Bloody Cúcuta
Last weekend was particularly unhappy in this northeastern Colombian city, bordering Venezuela, with nine murders. The most publicized, however, was that of a social activist focused on anti-corruption, who was also a lawyer and ombudsman. The community leader entered seeking refuge in a bakery, where he was chased by a hitman who executed him before the terrified eyes of those who were there. The authorities of the state of Norte de Santander, shaken by unrelenting violence, announced a reward of 13,000 dollars "for citizens who provide information that allows clarifying this situation and finding those responsible".
The head of the Casa de Nariño demanded from the Public Prosecutor's Office "the most thorough investigation[,] which should include the forensic examination of the information [from Vázquez's cell phone] which apparently was manipulated by officials after his death". Yes, because the observer's rights were violated even after his death. So far this year more than 40 social leaders have been reported killed in Colombia. The population mobilized on Monday to denounce the violence in front of the mayor's office. "Unfortunately we have no security, Cúcuta is abandoned as if it did not exist in our country. Cúcuta should be one of the best cities in Colombia, the best border; what we ask for is justice," observes another community leader in the capital of the state, whose governor was one of the targets of Vázquez's denunciation journalism.
Vigil against violence in Cúcuta (source).Handling of financial aid for students in Panama stirs up the political hornet's nest, again
After the tense and massive protests against an open-pit copper mine—which finally resulted in its closure—, a potential corruption incident once again mobilizes Panamanian civil society. The source of this new crisis lies in some "economic aids" granted by the Institute for the Formation and Development of Human Resources to students "who require a complement to the financing of their higher studies in universities in the country or abroad and students of scarce resources from official universities", which have already been a source of controversy in the past. A local newspaper published a database with a part of the beneficiaries of the scholarships during the administration of Laurentino Cortizo, who appears splashed by this scandal together with other high-ranking officials. The Panamanian Comptroller's Office, an example of transparency—irony ON—, has censored the rest of the beneficiaries and refuses to unblock the information.
In an uncommon practice in terms of financial aid in the educational field, these non-refundable economic aids are granted in a discretionary manner, and not even a high academic average is required. The comptroller has argued that behind this new affair, there is nothing more than a political game typical of the electoral contest, because out of about 10,000 recipients he has only counted about 20 who have caused scandal, and that being relatives of politicians and powerful businessmen cannot constitute a reason for discrimination. I agree with him on the latter, and also on the potential political motivation here. Still, there are some cases reported of wealthy people whose children received well-pocketed scholarships to study abroad. In contrast, young vulnerable people had access to less favorable terms, circumventing a discouraging bureaucracy, or simply were left out of the program. It should also be noted that the number of recipients whose data are censored by the Comptroller's Office amounts to 56% of the total.
Laurentino Cortizo (source).We, the people...
Among the known names is Mía Sofía Cortizo, yes, niece of the president, with an "aid" of 85,000 dollars. There are also children of members of the Congress, such as the current vice-minister of the Ministry of Women—who to top it off was assistant to the director of the disputed entity—, and two nephews of former president Martin Torrijos, who received support amounting to some 100,000 dollars each. The son of the current Minister of the Presidency obtained US$190,000, while the daughter of the Minister Counselor obtained US$180,000. Usually, in these cases, approvals were processed in a few days, even hours. "IFARHU was the petty cash. So many young people with talent, intelligence, and will for whom, probably, the only option to continue their studies are these economic aids, and surely they did not receive them", denounces a citizen. Among the most shameful cases that I took upon myself to investigate in greater depth is that of the Liakópulos clan, originally from the Peloponnese in Greece. This is a family that has invested in Panamanian politics—particularly in the party that stands out the most in this whole scheme—, and that owns a powerful and profitable network of hotel and restaurant businesses. What is the point of Panamanian taxpayers paying for their children's and grandchildren's education expenses? Finally, the case of the son of IFARHU's own scholarship director, who received close to $139,000 from the program, is another scandalous conflict of interest.
WAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO los dueños del Hotel Sheraton recibiendo auxilio económico del IFARHU????? Esto sí que es una patada al pueblo, a miles de personas humildes que fue a pedir y no le dieron. Esto sí que es una humillación para el pueblo https://t.co/qfpnA8wdfA
— Periodismo de Opinión Libre (@Periodismo507) April 9, 2024
La Moneda vs. Casa Rosada: the new diplomatic controversy in the region "powered" by the Middle East crisis
After disputing to the Venezuelan Government that the Aragua Train is a reality that is hitting Chile in terms of security, President Gabriel Boric has now responded to statements issued from the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires claiming that there is a Hezbollah presence in his country. The government of La Libertad Avanza is determined to continue with its "libertarian" diplomacy, after Milei clashes with Petro, Lula, and AMLO. The Argentine president has taken his bulletproof affiliation with Washington and Israel seriously, acting as the better mouthpiece for their narratives in the region, and artificially heightening the sense of insecurity in his country. "Bullrich affirmed that a terrorist group called Hezbollah would be in northern Chile and other countries in the region. I demand that the Minister of Security of Argentina, if she has information, to hand it over and to collaborate, but not to make [statements] like that [quickly] without proving absolutely nothing," Boric said. At the request of the conservative senator from Florida, Marco Rubio, the potential presence of Hezbollah in Chile was discussed on Capitol Hill last week. "I demand respect for our country (...) Chile does not protect any terrorist group, neither in its territory nor outside of it", added Boric.
🔴Presidente Gabriel Boric anunció el envío de nota de protesta a Argentina tras dichos de la ministra de Seguridad de ese país, Patricia Bullrich, quien aseguró presencia de la organización terrorista Hezbolá en Iquique. @CNNChile pic.twitter.com/yoU5DudEf4
— Ivo Goic (@ivogoic) April 16, 2024
And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.
