International
Peruvians clamor anew for president’s removal
| By AFP |
After a fortnight-long break, Peruvians took to the streets again on Wednesday, blocking roads countrywide to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, who took over from her ousted predecessor in December.
Protesters used stones and burning tires to barricade main routes in the southern regions of Puno, Cusco, Apurimac and Arequipa, as well as Junin in the center, chanting for Boluarte to leave.
She took over on December 7 as the South American country’s first woman president following the impeachment and arrest of Pedro Castillo after he tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.
Castillo, a leftist former rural school teacher and union leader, faced vehement opposition from Congress during his 18 months in office, and had been the subject of numerous criminal investigations into allegations of widespread graft.
His ouster sparked nationwide protests, with Peru’s rights ombudsman reporting 22 people killed in clashes and more than 600 injured.
Boluarte’s government declared a 30-day nationwide state of emergency, while she attempted to calm the uproar by seeking to bring forward elections.
The demonstrations died down over the holiday period, but by Wednesday the protesters had remobilized.
“There are ten blockades, mainly around Puno,” government spokesman Alberto Otarola told reporters in Lima, where a crisis center was erected.
In Arequipa, police sought to break up hundreds of protesters using tear gas.
Dozens also gathered in the capital, Lima.
“The airports are functioning normally,” said Otarola.
As a precaution, train services between the town of Cusco and the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu were suspended indefinitely Tuesday and some 2,000 tourists escorted from the heritage site.
In the first wave of protests, thousands of tourists found themselves stranded at Machu Picchu and Cusco for days due to road, railway and airport blockades.
Public buildings and airports expecting protests were being guarded by police and soldiers deployed under the state of emergency.
From Lima, Boluarte called Wednesday for an end to the protests she blamed for “delays, pain, economic losses” and appealed instead for “peace, calm, unity to promote development of the homeland.”
Protest leader Milan Knezvich, in the mountainous Apurimac region, vowed the struggle will continue.
“No one will want to talk to her. As long as Mrs Dina Boluarte does not resign, this will continue,” he told Exitosa radio.
The new government has agreed to bring forward elections set for 2026 to April next year, but many want voting to happen even sooner.
On Tuesday, marches were held in various parts of Peru against the planned restart of the anti-Boluarte protests.
International
Gates Foundation to close by 2045 as Bill Gates pledges to donate $200 Billion
When Bill and Melinda French Gates established the Gates Foundation in 2000, they envisioned an organization that would continue its work for decades after their deaths. But now, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says he doesn’t want to wait that long to give away most of his fortune.
On Thursday, Gates announced that he plans to donate “virtually all” of his estimated $200 billion fortune over the next 20 years and will dissolve the foundation on December 31, 2045.
The announcement comes amid deep cuts by the Trump administration to funding for health, foreign aid, and public assistance programs — the very causes the Gates Foundation supports. The shift raises concerns about setbacks in global health research and critical development initiatives.
Gates says he wants to accelerate the foundation’s work in global health and equity, and hopes the move will inspire other billionaires to follow suit. In a blog post published Thursday morning, he emphasized that the foundation’s final phase should serve as a model for large-scale philanthropic impact.
This new pledge builds on Gates’s long-standing commitment to philanthropy. Alongside French Gates and Warren Buffett, he co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010, which encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth either during their lifetimes or in their wills. The campaign now has more than 240 signatories worldwide.
International
Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of endangering the world’s poorest children
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft turned global health philanthropist, sharply criticized Elon Musk in a recent interview with The New York Times, saying the tech billionaire is “the richest man in the world and is involved in the deaths of the world’s poorest children.”
At 69, Gates announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will cease operations by 2045, and he urged the next generation of billionaires to step up. However, he expressed concern that today’s wealthy individuals are less committed to humanitarian work than they were two decades ago.
He cited Elon Musk as a prime example: “He’s the one who cut the USAID budget. He shredded it — all because he didn’t attend some party that weekend.”
Gates argued that Musk “could have been a great philanthropist,” but instead, “the richest man in the world is now contributing to the deaths of the world’s poorest children.” He pointed to how cuts to USAID have disrupted essential programs fighting HIV, malaria, and polio.
Gates called on the global elite to do more: “It’s not that we’re running out of rich people. There will be more, and they’ll reflect on what AI has done — or hasn’t — and what governments have done — or haven’t.”
Looking ahead, he urged future billionaires to commit to greater philanthropy, especially as his own foundation phases out: “The rich of today should do more. The rich twenty years from now should do more.”
Despite his criticisms, Gates maintained his trademark optimism. He dismissed fears that repeated U.S. administrations will continue cutting humanitarian budgets: “I don’t think there will be administration after administration slashing these things. If we look 20 years ahead, I believe we’ll continue reducing child mortality.”
Gates also expressed faith in artificial intelligence, suggesting it can provide medical expertise in remote regions on par with doctors with decades of experience — potentially even better than what’s available in wealthy countries.
International
VP JD Vance to World Cup visitors: “Enjoy the game, then go home”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance issued a light-hearted but firm warning to international visitors planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“We know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to a hundred countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to enjoy the games,” said Vance during a press conference on Tuesday focused on the organization of upcoming major sporting events in the U.S.
“But when it’s over, they’ll have to go home,” he added.
Vance, speaking in a joking tone, also mentioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “Otherwise, they’ll have to speak with Secretary Noem.”
The comment came during the first joint working session aimed at preparing for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 national teams and take place across multiple cities in North America.
Gates Foundation to close by 2045 as Bill Gates pledges to donate $200 Billion
Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of endangering the world’s poorest children
VP JD Vance to World Cup visitors: “Enjoy the game, then go home”
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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