El Salvador Begins Trials Of 500 Gang Members And Leaders

El Salvador Begins Trial of Nearly 500 Alleged Gang Members and Leaders EL SALVADOR El Salvador on Monday launched a mass trial of 486 alleged members and leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, accused of tens of thousands of crimes, including murders, in one of the largest proceedings under President Nayib Bukele’s sweeping anti-gang crackdown. Prosecutors said the defendants are collectively charged with more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including around 29,000 homicides, as well as extortion, drug and arms trafficking, femicide and disappearances. Authorities alleged the group sought to “establish a parallel state,” charging them with rebellion. Among those on trial are individuals linked to a surge of violence in March 2022, when 87 people were killed in a single weekend. Those on trial include senior and street-level gang leaders and coordinators. More than 400 suspects are already in custody, with 73 others being tried in absentia. Prosecutors said they have “ample evidence” to seek “maximum penalties,” though they did not specify sentencing details. The trial is part of Bukele’s “war on gangs,” launched in March 2022 under a state of emergency that expanded arrest powers and suspended some constitutional rights. Since then, more than 91,000 suspected gang members have been detained, with authorities crediting the campaign for a sharp drop in crime. MS-13, a transnational gang founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s and now largely based in Central America, has long been blamed for widespread violence. However, rights groups have criticized the crackdown, citing arbitrary detentions, lack of due process and more than 500 deaths in custody. Critics warned that mass trials risk punishing innocent individuals alongside the guilty.

Brasil: Another Bolsonaro Runs Against Lula

As Brazil Votes, Another Bolsonaro Seeks Power Amid Backlash Over Alignment With Trump BRAZIL Brazil Recently, as his father languished in prison for planning a coup, right-wing Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro appeared as a speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas. He told the audience that the charges against his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who sought to violently overturn the election won by leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022, were politically motivated. Flávio Bolsonaro is now considered Lula’s main rival as Brazilians prepare to elect a new president on Oct. 4, with the two men neck and neck in the race. At the conference, Flávio Bolsonaro made his pitch. “Trump 2.0 is being much better than Trump 1.0, right?” he said. “Well, Bolsonaro 2.0 will also be much better.” Meanwhile, Lula is running for his fourth term, having previously served from 2003 to 2010 before his current stint. He, too, served time in prison after being convicted of corruption. However, the country’s top court annulled the charges, paving the way for his comeback. The two men are engaged in a lively campaign. Lula recently circulated a video of himself boxing and exercising, a clear dig at his 44-year-old opponent, who famously fainted on television during a 2016 debate. A socialist, Lula came to prominence in the wake of the collapse of the so-called Washington Consensus, a policy framework promoted by American thinkers centered on free enterprise and trade as the basis of economic growth, according to the Hoover Institution. Rejecting this view, he expanded the state’s role in the economy and pushed to redistribute wealth. He lifted millions out of poverty, but also clashed with Brazil’s conservative elites. Today, record tax revenues due to the country’s strong economy have helped Lula maintain his expensive spending plans, Bloomberg noted. Still, the opposition and the business community say the country is a disaster waiting to happen. “We’re not in the intensive-care unit, but we are moving towards that,” Armínio Fraga, a former boss of Brazil’s central bank, told the Economist. The problem, adds the British magazine, is unsustainable debt, especially from a generous pension system. The younger Bolsonaro, in contrast, would shrink government benefits while also cracking down on crime, which Brazilian voters say is one of their top issues. The candidate has called for the construction of “many, many prisons.” Meanwhile, he has also accused Lula of failing to cooperate with US President Donald Trump’s efforts to attack “narco-terrorists” across the region. Recently, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira spoke by phone about potential US plans to designate Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho, major organized crime gangs, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, which would subject their members and supporters to sanctions. Brazil had rejected the move last year. Now the US is upping the pressure. Brazil’s resistance stems from concerns that the designation carries consequences that extend beyond law enforcement, wrote Americas Quarterly. “It could alter the legal and diplomatic context in which Brazil manages its own security while widening the reach of US sanctions, prosecutorial pressure and financial compliance into the Brazilian economy,” it said. “It could, in fact, carry greater consequences for other actors, including banks, companies and Brazilian politicians, than for the gangs themselves.” By contrast, Flávio Bolsonaro supports the FTO designation and closer coordination with the US’ new “Shield of the Americas” initiative, which involves joint military offensives against violent criminal gangs. However, analysts say the close association with Trump is what might cost Flávio Bolsonaro the election. Last year, Lula’s approval ratings rose after the Trump administration placed steep tariffs on Brazil and sanctioned officials in an unsuccessful attempt to keep Jair Bolsonaro out of prison. The measures were backed by the former president’s sons Flávio and Eduardo. Analysts say the move has fueled a backlash against the Bolsonaros. “There is growing popular anger directed at the Bolsonaro family for having advocated for US economic sanctions that harmed Brazil’s economy in a bid to protect their father,” World Politics Review wrote. “For those middle-ground voters, this is less about the general question of improving relations with the US, which many Brazilians would like to see happen, and much more about the specifics of how the Bolsonaros have gone about doing it.”

