International
Chilean President promises to prioritize social rights and security
June 1 |
The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, declared today that his government’s roadmap in the next stage will have social rights, public safety and sustainable development as priorities.
During his second Public Account, from the seat of the National Congress in Valparaiso, the President mentioned some achievements of his administration, such as the increase in the minimum wage, the reduction of the working day and the elimination of health payments.
“But we must not be confident, nor relax in the fight against poverty”, said Boric, and called to move towards a country where equality of opportunities is effective, wage equality between men and women is achieved, and universal health and pensions are improved.
The dignitary insisted on the urgency of advancing in Parliament the Pension Reform, which seven months ago was presented in that instance and the vote on the project has not yet begun.
He acknowledged that one of the great scourges of society is the so-called waiting list in hospitals, and reported that in the first year of his government, the time for surgery was reduced by 32.7 percent and the time for specialist consultations by 22 percent.
“This is a great advance, but it is not enough: half of the people still have to wait more than 330 days for surgery and more than 261 days to see a specialist,” he said.
Boric promised to reduce these times by 40 percent by the end of his term, for which additional resources are necessary, one more reason to insist on tax reform.
In his speech to the nation, the President admitted that he had to order his priorities in view of the degree of tensions presented by society, its fears and uncertainties, and the delay of the State in responding to them.
“We have made the fight against crime our first priority, allocating more resources for the police, creating the National Policy against Organized Crime and the Streets without Violence Plan, which is already making progress in reducing crime, dismantling gangs and seizing drugs and weapons,” he said.
He stated that the State of Chile has been affected by this social pandemic for several years.
“It is hard to say it, but in terms of resources, technology and recruitment, crime, crime, drug and arms technology and recruitment, delinquency, drug trafficking and organized crime have modernized much faster than the state did to fight them and protect the population. to fight them and protect the population,” he said.
During the balance, the president reported that his administration increased the budget for security and order by 4.4 percent this year, the first increase after five years of stagnation.
In environmental matters, he mentioned the conclusion of an agreement for a marine protection corridor along the Pacific.
He added that in the coming weeks the Oceans Treaty will be deposited at the United Nations headquarters in New York after 16 years of discussion, and Chile presented its candidacy to become the world capital for its protection.
International
Pope Leo XIV signals focus on social justice and AI challenges
Pope Leo XIV explained on Saturday that he chose his papal name to reflect a strong commitment to social causes in response to the challenges posed by the new industrial revolution and the rise of artificial intelligence.
The new leader of the Catholic Church, born in the United States and naturalized Peruvian, has drawn global attention since his election on Thursday. In a speech to the College of Cardinals, the 69-year-old pontiff said the choice of his name was inspired by Pope Leo XIII, known for championing workers’ rights during the 19th century.
“I considered taking the name Leo XIV. There are several reasons, but the main one is that Pope Leo XIII, through his historic encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question during the first great industrial revolution,” said the new pope.
The 1891 encyclical, which translates roughly to “new things” or “innovations,” is considered the foundation of the Catholic Church’s social doctrine, emphasizing human dignity, solidarity, and the common good.
“Today, the Church offers its body of social teaching to help respond to another industrial revolution and to developments in artificial intelligence, which bring new challenges for defending human dignity, justice, and labor,” he added.
In the first Mass of his pontificate on Friday, the former missionary from Chicago—who served as a bishop in Peru—lamented the decline of faith in favor of “money,” “power,” and “pleasure.”
Following his election as spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Robert Francis Prevost has gradually revealed his pastoral style. On Thursday night, during his first public appearance from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he addressed the crowd in both Italian and Spanish.
Central America
Former Panama President Ricardo Martinelli flees to Colombia after 15 months in Nicaraguan embassy
Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli traveled to Colombia on Saturday after being granted asylum, ending a 15-month stay in the Nicaraguan embassy where he had taken refuge to avoid serving an almost 11-year prison sentence for money laundering, Panama’s Foreign Ministry announced.
The Panamanian government “granted the necessary safe conduct” for the “safe departure of the asylee, Panamanian citizen Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal,” to Colombia, whose government had approved his asylum request, the ministry said in a statement.
The 73-year-old right-wing former leader had been living in the Nicaraguan embassy since February 7, 2024, shortly after his conviction was upheld for using public funds to acquire a media group during his 2009–2014 presidency.
Martinelli, also a supermarket chain owner, left the embassy in a diplomatic vehicle and was taken to an airport from which he departed to Colombia, according to the statement, which did not provide further details.
In March, President José Raúl Mulino — a right-wing politician who won the May 5, 2024 elections largely due to Martinelli’s popularity — authorized safe conduct for Martinelli to travel to Managua. However, the Nicaraguan government, led by Daniel Ortega, refused to accept him, citing Panama’s failure to guarantee that the former leader was not subject to an Interpol red notice.
Despite his legal troubles, Martinelli remained highly popular in Panama and was the frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race until his conviction disqualified him. His close ally, Mulino, ultimately took his place as candidate and won the presidency.
International
Pope Leo XIV’s roots in Peru inspire hope for Amazon protection
The bishop sat silently near the front row, hands clasped, as Indigenous leaders and Church workers spoke about the threats facing the forests of northern Peru, deep within the Amazon. It was 2016, one year after Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment.
When it was his turn to speak, the bishop didn’t preach—even though the gathering was taking place in his own city, Chiclayo, where he was hosting a regional meeting. Instead, he reflected on what he had witnessed.
“I believe it’s a very important encyclical,” he said. “It also marks a new step in the Church’s explicit expression of concern for all of creation.”
That bishop, Robert Prevost, is now Pope Leo XIV.
“He was always warm and approachable,” recalled Laura Vargas, secretary of the Interreligious Council of Peru, who helped organize the event, in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
“He had a strong interest in a socially engaged ministry, very close to the people. That’s why, when we proposed holding the event in his diocese, he welcomed it without hesitation,” she added.
Since then, Prevost has strengthened ties with environmental interfaith networks like the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative and Indigenous organizations such as AIDESEP, which place forest protection and rights at the heart of Church concerns.
These credentials have given hope to clergy and the faithful across the Amazon region—a vast area of 48 million people and 6.7 million square kilometers (2.6 million square miles) in South America. Many see Prevost, who was born in Chicago and spent nearly two decades in rural Peru, as a pope who will protect the region and stand up to climate change.
Pope Leo XIV signals focus on social justice and AI challenges
Former Panama President Ricardo Martinelli flees to Colombia after 15 months in Nicaraguan embassy
Pope Leo XIV’s roots in Peru inspire hope for Amazon protection
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