International
Legislators related to Evo Morales prevent the Arce report in Parliament, which qualifies it as an “act of vandalism”
The pro-government parliamentarians of the wing related to the former Bolivianpresident EvoMorales (2006-2019) violently prevented this Friday the installation of the legislative session in which the country’s president, Luis Arce, was to present a management report. Arce launched harsh criticism of former president Morales for the “vandal act” carried out by parliamentarians.
The Bolivian vice president, David Choquehuanca, who also presides over the Legislative Assembly, was preparing to begin the parliamentary session when a group of deputies and senators of the governmental Movement to Socialism (MAS) related to Morales violently approached the main stand.
The parliamentarians of the so-called ‘evista’ wing or close to the former governor destroyed a floral arrangement placed in front of the platform and threw tomatoes and water at Choquehuanca, while the vice president’s security team tried to cover him with a jacket.
Choquehuanca finally left the place and the session did not come to be installed, so now some official information is expected about the place from where Arce will give his management report.
An “act of vandalism”
The president regretted that there had to be “another vandalistic act starring the Evista bench,” that is, of parliamentarians related to Morales, “in the Legislative Assembly.”
“The ‘evismo’ again demonstrates with its actions that it has no will to dialogue or to depose its violent attitudes that are causing so much damage to our country,” said Arce, who has been distanced from Morales since the end of 2021.
The ruler said he felt “other people’s shame” for what happened which, he added, “will be registered as one of the most shameful chapters in the history” of the Bolivian Legislature.
He also expressed his condemnation of the “aggressions” suffered by Choquehuanca and the “arcist” parliamentarians or related to his government and offered an apology “to the Bolivian people and the international community” for these events.
“What we have seen today is not what we Bolivians are, nor does it represent popular feeling. What the world has witnessed today is a group of followers of Evo Morales, who continues to damage our country by imposing an unconstitutional candidacy and by seeking impunity in their judicial processes,” he said.
Arce accuses ‘evismo’ of seeking “impunity” in cases against Morales
Luis Arce accused the relatives of former president Evo Morales of causing “damage” to the country to “impose an unconstitutional candidacy and for seeking impunity in their judicial proceedings,” in reference to the investigations into human trafficking and rape that weigh against the former president.
“What we have seen today is not what we Bolivians are, nor does it represent popular feeling. What the world has witnessed today is a group of followers of Evo Morales, who continues to damage our country by imposing an unconstitutional candidacy and by seeking impunity in their judicial processes,” he said.
The dispute between Arce and Morales
The day before, the Deputy Minister of Communication, Gabriela Alcón, guaranteed that Arce will present her report, as the Constitution indicates, and will also give a message to the population “at a complicated time” after the 24 days of roadblocks completed by Evo Morales’ followers in the face of a criminal process against him.
Arce will give his report from Plaza Murillo on a newly assembled platform for the suspension of the legislative session.
Arce and Morales have been distanced since the end of 2021 due to differences in the state administration, the need to renew the national leadership of the MAS, still in the hands of the former president, and the definition of the official candidacy for the 2025 general elections.
The ruling party fight deepened after a criminal investigation against Morales was known in a case of human trafficking and rape that the former governor considers to be a “political persecution” to leave him out of the electoral contest and for which his followers blocked roads for 24 days.
The last year of Arce
Arce begins on this day his fifth and last year of management in the midst of this struggle in his party and also of an economic crisis reflected in the lack of dollars and fuel and the increase in the price of some basic products.
On the social network X, Morales reiterated his criticisms against Arce and maintained that at the end of his fourth year of administration, he “trayed the Bolivian people.”
“He had the commitment to raise the economy and sank it, the commitment to respect institutionality and destroyed it, the commitment to be transparent and was corrupted. In addition, he divided and pre-pre-ended the leadership leaders of social movements,” he questioned.
He also considered that the “only objective” of the Arce Government is to “proscribe the MAS and disqualify Evo” as a candidate for 2025.
“They will go down in history as the worst of governments,” the former governor added.
International
Biden administration approves $8 billion arms sale to Israel ahead of Trump’s Presidency
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden approved a weapons sale to Israel worth approximately $8 billion, which includes air defense ammunition, the State Department announced on Saturday.
The sale—which must be approved by Congress—was agreed upon just days before Republican Donald Trump assumes the presidency, also a strong ally of Israel in the Gaza conflict. Before leaving office, Joe Biden once again ignored pressure from human rights organizations and Democratic lawmakers who oppose the arms sale to Israel.
“The president made it clear that Israel has the right to defend its citizens in accordance with international law and humanitarian law, and to deter aggression from Iran and its allied organizations,” it was stated.
International
Scottie Pippen’s dream predictions about Bitcoin gain attention as market faces volatility
Financial analyst Jim Bianco commented on Monday about Scottie Pippen’s dream encounters with Satoshi Nakamoto, noting that the NBA legend’s predictions about Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) have been surprisingly accurate.
What Happened Bianco, president and founder of Bianco Research, stated in a post on X that Pippen’s predictions have gained followers due to their accuracy, despite the strange methods he claims to use, such as receiving messages from Bitcoin’s anonymous creator in his dreams.
Bianco also analyzed Pippen’s latest forecast, in which the basketball star said, “I just took a nap, and Satoshi whispered to me: ‘Bitcoin will get closer to the Black Mamba numbers before it returns to Chamberlain.’”
According to Bianco, the post referenced NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 81 and 100 points in a single game, respectively. Simply put, Pippen expected Bitcoin to drop to $81,000 before recovering to $100,000.
Why It Matters The world’s leading cryptocurrency has fallen below the key support level of $93,000 and is at risk of falling further. Since the Christmas rally, Bitcoin has dropped by up to 6.5%.
Earlier, Pippen grabbed attention by predicting Bitcoin would hit $84,000 on U.S. presidential election day. While the digital asset didn’t meet these predictions, it reached $84,000 a week later.
International
Ecuador Imposes 60-Day State of Emergency in Most Violent Provinces as Drug Gangs Clash
Ecuador, engaged in a war against drug trafficking gangs, has declared a new state of emergency in Quito and seven of its 24 provinces, which are considered the most violent, according to a presidential decree released on Friday.
The 60-day measure suspends the rights to the inviolability of the home and correspondence in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Santa Elena, and El Oro, as well as the Amazonian provinces of Orellana and Sucumbíos. This state of emergency has been in effect since Thursday and was implemented due to the severe internal turmoil and internal armed conflict declared last year because of drug-related violence.
The decree includes Quito (in the province of Pichincha) and the towns of La Troncal (Cañar) and the mining town of Camilo Ponce Enríquez (Azuay), as well as the prison system, now under military control.
The government of Daniel Noboa, which began in November 2023, has consistently used this measure in response to an escalating wave of drug gangs fighting for control of the streets and prisons.
“This declaration is based on… the increase in violence rates, the commission of crimes, and the prolonged intensity of the presence of organized armed groups,” states the decree released on the presidential website.
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