By Agencies
Redaccion@latinocc.com
MEXICO
Authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz on Sunday said they have restored order in a prison where seven inmates were killed and 11 were injured in a riot that broke out the previous night.
In a statement posted on X, the Department of Public Security of Veracruz said prisoners injured during the riot in Tuxpan prison are now receiving medical attention, and that fires started by some of the inmates have been extinguished.
Videos from the city of Tuxpan showed columns of smoke emerging from the prison on Saturday, while footage published on social media showed inmates with burns.
Some of the inmates recorded videos in which they claimed the riot began as a group of prisoners rebelled against a criminal organization known as Grupo Sombra that was extorting prisoners and their families.
The Tuxpan prison was holding 778 prisoners in June, according to the latest official data. It is designed to house 735 inmates.
ARGENTINA
Libertarian President Javier Milei on Monday vetoed an attempt to increase spending on pensions in Argentina and a law expanding protections for people with disabilities, saying the legislation would have undermined his flagship pledge to eliminate the country’s chronic fiscal deficit before October’s midterm elections.
In publishing the veto decisions, Milei’s administration said that Congress last month passed the spending bills — meant to more fully compensate retirees for inflation and offer more financial benefits for people with disabilities — “without determining the source of the funds.”
Since coming to power in late 2023, Milei has vetoed all efforts to boost public spending, often wielding the slogan “there is no money” against people’s demands.
The government projects that the additional expenditures, including a 7.2% pension increase, will amount to about 0.9% of GDP this year and 1.68% next year.
Last year Milei achieved Argentina’s first annual fiscal surplus in 14 years by making painful cuts to social spending and public works. But the austerity program has deepened economic misery for many Argentines.
Congress can still overturn the vetoes with a two-thirds majority in both chambers, a challenge for Milei’s party, which holds only a small minority of seats.
BRAZIL
Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to remain under house arrest as he faces trial on accusations of leading a plot to overturn the 2022 presidential election.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case, said Bolsonaro violated earlier restrictions by sending a brief message to supporters at a rally in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
Bolsonaro, 70, narrowly lost the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva but has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the vote was marred by fraud. Federal prosecutors accuse him of spearheading a criminal conspiracy to annul the results.
His defense team said it will appeal the house arrest order, arguing that his greeting to supporters did not constitute a crime.
The case has international implications, particularly as Bolsonaro maintains close ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump. A conviction could not only bar him from public office but also carry a prison sentence, marking a dramatic fall for the far-right leader.
