International
Santiago Peña takes office as president of Paraguay, promises prosperity and international presence
August 16|
Economist Santiago Peña took office on Tuesday as Paraguay’s new president with a promise to promote prosperity for all in his country and lead the South American nation to become a protagonist on the international scene.
Peña, 44, became the youngest president since the return to democracy and maintains the continuity in power of the conservative Colorado Party in Paraguay, a country that has faced allegations of corruption in the spheres of power and is the last South American nation to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
“Success is to make all Paraguayans better off and for the world to witness the resurgence of a giant,” the new president said at a ceremony in the Paraguayan capital.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by leaders from neighboring countries, including Luis Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Alberto Fernández of Argentina and Gabriel Boric of Chile, to whom he said he will seek to make Paraguay a key country for South American integration, and will therefore seek to improve the functioning of the Mercosur sub-regional bloc.
The ceremony was also attended by the King of Spain, Felipe VI, and the Vice President of Taiwan, William Lai, who traveled to Paraguay as part of a tour that will also take him to San Francisco and New York, at a time when China is seeking to increase the isolation of the autonomous island.
Regarding Taiwan, Peña said that their relationship is a sign of Paraguay’s policy of “alliances and cooperation with a geostrategic vision”.
Paraguay is one of 12 countries that still maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, mostly small and poor nations in Africa and the Caribbean.
“At the international level three global challenges generate geopolitical tensions: access to water, food security and energy sufficiency,” he said. “Paraguay being a power in those three major issues, we are called to be protagonists in the concert of nations.”
On the local level, he noted that his commitment is to “build a society where everyone can prosper,” he said, and pledged to generate at least 500,000 new jobs. In Paraguay, poverty reaches 24% of the little more than seven million inhabitants.
Peña is a US-trained economist who worked for the International Monetary Fund.
In recent months, the issue of corruption in power circles has shaken the South American country. The United States accused former president Horario Cartes (2013-2018) of corruption and froze his assets. Cartes, considered Peña’s political “godfather”, owns a conglomerate of companies ranging from tobacco to cattle ranching and large media outlets, and has denied the charges.
In his speech as new president, Peña thanked Cartes, current president of the Colorado Party, for what he called his perseverance “in building consensus and seeking agreements over differences”.
On corruption, Peña said he had “the conviction” that it is solved “with an independent, impartial and fast justice, with sufficient resources to ensure an adequate and homogeneous administration throughout the national territory”.
International
Missile attack hits Kharkiv homes, leaving 13 wounded
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that a Russian missile attack on residential buildings in the eastern city of Kharkiv has left at least 13 people injured, according to local authorities.
“A horrific Russian attack on Kharkiv,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, explaining that two missiles were fired, striking residential areas and causing “a number of casualties that is still being clarified.”
Local officials later confirmed that 13 people were injured in the attack, six of whom were hospitalized, including one woman in serious condition.
International
Sheinbaum evacuates National Palace after 6.5-magnitude earthquake hits Southern Mexico
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo evacuated the National Palace on Friday along with journalists and federal government staff after the seismic alert was activated during her morning press conference, triggered by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in the south of the country.
The alert sounded while the president was speaking from the Treasury Hall, forcing the immediate interruption of the event and the activation of established safety protocols.
“Oh, it’s shaking,” Sheinbaum said as she noticed the tremor, before urging those present to remain calm.
According to preliminary information, the earthquake struck the state of Guerrero, one of Mexico’s most seismically active regions. The National Seismological Service (SSN) reported that the quake occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time (13:58 GMT).
Sheinbaum led the orderly evacuation of the historic building, accompanied by reporters covering the briefing and federal government personnel. Images released afterward show the president waiting in the central courtyard of the National Palace as she awaited guidance from Civil Protection authorities on whether it was safe to resume activities.
International
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney to join Ukraine peace talks in Paris
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Friday that he will take part in peace negotiations on Ukrainescheduled to be held in Paris on January 5 and 6.
In a statement, the Canadian government said the meeting will bring together countries belonging to the so-called Coalition of the Willing, and aims to “accelerate efforts toward a negotiated peace” in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, supported by robust security guarantees.
Carney said Canada is working closely with its allies to achieve a “just and lasting peace,” stressing that the Coalition of the Willing must both deter further aggression and reinforce security guarantees, while ensuring that Ukraine is able to rebuild, recover and lay the foundations for genuine prosperity.
The Coalition of the Willing is made up of around 30 countries, the vast majority of them European, all of which are allies of Kyiv.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a meeting of the Coalition, alongside other European leaders, will take place in Paris on January 6, focusing on security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a future peace agreement with Russia.
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