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Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Colombia's Council of State suspends Petro's labor reform referendum
BOGOTA, June 18 (Reuters) - Colombia's Council of State on Wednesday suspended a decree by President Gustavo Petro that sought to call a referendum on a labor reform, citing lack of Senate authorization. The decree, which Petro issued last week, sparked criticism from political opposition, which labeled it a coup d'état and an overt challenge to the nation's institutions and congress, which must authorize such measures.
Washington Post
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Colombian presidential candidate in a critical condition following assassination attempt
BOGOTA, Colombia — Miguel Uribe, a conservative Colombian presidential hopeful, was in critical condition on Monday after being shot in the head from close range during a rally at the weekend. In a statement, doctors said the 39-year-old senator had 'barely' responded to medical interventions, that included brain surgery, following the assassination attempt that has had a chilling effect on the South American nation.
Wall Street Journal
08-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Wall Street Journal
Soaring Gold Prices Draw Illicit Miners—and Armed Gangs—to Colombia's Jungles
PUERTO CLAVER, Colombia—The lure of even a few specks of gold compels Elizabeth Mosquera awake before dawn to slog to a muddy pit, where she wades into waist-deep water and starts to pan. Traces of the precious metal are enough to supplant the pedicures and dye jobs she used to provide for a pittance. 'What you earn in a month in a regular job, you can make here in an hour or two,' said Mosquera, 47 years old.
Malay Mail
31-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Peru's president Dina Boluarte hits record low approval of 2pc amid scandals and protests
LIMA, June 1 — With an approval rating of just two per cent, Peru's President Dina Boluarte may be the world's most unpopular leader, according to pollsters. Protests greeted her rise to power 29 months ago, and have marked her entire term—joined by assorted scandals, investigations, controversies and a surge in gang violence. The 63-year-old is the target of a dozen probes, including for her alleged failure to declare gifts of luxury jewels and watches, a scandal inevitably dubbed 'Rolexgate.' She is also under the microscope for a two-week undeclared absence for nose surgery—which she insists was medical, not cosmetic—and is being investigated for her role in a police crackdown that caused the deaths of 50 protesters. Against that bleak backdrop, Boluarte's never-high popularity hit rock bottom this month. The Ipsos polling agency found she had a two-per cent approval rating, down from 21 per cent when she took office. 'We might be talking about a world record of sustained presidential disapproval,' Ipsos Peru president Alfredo Torres told AFP. It is the lowest score Ipsos has measured in any of the other 90 countries it surveys, Torres said. Yet as far as recent Peruvian presidents go, she is not just a survivor, but positively an elder stateswoman. The South American nation has had six presidents in eight years and if Boluarte lasts to the end of her term next year, she would be the longest-serving of them all. Weakness is strength Despite not having a party in Congress, she has managed to stay in power with the backing of Peru's majority right-wing parties. Analysts say voter lethargy and political expediency have so far helped Boluarte buck the trend of prematurely ousted Peruvian leaders. 'In Peru, there is a political paradox: Boluarte is the weakest president of the last decade,' political analyst Augusto Alvarez of the University of the Pacific told AFP. But her weakness is 'also her strength,' he said, explaining that a lame-duck president is politically useful for Congress. 'It is a great business to have a fragile president whom they (lawmakers) use' to entrench their own power and pass laws beneficial to allies and backers, said Alvarez. Transparency International's Peruvian chapter Proetica has cited Congress for 'counter-reforms, setbacks in anti-corruption instruments... and shielding of members of Congress who are ethically questioned.' Boluarte has other factors counting in her favor. Congress is seemingly keeping her around for lack of a better, consensus, candidate. Another plus for Boluarte: Peru's economy has been performing well, with GDP growing 3.3 percent last year and 3.9 percent in the first quarter of 2025 -- a steep improvement from the 2020 recession blamed on Covid pandemic lockdowns. Peru's inflation rate is one of the lowest in the region. 'The economy continues to function, there is enormous resilience, and the population's income is growing,' said Alvarez. But this may have little to do with policy, observers say, and more with external factors such as rising copper prices. Peru is one of the top producers of the metal. 'Terrible image' On the street, there is little love for Boluarte, as Peru battles a surge in gang violence characterized by a wave of killings linked to extortion rackets. Boluarte 'has no empathy, she is an incapable president, she does not solve the security problem,' Saturnino Conde, a 63-year-old teacher, told AFP. At frequent marches against the president, the catchphrase: 'Dina, Asesina!' (Dina, Murderer!) has become a popular refrain. But a full-out rebellion appears unlikely, say analysts. Peruvians 'feel it's not worth it: if she resigns or is dismissed, she would be replaced by a member of Congress, but Congress also has a terrible image,' said Ipsos manager Torres. In addition, 'there is no other candidate that captivates, which is why people are not in a hurry to remove her from power.' — AFP
Reuters
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Bolivia President Arce says he will not run for re-election
LA PAZ, May 13 (Reuters) - Bolivian President Luis Arce will not run for re-election in elections this August, he said in a public address on Tuesday.
