International
Political parties in Bolivia ask the Legislature to suspend the primary elections
The political parties of Bolivia determined this Wednesday, after a meeting, to ask the Legislator to evaluate whether it is pertinent to hold the primary elections of presidential candidates for the 2025 elections, given the priority of the postponed judicial elections being held this year.
“The attendees unanimously ask the Plurinational Legislative Assembly to approve a law that suspends the primary elections for the 2024 administration,” says part of the “declaration for democracy,” which was signed by the majority of the representatives of political organizations.
The representatives of the opposition parties and the Executive endorsed the proposal of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), with the exception of the former president and leader of the ruling Movement to Socialism (MAS) Evo Morales (2006-2019), who did not sign the joint statement and withdrew before the press conference.
The meeting was convened by the Electoral entity, and had the participation of representatives of 11 parties and two political alliances, as well as delegates from the Executive and Legislative to guide the route to the 2025 general elections in the Andean country.
On Tuesday, the TSE had already proposed that the primary elections for presidential candidates be suspended, arguing that the judicial elections, also planned, should not be contaminated with political issues.
The judicial elections that were to be held in 2023 were suspended due to obstacles in the Legislature, and the magistrates extended their mandate, an action that generated controversy and discontent in various sectors of Bolivia.
The president of the TSE, Óscar Hassenteufel, added that the Electoral Body will be in charge of presenting a bill for the suspension of the primary elections.
In addition, they asked the Legislature to resume an analysis of the progressive implementation of the primaries “to promote internal democracy in political organizations.”
The Minister of the Presidency, María Nela Prada, representing the Government, said in her speech that it is important that the judicial elections be held. “We want judicial elections and real transformation of justice,” he said.
Prada pointed out that the holding of primary elections would not be relevant, taking into account that the previous ones, carried out in 2019, cost the Bolivian State 25 million Bolivians (3.6 million dollars) without giving the “expected results.”
The meeting was attended by the leaders of the two opposition political alliances, former President Carlos Mesa, of Comunidad Ciudadana (CC), and Zvonko Matković, on behalf of Creemos. Its main leader is the suspended governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, who is imprisoned.
The presidents of the Chamber of Senators, Andrónico Rodríguez, and of the Chamber of Deputies, Israel Huaytari, also attended.
The other political leaders who signed the declaration for democracy are Jhonny Fernández, mayor of the eastern region of Santa Cruz and representative of UCS; Felix Patzi, of the Third System Movement, and Elizabeth Reyes, of National Unity.
The representatives of the Social Democratic Movement (MDS), the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), the Bolivian National Action Party (Pan-Bol), the Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN) and the Christian Democratic Party.
The leaders and representatives of the political organizations reaffirmed their commitment and democratic rights for the holding of the presidential elections in 2025 on the established terms and deadlines.
In addition, it is a priority for those attending the meeting to hold the judicial elections, “in order to renew the judicial authorities within the constitutional and legal framework in force in the country.”
The TSE committed to guaranteeing “the widest transparency in the consolidation and reliability of the biometric electoral register for the general elections.”
In addition, the Electoral Body will progressively implement a system of dissemination of preliminary results in future electoral processes.
Finally, they emphasized that the TSE must exercise its powers without the interference of another organ of the Bolivian State.
International
Pope Francis meets former Gaza hostages
Pope Francis met on Thursday at the Vatican with 16 Israelis who had been held hostage in Gaza for months by the Islamist group Hamas, according to the official Vatican news website.
The group consisted of ten women, four men, and two children, as reported by the same source. Several of the former hostages showed the Argentine pontiff banners or photos of their loved ones who remain in captivity.
Francis had previously met with the families of hostages in April this year and November 2023, but this was the first time he had met with individuals who had personally endured captivity.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began, the pope has repeatedly called for the immediate release of Israeli hostages, while also condemning the suffering of the Palestinian population.
The war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Islamist militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,206 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures that include hostages who died in captivity.
Of the kidnapped, 97 are still being held in Gaza, but the Israeli military estimates that 34 of them have died.
The military offensive launched by Israel in response has killed at least 43,736 people in the Gaza Strip, mostly civilians, according to data from the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-governed territory.
International
Israeli airstrikes on Damascus kill 15 and injure 16, including women and children
Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on residential buildings in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and its surroundings on Thursday, resulting in at least 15 deaths and 16 injuries, according to Syria’s Ministry of Defense and state television.
The ministry stated that around 3:20 p.m. local time (12:20 GMT), the Israeli military launched an aerial attack from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights, targeting several residential buildings in the Mazzeh neighborhood in western Damascus and the Qudsaya suburb to the northwest of the capital.
The airstrikes “resulted in the death of 15 people and injuries to 16 others, including women and children,” based on initial estimates, in addition to significant damage to private property and civilian buildings, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, state television reported Israeli airstrikes on three buildings in Mazzeh and another on a building in an educational complex located in a residential area of Qudsaya.
Following the strikes, loud explosions were heard throughout the city, and thick plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the targeted locations. Ambulances and emergency services rushed to the scene to attend to the victims.
International
Drug trafficker dies after boat collision with Guardia Civil Vessel in Sanlúca
Three people were on the boat that collided with a Guardia Civil vessel around midnight at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near the Andalusian city of Cádiz, a spokesperson for the Civil Guard reported.
Two officers sustained “contusions,” the spokesperson explained.
The drug traffickers managed to bring the boat to shore, where one of them was “abandoned” severely injured. The other two fled.
The Civil Guard officers attempted to resuscitate the victim before transporting him to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, but he ultimately died early in the morning.
The other two suspects took advantage of the officers’ absence while they were taking the victim and returned to set their boat on fire.
The collision occurred very close to the site of another accident on September 1, where a drug trafficker died following a Guardia Civil pursuit.
The suspects’ boat traveled “400 meters” before crashing head-on and “at full speed” into the riverbank, where a hundred bundles of hashish were found.
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