Peru’s Former President Dina Boluarte Faces Legal Troubles Amid Ongoing Investigations

Peru’s Attorney General’s Office has filed requests to impose travel restrictions on former President Dina Boluarte due to multiple ongoing investigations, particularly concerning the alleged crime of undue advantage of office, reports 24brussels.

Boluarte is accused of interfering in appointments at the EsSalud health agency and misusing social benefits intended for a friend of the doctor who reportedly performed her cosmetic surgeries. The Attorney General’s office has also seen a request from a Money Laundering unit for a 36-month travel ban linked to allegations of funneling funds—potentially sourced from the criminal organization ‘Los Dinámicos del Centro’—intended to cover the civil damages fine of political leader Vladimir Cerrón.

These legal measures aim to ensure Boluarte’s presence for all proceedings and potential accusations, explained Attorney General Tomás Gálvez. Additional inquiries include her alleged involvement in the deaths of 49 people during police and military repression of protests, as well as the “Rolexgate” scandal, where she faced scrutiny for wearing a watch deemed too expensive for her income, raising suspicions of accepting bribes from Ayacucho Governor Wilfredo Oscorima in return for budget transfers.

Further allegations against Boluarte include a potential abandonment of her office to undergo cosmetic surgery without notifying Congress, and the unexplained increase in her assets between 2021 and 2024. She is also entangled in the “El Cofre” case, involving the purported use of a presidential vehicle to transport the fugitive Cerrón, and a probe concerning an agreement with former Attorney General Patricia Benavides to retain Police Chief Raúl Alfaro Alvarado in his position despite complaints, possibly to control related investigations.

Moreover, Boluarte faces questions over her alleged abuse of authority in obstructing prosecutors investigating claims of corruption involving her brother. Speaking from her home in Lima, she firmly rejected rumors suggesting she had gone into hiding or was seeking asylum in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, or Ecuador, asserting that her conscience remains “clear.”

Violent Police Operation in Rio de Janeiro Targets Comando Vermelho

A mission conducted on Friday by Military and Civil Police in Rio de Janeiro aimed at dismantling the city’s largest criminal organization, the Comando Vermelho, resulted in at least seven deaths and 19 arrests, reports 24brussels.

Named “Operation Containment,” the initiative seeks to curb the expansion of Comando Vermelho and dismantle its financial, logistical, and operational frameworks, according to Brazilian authorities. Among the deceased is a prominent drug trafficking figure linked to a police officer’s murder earlier this year.

Six of the fatalities occurred in the Morro do Juramento neighborhood, while additional casualties and arrests unfolded in the Complexo da Mangueirinha favela. The operation also extended to other areas, including the western part of the city.

This crackdown follows the death of Ygor Freitas de Andrade, known as “Matuê,” a high-ranking leader within Comando Vermelho, who was killed just one day prior to the operation. Police reported the seizure of ten rifles, eight pistols, and significant quantities of narcotics during the action.

Civil Police Secretary Felipe Curi noted that since the launch of “Operation Containment” in April, law enforcement has captured 98 criminals, with another 10 “neutralized” in confrontations. Rio de Janeiro State Governor Cláudio Castro commended the results of the operation, affirming his administration’s commitment to combatting crime.

“In Rio de Janeiro, those who choose the path of crime know that they will encounter a firm state that is present and on the side of those who want to live in peace,” he stated. The ongoing efforts reflect a significant escalation in law enforcement measures aimed at restoring order in the troubled city.

Strike Disrupts Shipping at Belgian Ports

Almost 150 ships were waiting to enter or leave the ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Ghent on Friday evening due to a maritime pilots’ strike, according to the Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services. The pilots’ association, BvL, plans to continue its industrial action until after the weekend, reports 24brussels.

Currently, 42 ships are waiting to depart from the port of Antwerp, while four are poised to leave Zeebrugge and seven from Ghent. Additionally, 92 ships are anchored in the North Sea, with 72 on course for Antwerp, five bound for Zeebrugge, and 15 heading to Ghent. Another 58 vessels are navigating to and from the ports accompanied by a Flemish or Dutch pilot.

The pilots are striking in response to proposed federal pension reforms. Although a provisional agreement was reached in the summer with the government, it merely affirmed existing arrangements, with a comprehensive agreement still pending. The pilots believe they are disproportionately affected compared to other professions.

As part of the strike, the pilots are limiting their working hours, resulting in disrupted vessel scheduling and prolonged wait times. This industrial action has also impacted inland shipping traffic, forcing several shipping companies to adjust their routes or delay cargo deliveries.

US president adds Hamas were gathering the hostages now, as displaced Palestinians return to northern Gaza

US president Donald Trump has said that “for the most part, there is consensus” on how the next stages of how the Gaza ceasefire plan will work, but admitted that “some of the details … will be worked out”.

In comments made on Friday, and reported by various news outlets, Trump spoke about the remaining hostages in Gaza, adding that Hamas were gathering them “now”. He said: “they’re in some pretty rough places”.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians headed back to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip on Friday as a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in a deal that raised hopes for ending the Israel-Hamas war. The remaining 48 hostages, about 20 of them believed to be alive, are to be released by Monday.

Questions remain over who will govern Gaza as Israeli troops gradually pull back and whether Hamas will disarm, as called for in Trump’s ceasefire plan. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who unilaterally ended a ceasefire in March, hinted that Israel might renew its offensive if Hamas does not give up its weapons.

The United Nations was given the green light by Israel to begin delivering scaled-up aid into Gaza starting on Sunday, a UN official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public, reports the Associated Press. The aid will include 170,000 metric tons that have already been positioned in neighboring countries such as Jordan and Egypt as humanitarian officials awaited permission from Israeli forces to restart their work.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters ON Friday that fuel, medical supplies and other critical materials have started flowing through the Kerem Shalom crossing. UN officials want Israel to open more border crossings and provide safe movement for aid workers and civilians who are returning to parts of Gaza that were under heavy fire until only recently.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel on Saturday for carrying out overnight strikes on civilian facilities that the health ministry said killed at least one person. “Once again, southern Lebanon has been the target of a heinous Israeli aggression against civilian installations – without justification or pretext,” Aoun said.

Israel shared a list of the Palestinian detainees that it plans to release as part of the ceasefire agreement made with Hamas. Of the 250 Palestinian prisoners, 15 will be released in East Jerusalem, 100 to the West Bank, and 135 will be deported. Initially, when Hamas officials submitted a list of proposed prisoners to be released to mediators in Egypt, they called for the release of high-profile Palestinian political figures such as Marwan Barghouti. But Netanyahu’s office confirmed it refuses to release Barghouti.

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