International

Subcommittee on Constitutional Accusations of Congress meets today for ‘Los Niños’ case

Photo: GEC y Caretas/ Composición

February 13 |

This Monday, February 13, the Sub-Commission of Constitutional Accusations of the Congress of the Republic will meet to continue with the investigation process for the case of ‘Los Niños’. The meeting has been scheduled for eight o’clock in the morning and the hearings will continue in order to clarify the alleged crimes against the parliamentarians of Acción Popular.

The constitutional complaint reaches congressmen Raúl Doroteo, Juan Carlos Celis, Jorge Flores, Darwin Espinoza, Ilich López and Elvis Vergara, all members of the political party Acción Popular. The legislators are being accused as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of aggravated collusion, improper passive bribery, criminal organization and influence peddling.

According to Parliament’s agenda, this session will include the testimonies of several civilian witnesses in the case. Beder Camacho, Salatiel Marrufo, Biberto Castillo and congressmen Hilda Portero and Silvia Monteza have also been called to participate.

Anibal Torres, former president of the Council of Ministers, participated as a witness in the sub-commission of Constitutional Accusations of the Congress on the ‘Los Niños’ case. The former premier assured that he is not aware that the denounced legislators have received any benefit from former president Pedro Castillo.

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“The congressmen who have participated, have intervened, have not talked to me, except for some rare exceptions. Time is not enough because we are collecting the concerns of the local authorities, as well as those of the citizens,” he said.

The denunciation filed by Congresswoman Patricia Chirinos highlights that those investigated colluded with Pedro Castillo to benefit with works if they supported him in the event of an eventual vacancy and thus the former president would remain in power.

For his part, PNP Colonel Harvey Colchado remarked that the hypothesis of the Prosecutor’s Office indicates that the congressmen benefited in the Produce ministry, due to the fact that in the vacancy debate against former president Pedro Castillo, the so-called ‘Los Niños’ voted against the initiative, in spite of their party’s position.

According to Harvey Colchado’s version, Congressman Darwin Espinoza was the one who recommended the Minister of Production, Jorge Palomino, to former President Pedro Castillo to occupy the position so that everything would have a single “connection”.

“The congressman at first attacked the Government and the Minister of Production because they had appointed a minister that they had not recommended. The former president Pedro Castillo asked the congressman Darwin Espinoza to give him a month to change the head of the sector and place the one he believes convenient, being appointed Jorge Palomino”, he mentioned.

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The member of the Special Team against Corruption of Power made it known in front of the Sub-Commission of Constitutional Accusations that, last September 7, 2021, the congressmen called ‘The Children’ arrived at the Government Palace to hold a meeting with Pedro Castillo; however, he was absent due to the health condition of his youngest daughter.

In addition, it was mentioned that this would not be the first time that these congressmen held meetings with the former president in strict privacy.

International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.