Stadium, which is set to be a World Cup venue. Unfortunately, it’s tragic that a World Cup will be held here when there is so much evil,” Servín told Aristegui Noticias. He revealed that the most recent discovery was made in September, although searches in the area began in 2022.
What is most alarming, Servín explained, is that the remains do not all belong to people who disappeared years ago; some of the bodies appear to have been buried less than a year ago, indicating that the clandestine graves are still active.
Among the bags are complete bodies, dismembered parts, and skeletal remains. Servín also reported that search collectives have documented pressure and threats suggesting the involvement or intimidation of organized crime in the handling of bodies within official institutions.
“We know that criminal groups have threatened Forensic Sciences, because they decide which bodies are released and which are not. Families are told that if they know their child is there, they should leave them and not claim the body, or there will be consequences,” he added.
International
Colombia rescues 17 minors linked to ultra-orthodox sect Lev Tahor
Colombian authorities have rescued 17 minors from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor in the northwestern region of the country, Migration Colombia reported on Sunday. Five of the rescued children were listed under international search notices issued by Interpol for kidnapping and human trafficking.
Lev Tahor has been at the center of several recent cases involving child abuse and mistreatment in countries such as Guatemala. Colombian officials said they received alerts about the group’s presence in the country along with several minors, who were transferred to a government-supervised shelter following their rescue.
“We rescued 17 children and adolescents from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor (…) There are international alerts for crimes against minors linked to this community,” Migration Colombia stated on X, sharing a photograph showing several of the minors dressed head-to-toe in black tunics with their faces concealed.
According to a police report, the minors hold various nationalities, including Guatemalan, American, and Canadian. The rescue operation was conducted on Saturday. “There are indications that some may have been abducted, suggesting a possible scenario of human trafficking concealed under religious doctrine,” the report noted.
Interpol has issued red notices for some members of the sect, who are wanted internationally. Authorities indicated that the group had traveled to Colombia “seeking a country where they would not face restrictions on continuing their alleged irregular activities.”
In December 2024, Guatemalan authorities rescued 160 children from the group. Numerous members were arrested and charged with crimes such as human trafficking, forced pregnancy, and the forced marriage of minors.
The sect was founded in the 1980s and established a base in Guatemala in 2013, but has also clashed with authorities in Mexico and Canada.
International
At least 10 dead and 20 injured in highway crash near Morelia
The accident occurred on the highway connecting Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, with the town of Pátzcuaro, the Morelia police reported in a statement.
“Preliminary information indicates there are around 10 fatalities and nearly 20 people injured. Emergency teams are carrying out extraction efforts and providing medical assistance at the scene,” the department said. It added that traffic on the roadway remains closed while rescue crews continue their work.
So far, authorities have not specified the cause of the crash.
Road accidents are common in Mexico, often caused by excessive speed or poor vehicle maintenance, particularly involving buses or cargo trucks.
In September, a truck carrying nearly 50,000 liters of gas exploded at an intersection in Mexico City, resulting in 32 deaths.
Over 450 bags of human remains found near Jalisco’s World Cup stadium
Colombia rescues 17 minors linked to ultra-orthodox sect Lev Tahor
At least 10 dead and 20 injured in highway crash near Morelia
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
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