El Salvador Adopts New Law Allowing Life Sentences For Children

El Salvador Adopts New Law Allowing Life Sentences For Children EL SALVADOR El Salvador passed a law this week that allows judges to sentence minors as young as 12 to life in prison, part of a years-long crackdown on criminal gangs that has drastically reduced gang violence but has led to accusations of severe human rights violations. The measure, passed by the legislature controlled by President Nayib Bukele and his Nuevas Ideas party, will apply to sentencing for severe crimes such as homicide, terrorism and rape. The new law lifts certain legal protections for youth offenders and allows for periodic sentence reviews after decades served. The law is to take effect on April 26. Critics, which also include United Nations officials and human rights groups, say that the measure is abusive, inhumane and violates international human rights standards. However, Bukele casts those critics as soft on crime. Since March 2022, El Salvador has been under a state of emergency that has suspended certain civil liberties in favor of greater police and military powers to combat gang violence. Initially designed to last 30 days, the state of emergency has been renewed dozens of times. And since then, the government has carried out a campaign of mass arrest and imprisonment. More than 90,000 have been jailed in the notorious mega prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, which houses prisoners in inhumane conditions, rights groups say. They add that some of these detainees were arbitrarily arrested and have been held without charges. Others have been processed in mass trials, a process approved in 2023 to allow up to 900 people to be tried at once. Lawyers say they lose track of their clients. Last month, the International Group of Experts for the Investigation of Human Rights Violations under the State of Emergency in El Salvador (GIPES) published a report, which accused the government of crimes against humanity. The report pointed to comments by Bukele acknowledging that “at least 8,000 detainees were innocent.” Meanwhile, the president has also been criticized for weakening checks and balances, repressing the media and dissent and undermining El Salvador’s fragile democracy. Last year, the legislature eliminated presidential term limits, paving the way for Bukele to remain in power indefinitely. Still, Bukele is highly popular with voters because his policies have sharply decreased homicide rates in a country long terrorized by gangs.

Peru: Keiko Fujimori Leads In Peru's Delayed Vote-Runoff Likely

Keiko Fujimori Leads in Peru’s Delayed Vote, Runoff Likely PERU Peru With over half the votes counted in Peru’s extended presidential election, conservatives Keiko Fujimori and Rafael López Aliaga led with 16.88 percent and 13.88 percent of the vote, respectively, assuring a June runoff. A candidate must secure more than half the vote to win outright, a threshold made difficult by a fractured electorate and a record 35 contenders in the race. Peru’s presidential election on Sunday was extended by a day to Monday, after logistical failures prevented tens of thousands of people from voting, sparking nationwide protests over concerns about the transparency of the vote. The extension of voting was announced after counting began Sunday evening, when it became clear that ballots had not reached 15 polling stations, election officials said. Among those who voted on Monday were more than 52,000 residents of the capital Lima, as well as Peruvian voters living in the United States. Peruvians between the ages of 18 and 70 are required to vote, with those who fail to do so facing fines. “I’m fed up,” Iris Valle, 56, told the Associated Press while waiting to cast her ballot Monday at a public school in Lima. She expressed concern that her employer could reduce her pay for not arriving early due to her voting obligation. Peruvian investigators have started an investigation into the delays, carrying out searches at the country’s election headquarters. Officials said the inquiry centers on the breakdown of deliveries of election-related materials to polling stations. A private company involved in the process was also raided. Despite repeated assurances from election officials that the results will reflect voters’ choices, protesters said the disruption had heightened concerns about transparency and participation in an already closely fought race. The election is unfolding in a country grappling with rising violence and corruption, driving deep voter frustration and a widespread perception that candidates lack both integrity and readiness for office. Repeated removals and impeachments of presidents have also increased calls to dissolve Congress, which critics say has untrammeled power, along with demands for systemic political reform. In February, José Jerí became the latest Peruvian president in a decade to leave office before completing a full term. He was removed by lawmakers for failing to disclose meetings with wealthy Chinese businessmen he was legally required to report. Pre-election polls indicated no candidate had support above 15 percent, far below the threshold of more than 50 percent needed for an outright victory, which will likely result in a two-candidate runoff in June. They showed a tight race among conservative candidates, led by Fujimori, Aliaga and Carlos Álvarez. All three campaigned on tough-on-crime and pro-market policies, while left-leaning Alfonso López Chau trailed at around 6 percent. Still, analysts believe the contest remains fluid, pointing to the 2021 election when Pedro Castillo surged from near obscurity to victory.

