International
Cristina Fernández affirms that persecution against her is for seeking social justice
22 mars |
The Vice President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, affirmed on Tuesday that the attacks and persecutions against her by the “judicial party” are due to the fact that progressive sectors seek equality in societies and fight for social justice.
“They do not persecute us because we are populists, or from the left, from the right, or from below or from above,” said the Argentine leader during her participation in the meeting called Popular Will and Democracy – From the Military Party to the Judicial Party, organized by the Puebla Group in Buenos Aires.
“They persecute us because we equalize societies, for social justice, for the right of workers to actively participate in the gross product of what they produce,” added Fernandez de Kirchner, who was president of Argentina from 2007 to 2015, and who has a court ruling that prohibits her from aspiring to a new electoral candidacy.
She stated that “they will never forgive us for the reconstruction of the economy and what we were able to build in terms of human rights (…) They will never forgive us”.
He maintained that “what the military party was to the popular governments of the 20th century, the lawfare (judicial persecution) is to the national, popular and democratic governments. Exactly the same”.
In this sense, the official denounced that lawfare “cannot be explained without the media. The sentence is written in the media and then a prosecutor or a judge subscribes the accusation or subscribes the sentence”.
Fernandez de Kircher said that, even if she runs the risk of being imprisoned, her main mission is to rebuild a democratic state in the country under the slogan of the Constitution.
“I am not interested in whether we are going to be condemned or if I am going to be disqualified, or if I am going to be imprisoned, I do not care, what matters to me fundamentally is that we return to rebuild a democratic and constitutional State, in which the guarantees established in the Constitution are not a painted cardboard”, she said.
The meeting was attended as members of the Puebla Group by former governors Rafael Correa (Ecuador), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Ernesto Samper (Colombia), José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (Spain) and José Mujica (Uruguay), who expressed their support to the Argentine Vice-President.
International
Artemis II crew prepares for Earth return and splashdown recovery
Astronauts from the Artemis II mission are expected to be extracted from the Orion spacecraft approximately two hours after splashdown, scheduled for 20:07 UTC this Friday (6:07 p.m. in San Salvador), according to NASA.
Following recovery, a rescue team will transport the crew by aircraft to the USS John P. Murtha. Once onboard, they will undergo medical evaluations before boarding another flight to the Johnson Space Center.
On Thursday, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, continued preparations for their return to Earth.
Their activities include stowing equipment used during the mission, securing cargo and storage compartments, and installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are properly fastened. The crew will also review the latest weather updates, recovery operations status, and reentry timeline, while preparing for post-landing procedures.
At 21:53 UTC (9:53 p.m. in San Salvador), Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to perform a second trajectory correction maneuver, refining the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. During this operation, Hansen will monitor guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.
NASA explained that during Friday’s reentry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. If necessary, a final trajectory adjustment will fine-tune the flight path before the capsule begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from jettisoned components.
Just before atmospheric interface, Orion will reach a peak speed of approximately 3,800 km/h. As it descends to about 400,000 feet (around 121.9 km), communications will be interrupted for approximately six minutes due to plasma formation around the capsule during peak heating.
NASA expects the crew to experience up to 3.9 G during a nominal reentry profile. After exiting the blackout phase, the capsule will jettison its forward bay cover. Drogue parachutes will deploy at around 22,000 feet (6.7 km), followed by the three main parachutes at approximately 6,000 feet (1.8 km).
Artemis II marks NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. The mission aims to validate capabilities for deep space human exploration and lay the groundwork for future long-term scientific missions on the lunar surface.
International
Flooding in Dominican Republic leaves child dead and thousands affected
A two-year-old girl died after a wall of her home collapsed amid severe flooding that struck Dominican Republic on Wednesday. The heavy rains also caused power outages, school closures, and reduced working hours across affected areas.
Authorities issued preventive alerts in 15 of the country’s 31 provinces due to intense rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms that began Tuesday night.
Juan Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations (COE), confirmed the child’s death to the press. The incident occurred in Santo Domingo Oeste, part of the capital region.
According to Red Cross officials, the girl died when a wall in her home collapsed following a landslide triggered by hours of heavy rain.
President Luis Abinader provided an update from the COE, stating that government agencies had been mobilized since early morning, particularly in Greater Santo Domingo, to protect lives and minimize material damage.
Floodwaters left several vehicles submerged, while others were swept away by strong currents. Authorities estimate that around 250,000 families have been affected by the flooding.
Earlier, Public Administration Minister Sigmund Freund announced reduced working hours, encouraging remote work for those facing transportation difficulties, while maintaining in-person operations for essential services.
International
Bill Gates to testify before Congress over Epstein connections
Bill Gates is set to testify on June 10 before a congressional committee in United States investigating links connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Tuesday.
The Microsoft co-founder is among several high-profile figures named in documents released by the Department of Justice, which detail alleged close associations, questionable financial dealings, and private photographs involving Epstein.
According to a spokesperson cited by Politico, Gates “welcomes” the opportunity to appear before the committee. The representative emphasized that Gates “never attended or participated in any illegal activities with Epstein” and is prepared to answer questions to support the investigation.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
In late February, Gates told members of his foundation’s board that his association with Epstein was a “huge mistake.” He has consistently denied any involvement in the financier’s criminal activities. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.
“I did nothing illegal. I saw nothing illegal,” Gates said, according to a recording obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
Gates acknowledged that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
A draft email written by Epstein and released by the Department of Justice referenced alleged extramarital relationships involving Gates. The message, which was apparently never sent, claimed that Epstein had helped “Bill” obtain medication related to encounters with Russian women.
Gates admitted to having had two extramarital affairs but denied any involvement with Epstein’s victims.
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