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🇧🇷 Bolsonaro supporters attack police headquarters in Brazil

Supporters of Brazil’s outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro have attempted to invade federal police headquarters in the capital, in a burst of post-election violence on the day Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was certified as the country’s next president.

Witnesses saw Bolsonaro supporters, many in their trademark yellow national football jerseys or draped in Brazilian flags, confronting security forces on Monday night at police headquarters in Brasilia.

#Brazil

@meriblood

🇺🇸 Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declares state of emergency on homelessness

Newly sworn in Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in her first order of business, declared a state of emergency Dec. 12 on the city’s sprawling homelessness.

Bass, who spent her first morning as mayor meeting with the city’s various department heads to brief them on the declaration, signed it inside the city’s Emergency Operations Center in a room designated as the “United Homelessness Response Center.”

In her inaugural speech Sunday, Bass said the declaration will officially recognize the homelessness issue as a crisis. The city saw a rise in homelessness over the last two years—a 4.1 percent increase since 2020—with nearly 42,000 people living on the streets, according to the city’s 2022 homeless count.

#US #California

@meriblood

🔴 Drug cartels’ activities is one of the worst things that impacts the situation in Latin America. Cartels’ members not only distribute dangerous substances, but also are quick at making away with those who get in their way – often unintentionally.

This keeps people at bay, doesn’t let them live peacefully, and makes them flee – and live in poor conditions. This is the problem to be handled, but governments seem not to be somehow worried about it.

To make this issue visible, we’ve collected the data on the cartels’ crimes in 2022 – and these are just the cases mentioned in the media, Twitter and by our friends. The real numbers would be even higher.

High-res

#cartels #analytics

@meriblood

🇺🇸🇲🇽 Asylum seekers cross en masse at El Paso-Juarez border as Title 42 nears end

Hundreds of migrants huddled overnight on the north bank of the Rio Grande river in hopes of seeking asylum in the U.S. It was one of the largest mass crossings this border has seen in decades.

"We've been experiencing an influx since September," said Border Patrol El Paso Sector spokeswoman Valeria Morales. "In November, our demographics changed to Nicaraguans. You see the migrants staging and waiting to be transferred."

#US #Mexico

@meriblood

Biden signed a law recognizing same-sex marriage in the United States

He also highlighted the need to "protect transgender children."

"We need to challenge the hundreds of callous, cynical laws introduced in the states targeting transgender children, terrifying families and criminalizing doctors who get children the care they need. We have to protect these children." - Biden

❗️It looks more like it's the government that's targeting confused children and their parents and pushing their gender ideology on them

@topicdujour

🇵🇪 Boluarte to 'personally' call AMLO over Castillo stance

Dina Boluarte announced that she will call the presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico, who issued on Monday a joint communiqué in which they still consider Pedro Castillo.

Published by the Colombian Foreign Ministry, the four countries assured in the message that Castillo is being "subject to judicial treatment in the same way violating" and asked that the "citizen will" expressed in the ballot box by the Peruvian people be respected.

#Peru

@meriblood

🇺🇸 Texas opposes Biden administration’s push to legalize gender transitioning for kids

Texas will not have to legalize sex-change procedures for children to receive federal funds nor adopt gender identity policies for the workplace.

Attorney General Ken Paxton declared victory in a lawsuit to stop “woke” federal agency mandates concerning sexual orientation and gender after the Biden administration declined to appeal a federal court’s ruling, making the decision permanent.

“This is an important win for common sense and Texas families,” Paxton said in a statement. “We’re going to make it abundantly clear that we will not stand for this.”

#US #Texas

@meriblood

🇲🇽🇺🇸🇨🇦 Mexico puts forward plan to resolve energy dispute with U.S., Canada

In July, U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai requested dispute resolution meetings with Mexico over that country’s policies that favor the state-owned energy utility over private and foreign producers. Such meetings are allowed under the USMCA trade deal between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, which joined the U.S.’ request.

In a release this week, Mexico’s Economy Ministry said that speeding up resolution of the matter is important to ensure certainty for would-be energy investors. Toward that end, the ministry shared a plan with its counterparts that includes establishing working groups to look at the legal status of Mexico’s energy reform, lawsuits from energy companies, outstanding permits and other issues.

#Mexico #US #Canada

@songofoil

🇺🇸 Joe Biden attempts to make Americans feel ‘societal guilt’ over guns

President Joe Biden said the US “should have societal guilt” for the slow pace of action on restricting access to firearms as he marked the 10th anniversary of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

“We should have societal guilt for taking too long to deal with this problem,” Biden said in a statement. “We have a moral obligation to pass and enforce laws that can prevent these things from happening again. We owe it to the courageous, young survivors and to the families who lost part of their soul ten years ago to turn their pain into purpose.”

