International

Peru militarizes its borders in response to the arrival of migrants

Photo: Mega

April 27 |

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte decreed on Wednesday a state of emergency on its borders and ordered the deployment of the military to reinforce controls in the face of the arrival of hundreds of migrants, mostly from Chile.

The troops will support surveillance at border crossings with Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia.

In principle, the state of emergency will be in force as of Thursday. However, the executive has not specified its duration nor whether rights will be restricted at the border crossings.

Relying on press reports stating that “those who commit daily assaults, robberies and other criminal acts are foreigners”, Boluarte claimed that his decision is aimed at combating insecurity.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

“That is why we have to speak almost in unison of migration and citizen insecurity”, he said.

In this sense, his Minister of Defense, Jorge Chavez, said that the state of emergency has the “purpose” of avoiding “the irregular and illegal entry” of people.

Under the desert sun and cold, hundreds of migrants who left Chile have been crowded for weeks at the border crossing between the Peruvian city of Tacna and the Chilean city of Arica, where the Peruvian authorities are preventing them from passing for lack of a stamped passport and valid visa.

Women, men and children are trapped between Chilean and Peruvian police officers guarding the border crossing, 1,500 km south of Lima.

The Peruvian government cut them off and sent 200 troops to reinforce migration controls, which had already been tightened by Chile.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the majority are Haitians and Venezuelans. The migrants claim that they only intend to cross Peruvian territory to their countries of origin or to the United States, in order to reunite with their families.

“We are between a rock and a hard place, we are doing this because we have our needs, but waiting here for a week, two weeks (…) nobody would want to do that”, said Venezuelan Yosier Canelón to AFP.

UNHCR issued a statement on Wednesday night where it advocated for a humanitarian solution to the situation of migrants on the border with Chile because while “it is the legitimate duty of States to control their borders; it is also important to have regular channels for people in need of international protection, family reunification and other humanitarian issues to access the territory through checkpoints”.

The UN agency welcomed some of the measures announced by Lima, including an “amnesty of fines that will allow 100,000 refugees and migrants in the country to regularize and update their data.”

“Regularization is a lifesaver: regular status is a door to local integration”, he added.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

Between Tacna and Arica there has been a daily average of 150 to 200 people.

“They are changing flows, there has been a peak of about 400 people, of different nationalities,” Federico Agusti, UNHCR’s representative in Peru, told AFP on Friday.

Migrants rejected by Peru have improvised camps at an intermediate point, in a sort of geographical limbo between the two countries, and others have returned to Arica.

With the measures announced by Lima “it is going to be more difficult for people to pass (to Peru), and we are going to have a situation of encampment at the border, which is what we have been warning about”, assured Gerardo Espíndola, mayor of Arica, to Biobío radio.

In addition to the state of emergency, Boluarte also announced that those who have entered Peru irregularly in recent years “will have a period of six months to go to the Peruvian authorities to regularize their situation”.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

It is estimated that the Venezuelan population in Peru, which represents almost 9 out of 10 foreigners, is close to 1.3 million people, of which one third do not have a migratory permit to stay in the country, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INEI).

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.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

“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.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

International

Former Trump allies call for removal, cite 25th Amendment amid Iran threats

Former allies of U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for his removal from office, arguing he is unfit to continue in the role following recent threats to “wipe out an entire civilization,” made just hours before the deadline of his ultimatum to Iran.

One of the most prominent voices was former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who invoked the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as a mechanism to remove the president from power.

“25th Amendment! Not a single bomb has fallen on the U.S. We cannot annihilate an entire civilization. This is evil and insanity,” Greene wrote on social media platform X.

Greene, once a leading figure within Trump’s political movement during his first term, broke with the president last November over disagreements on foreign policy and his handling of controversial cases.

Another former supporter, controversial commentator Alex Jones, also raised the possibility of applying the constitutional provision during his show, in a conversation with attorney Robert Barnes.

Barnes explained that invoking the 25th Amendment requires the support of two-thirds of Congress, making it a more complex process than impeachment.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

Section 4 of the amendment, ratified in 1967, establishes that the vice president, together with a majority of the cabinet, can declare the president unable to perform the duties of the office, a decision that must then be confirmed by both chambers of Congress.

The statements come amid rising international tensions and increasing domestic political pressure on the president.

International

Trump pauses strikes on Iran, extends ultimatum by two weeks

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a temporary suspension of attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks, extending the ultimatum he had imposed on Tehran just hours before its deadline.

According to the president, the measure is conditional on Iran allowing the “full, immediate, and secure” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump stated that the decision would involve a reciprocal ceasefire between both parties.

The announcement was made through a message on his social media platform, where he emphasized that the pause in military actions is intended to create space for de-escalation in the region.

He also noted that the decision followed a conversation with the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, who requested a two-week extension of the ultimatum.

The move comes amid heightened global tensions, marked by escalating threats and concerns over the potential impact of the conflict on key international energy trade routes.