Indigenous Protestors In Brasil Pressure Lula Over Land Protections Ahead Of Elections

Indigenous Protesters in Brazil Pressure Lula Over Land Protections Ahead of Elections BRAZIL Brazil Thousands of Indigenous protesters marched in Brasília this week to demand stronger protections for their ancestral lands, highlighting tensions over environmental policy and development ahead of October’s presidential elections. Demonstrators marched through the Brazilian capital, denouncing what they described as growing encroachment on Indigenous territories by agricultural, logging and mining projects. They accused the predominantly conservative legislature’s members of being “enemies of the people” due to their alignment with the powerful agribusiness sector, which is held responsible for a large part of the region’s deforestation. Protest organizers said participants would remain camped in Brasília until Friday to press for their demands. The demonstrations follow a broader wave of Indigenous protests across the Amazon, where communities and environmental groups have opposed a range of projects. The protests also reflect mounting pressure on leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking re-election in October. Indigenous groups largely supported Lula in the 2022 election, when he defeated his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, whose administration curtailed recognition of Indigenous lands and was associated with increased deforestation in the Amazon. Since taking office, Lula has pledged to protect both the environment and Indigenous communities. His government has overseen a decline in deforestation rates and committed to ending illegal tree felling by 2030. Authorities have also formally recognized 20 Indigenous territories and created a new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, appointing Sonia Guajajara, a leader from the Guajajara-Tenetehara ethnicity, to head it. However, Lula has also backed certain oil, gas and mining initiatives, arguing they are necessary for Brazil’s economic interests amid rising global demand for energy and critical minerals. At the same time, conservative lawmakers have pushed legislation to weaken or reinterpret constitutional protections for Indigenous land rights. In 2023, Congress approved a law limiting those rights, though Brazil’s Supreme Court later struck it down. Indigenous leaders and rights groups warn that ongoing legal uncertainty leaves their territories vulnerable to agribusiness and mining expansion. Despite these concerns, many Indigenous voters have indicated they still plan to support Lula’s re-election bid. Lula will face Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro – the son of the far-right former president – with recent polls pointing to a closely contested second round between the two candidates.

