The Latin American Report # 210

Public Prosecutor's Office raids the Peruvian president

On Friday night some 40 agents of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the police raided Dina Boluarte's home and also her offices at the Casa de Pizarro, in an act that certainly paints a very sad picture of Peruvian institutionality. The authorities were looking for evidence for an ongoing investigation generated after a journalistic work about three Rolex watches that the controversial Peruvian president owns and did not declare. Illicit enrichment is alleged. The founder of the party with which Boluarte arrived at Jirón de la Unión Street, by the hand of former president Pedro Castillo, was hard on her via X: "Boluarte must have understood that giving concessions to the right wing, paying its media and being disloyal to her party is never good pay. Admit that the right-wing used you to 'constitutionally' overthrow your fellow traveler (Pedro Castillo), but the paradoxical thing is that you are on the same path. Everything points to a new soft coup". The opposition is demanding resignations, perhaps as a way to calm tempers, although Boluarte has just affirmed that she will finish in 2026. "This is unusual and striking, the political noise (it generates) scares away investment and that hurts everyone," said the still newly installed prime minister—the previous one resigned earlier this month, remember, accused of influence peddling—, branding the operation as "disproportionate" and "offensive" against the country's dignity. After searching even under the carpets, the agents found "about" ten "nice" watches in the presidential headquarters, according to the lawyer of Boluarte, whose "popularity" does not exceed 10%.

Cuba and Mexico seek an alternative against Alzheimer's disease

Cuban and Mexican scientists value the "neuroprotective capacity" of the molecule Cneuro-201—developed on the island with financing provided by the Aztec nation—when it comes to "breaking down amyloid plaques and inhibiting the aggregation of [Amyloid beta peptides]," proteins that accumulate in the brains of patients who develop the disease. Based on the impulse given by Fidel Castro to the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries, often risking capital in them compared to other priorities, Cuba managed to generate a scientific pole with very good results, which in principle do not correspond to its economic development. The general director of the Center for Neurosciences stated that they proved that "[the Cneuro-201 molecule] can cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to the amyloid-plaques, which characterize Alzheimer's disease." "With the results obtained we will be able to form a mathematical model that will allow us to design an effective and safe dosage scheme in humans," added the Cuban scientist, while up to now the safety and toxicity of the molecule has only been evaluated in rats. The researchers' intention is to achieve a final product that delays the progression of the disease, something that has allegedly happened with animals. "The disease is stopped," say from the Institute of Neurobiology of the Autonomous University of Mexico, one of the stakeholders in the study.

_{Cuban researchers from the Center for Neurosciences on a working visit to Querétaro this year (source).}

More murders in Manabí

The center of Ecuador's insecurity drama seems to be shifting to the province of Manabí, which now disputes Guayas' unfortunate leadership. In addition to the five members of a family who were killed after being kidnapped yesterday, five other violent deaths were reported later. Individuals with 2.23 caliber rifles burst into a neighborhood where a group of people were drinking in the street and killed four of them on the spot, including a military man. In another armed attack, one person was killed. One of the motives for these incursions could be the arrest last week of a leader of the powerful criminal gang Los Choneros. Holy Week is usually quite infernal in Ecuador. Last year, some 90 violent deaths were recorded. This time the figure is estimated at 75.

_Source

In Los Rios province five crimes were reported on Friday evening. Among the deaths was that of a 23 year old young who was shot by assassins on a motorcycle, while two more men were massacred in a canton whose name suggests an oxymoron: "Good Faith". Often the local press does not investigate whether or not those who are killed by hitmen belong to a particular criminal organization, so that we can better understand the story behind each murder. Finally, I was shocked by the case of a 34-year-old man who is in serious condition after being used as a shield by an alleged criminal who was the target of armed attackers who came to the court where a volleyball game was being played. President Daniel Noboa's plan crumbles in the face of reality.

Colombian Army continues to hit guerrillas hard

One of the dissidents of the extinct FARC-EP had five casualties after a new confrontation with the Colombian Armed Forces in the violent department of Cauca. The military rescued an injured minor, although it is not clear if she received any injuries during the operation. Authorities report that the girl was forcibly recruited and that she was involved in the installation of minefields. "She has an affectation in one of her upper extremities and a series of splinters all over her face and body as a result of the handling of these explosives", they say. Regarding the structure of the so-called Segunda Marquetalia that suffered the casualties, they state that "it would be responsible for carrying out criminal actions against the troops that deployed in the Micay canyon, as well as for extortion, armed proselytism and intimidation of the population that inhabits this region of Cauca".

_{Weapons seized (source).}

The migratory drama