International
Mohamed VI of Morocco celebrates 25 years on the throne: reforms and challenges
The reign of King Mohamed VI of Morocco, which celebrates 25 years this Tuesday, has been characterized by political reforms such as the promulgation of a new Constitution and economic reforms with the construction of large infrastructures, but also by development imbalances in the different regions of the country and criticism of the lack of freedom of the press.
The Allawi king came to the throne on July 23, 1999, after the death of Hassan II, with the intention of breaking with his father’s repressive and traditionalist era in terms of human rights, the modernization of the economy and the democratization of the political scene.
From the beginning, the young monarch, who is now 60 years old, paid special attention to women’s rights and in 2003 announced the need for reforms in the area of divorce and polygamy.
A year later, a new Family Code was approved, which granted more rights to women and is now subject to a new review.
In a spirit of breaking with his father’s repressive legacy and shedding light on those known as ‘years of lead’, Mohamed VI created in 2004 the Equity and Reconciliation Instance, which treated more than 17,000 cases of serious human rights violations and compensated the victims.
Seven years later, in 2011, the monarchy faced democratic demands of the ‘Arab Spring’ protests, after a historical abstention rate in the 2007 legislative elections that exceeded 60%. Mohamed VI announced a revision of the Constitution.
The new Magna Carta, which stipulates parity as a governing principle of public policies, consolidated the position of the Parliament and the Presidency of the Government, although it did not essentially modify the powers of the monarch, who continues to set the country’s guidelines.
During his reign, the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has multiplied by more than three to 129.6 billion euros in 2023, but without reaching the speed of other emerging countries in the region, such as Senegal, whose GDP is almost five times higher.
In the last 25 years, the Human Development Index (HDI), which reflects economic development and analyzes health, education and income, has shown a continuous improvement, but not at the same pace as other countries and Morocco has decreased in the international ranking from 112th place in 1999 to 120th in 2022.
Morocco has undertaken plans to modernize agriculture, until it becomes an export reference to Europe, has consolidated a textile and automotive industry and foresees an energy transformation.
Infrastructures such as the Tanger Med megaport, the largest in the Mediterranean and Africa, have also been inaugurated, the highway network has been expanded from 400 to 1,400 kilometers and the first high-speed train has been established.
Despite state efforts, Morocco continues to suffer an imbalance between the most developed industrial Atlantic axis, which connects the northern city of Tangier with the southern city of Agadir, and the most impoverished regions of the east and southeast of the country.
The earthquake of 2023 that shook the mountains of southern Marrakech and left almost 3,000 dead revealed a Morocco where there are still isolated villages that live in precariousness.
One of the critical moments of the era of Mohamed VI was the outst of social protests in the northern region of the Rif, which began in October 2016 in the city of Al-Ocemas and lasted until mid-2017.
During the protests, half a thousand people were arrested. Almost all of them have been serving their sentences or have benefited from royal pardons, except for six, including the leader of the revolt Naser Zafzafi, who is serving a 20-year sentence.
Morocco receives criticism in terms of press freedom. Organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders, as well as the European Parliament, denounce the imprisonment of journalists.
Some convictions that, according to the Moroccan Government, are for crimes of common crime, such as rape, unrelated to his profession as journalists.
Central America
Young actress Adriana Isabel Mojica dies in tragic accident in Torrelodones
Young actress and singer Adriana Isabel Mojica, 19 years old, died Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle in Torrelodones, Spain, confirmed the town’s mayor.
“I am deeply shocked by the death of our young neighbor Adriana Isabel in this tragic accident. My heartfelt support goes to her family and friends during these terribly difficult times. Rest in peace,” posted Almudena Negro, Mayor of Torrelodones.
According to Spain’s El Mundo newspaper, the incident occurred on the A-6 motorway, at kilometer 31.5, at 7:35 a.m.
International
Salvadoran Day celebration returns to Dallas with cultural festivities and free admission
With great joy, Salvadorans residing in Dallas, Texas, will celebrate Salvadoran Day this Saturday, a festival that will bring together thousands of Salvadorans to revive the culture of our country.
The event will take place at the Levy Event Plaza in Irving, Texas. Admission is free, and it is one of the largest Salvadoran events in the United States.
The festival has been held for 25 years, starting in Los Angeles, California, and has expanded to other states, with Dallas hosting it for the second consecutive year.
“Last year, we celebrated it, and thank God it was a success. This year, we will feature our mythological characters, which we started implementing last year and want to continue. It will be a family event, and we want all Hispanics living in Dallas to join us,” said Evelyn Molina, the event organizer.
International
Panama boosts deportations of migrants through Darién gap amid significant drop in arrivals
The Panamanian government pledged on Tuesday to increase the number of deportations of irregular migrants arriving in the country through the Darién Gap, a dangerous jungle that connects with Colombia. The flow of migrants through this area dropped by more than 50 percent in August after President José Raúl Mulino promised to drastically reduce the influx.
“It is clear and evident that given the volume of people, it is difficult to say that we will deport about 500 per day, but we are improving logistics. We are at the beginning of this program,” said Minister of Public Security Frank Alexis Ábrego, as reported by the newspaper ‘El Siglo.’
Ábrego noted that repatriations are voluntary and depend on individuals who wish to return to their countries. He also mentioned the detection of criminals “sought by Interpol and police forces from Ecuador, Colombia, and other countries” who entered Panama through the Darién Gap.
“The goal is to cut off the passage of these criminals to the United States. Our primary interest is to protect our citizens from these criminals attempting to transit through our country; for example, in the last two months, we have detected two members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13, and the most recent one was already residing in our country,” he added.
Finally, he stated that the United States contributed approximately six million dollars to fund deportation flights as part of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.
Over half a million people crossed this area in 2023, where three crossings were closed in July to try to reduce or at least manage arrivals. The Biden administration has also sought cooperation from Panamanian authorities to control the migrant flow to its southern border with Mexico.
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