Peruvians Worry That The Election Won't Stabilize The Country

Peruvians Worry That Election Won’t Stabilize the Country PERU Peru For years, Peruvians have elected a president only to see their leader ousted by Congress and often land in jail. In February, José Jerí became the 7th Peruvian president in a decade to leave office before completing a full term, ousted after he failed to disclose meetings with wealthy Chinese businessmen he was legally required to report. He had been in office for just four months, after assuming power following the impeachment of his predecessor Dina Boluarte in October amid public anger over soaring crime, harsh crackdowns on protesters and a corruption scandal known as Rolexgate. So it’s no surprise that as Peruvians prepare to go to the polls to select a president and members of their new Senate on April 12, most say that no matter whom they choose, it won’t make any difference: It won’t stop the rising violence perpetrated by criminal gangs, solve the country’s economic issues or improve services for the public, they add. “I’ve gotten used to this crisis, because we’re really in a crisis where Congress only dedicates itself to changing the president and looking out for their own well-being,” Javier Osorio, a self-employed worker in Lima, told Reuters. “They’re a bunch of criminals.” As a result, a majority of voters say they are undecided over the more than 30 candidates running in the race. None of the candidates are currently polling above 15 percent of the electorate. Still, polls show that right-wing candidates Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, has a slight lead over comedian Carlos Álvarez of the right-wing Country for All party, with Rafael López Aliaga, one of Peru’s richest men, trailing slightly behind. All three promise tough-on-crime policies and pro-market reforms. Left-leaning contender Alfonso López Chau, an economist and former university rector, is coming in fourth with about 6 percent and a campaign focused on government spending on services. Some analysts believe, however, that Peru may see a repeat of 2021, when far-left candidate Pedro Castillo surged to victory from near-zero support just weeks before the first round of presidential elections. To win outright, a candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the vote. If that doesn’t occur, the top two vote-getters advance to a June 7 runoff. And they believe that this surge will likely be in favor of “Porky” as Aliaga calls himself because of his round face and rosy cheeks, who says he wants to make Peru great again and save it from “lying, murderous and thieving” leftists. Aliaga says he will do that by expelling immigrants, slashing the government bureaucracy and spending, privatizing the state-owned oil company and sending criminals to the Amazon where they will be killed by snakes. He has also proposed allowing US forces to help Peru stop criminal gang operations. Even if Aliaga is elected, it’s not likely to solve Peru’s perennial political instability which is rooted in a steady erosion of institutional checks and balances since 2016, according to former finance minister Alfredo E. Thorne, writing in Americas Quarterly. He says that is when Congress assumed a dominant role, sidelining the constitutional separation of powers and asserting control over the executive, including the ability to install or remove presidents in ways that bypass safeguards meant to ensure a stable political landscape. Peruvians are now hoping that a constitutional change that will take effect this year, one that returns Peru to a bicameral legislature, will help. The existing 130-seat legislature will become the Chamber of Deputies and voters will elect a 60-seat Senate for the first time since 1992. Restoring the Senate could improve oversight and legislative quality, but its impact will depend on how politicians behave, analysts say. “Peru returns to bicameralism with pending issues and with political stability relying more on its politicians than on the reform,” wrote Latinoamérica21. As a result, some believe the election is a crossroads for the country. “Peru’s democracy is in a tough spot,” said an analysis by GIS Reports Online. “As the 2026 elections approach, the question is no longer who will be president, but whether the office itself still matters.”

Argentina: Russian Spy Network Ran Disinformation Campaign

Russian-Linked Spy Network Reportedly Ran Disinformation Campaign Against Argentina’s Milei ARGENTINA Argentina An international media investigation has found that a Russian-linked spy network ran a disinformation campaign in 2024 aimed at undermining Argentine President Javier Milei’s administration and influencing public opinion. The report, released Friday by a media consortium including the UK-based openDemocracy and South Africa’s The Continent, detailed how the network known as “La Compañía” (The Company) infiltrated Argentine media and funded the publication of more than 250 articles across at least 23 outlets between June and October 2024. The network reportedly spent at least $283,100 on media content, paying between $350 and $3,100 per article. The campaign placed stories to discredit Milei’s administration, sow divisions within the ruling coalition, support opposition figures and stir tensions with neighboring countries. One false report claimed Milei sent a sabotage team to attack a gas pipeline in Chile. Many articles lacked bylines or were attributed to fake authors using AI-generated images. The network’s operations in Argentina were led by Russian nationals Lev Andriashvili and Irina Iakovenko, who were based in Buenos Aires. Observers suggested the campaign was driven by Argentina’s foreign policy shift toward the United States after Milei’s election, including his support for Ukraine and invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his inauguration. The disinformation campaign lost momentum after Argentina distanced itself from Kyiv following the election of US President Donald Trump. Milei described the leak as one of “institutional gravity rarely seen in history” and vowed to “go all the way” to identify those responsible. His La Libertad Avanza party said “‘journalists’ and ‘media outlets’ linked to this are only the tip of the iceberg of something much bigger.” Argentina’s domestic intelligence agency said it uncovered the operation last year and referred it to the judiciary in October. The Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires dismissed the findings as “anti-Russian material,” while several editors named in the report denied involvement. The documents also showed that La Compañía was operating similar campaigns at the time in Bolivia to support then-President Luis Arce, as well as in Venezuela to boost now-ousted President Nicolás Maduro’s image after the disputed July 2024 presidential elections.