I have a funny feeling that these are not guns that should be blamed. When a fire happens, we don’t blame matches for it.

#US

@meriblood

🇺🇸 DeSantis holds early lead over Trump among GOP primary voters

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis edged out former President Donald Trump in a new Wall Street Journal poll of primary voters that pits the two Republicans against each other as top contenders for the GOP nomination in 2024.

52 percent of likely GOP primary voters in the poll preferred DeSantis, compared to the 38 percent who favored Trump in a hypothetical primary race for the Republican nomination. The poll also demonstrated DeSantis’ popularity among likely primary voters, with 86 percent saying they view the Florida governor favorably. Trump’s favorability rating came in at 74 percent.

#US

@meriblood

🇺🇸 Texas school board approves policy that allows educators to carry guns

The Keller Independent School District school board voted 4-3 to adopt a state recommended “guardian” program, which allows approved faculty who undergo 50 hours of training to carry a handgun on campus. Educators who wish to carry on school campuses must also have a License To Carry and pass a psychological evaluation as a part of the “guardian” program.

No wonder that the MSM are doing their best to criticize the initiative – but that is not for them to decide.

#US #Texas

@meriblood

🇺🇸🇲🇽 Suspect in Colorado quadruple killing found in Mexico

Aman suspected of shooting four people dead in a Colorado home was arrested in Mexico over the weekend, according to police.

Joseph Mario Castorena, 21, had been on the run since the adults were found dead in a home in Aurora in the early hours on October 30, the Aurora Police Department said.

The four were Jesus Serrano, 51; his daughter Maria Anita Serrano, 22; her husband Kenneth Eugene Green Luque, 20, and Rudolfo Salgado Perez, 49, who was renting a space in the home.

#US #Mexico

@meriblood

🇺🇸 Texas attorney general sought data on number of people that changed their gender on driver's license

The office of Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this summer sought data on how many people had changed the gender information on their driver's license. The journalists who got interested in the even haven’t managed to find out the reason for such a measure.

DPS found over 16,000 gender changes over the past two years, but officials said a manual search would have been required to determine the reason for each one.

#US #Texas

@meriblood

🇵🇪 — JUST IN: Protesters from Peru drive Peruvian police back in a show of strength and resilience against the new provisional government.

⚡️🇵🇪 Peruvian Congress rejects bill calling for early elections

Peru's Congress on Friday rejected a bill to bring forward general elections from 2026 to December 2023, as protests continued across the country.

Hernando Guerra, president of the legislative constitution commission, presented the bill and explained that it would allow "enough time" to make corresponding electoral reforms, but failed to gain a congressional consensus broad enough.

Failing to get 87 votes needed to pass a proposal, the bill garnered 49 votes in favor, with 33 against and 25 abstentions.

#Peru

@meriblood

🇺🇸 Texas Governor Abbott calls for investigation of NGO assisting in border crossings

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for an investigation into the role non-governmental organizations may have in planning and assisting migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.

In a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the governor highlights the need for what called “Texas’ vigilant response to President Biden’s border crisis,” with the end of Title 42 just days away and record-high illegal border crossings along the Texas-Mexico border.

According to the governor, there have been recent that non-governmental organizations “may have assisted with illegal border crossings near El Paso.”

#US #Texas

@meriblood

🇺🇸 Republicans respond after the 6th chapter of 'Twitter Files' reveals FBI flagged users and tweets

After the sixth part of 'Twitter Files' was published, Republican lawmakers have promised to take action on the alleged connection between former Twitter executives and members of the FBI. It is reported that their joint efforts were aimed at censoring users and their tweets.

"[The] FBI has a lot to answer for after the latest drop of Twitter Files 6," Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted.

#US

@meriblood

🇺🇸🇲🇽 As Title 42 expires soon, migrants head for U.S.-Mexico border crossings

Hundreds of migrants are trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border and to seek the asylum in America ahead of Title 42 expiration date on Dec. 21.

Migrants from different countries are now present on the bank of Rio Grande: Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador, Cuba, Peru, and Venezuela. They hope to cross the border as Title 42 expires and no other regulations are yet introduced.

Under Title 42, thousands of migrants were expelled from the U.S. or not allowed to cross the state’s border.

#US #Mexico

@meriblood

🇵🇪 Mass protests in Peru
as of December 17, 2022

For 11 days mass demonstrations, strikes and clashes with the police have been underway in Peru. They are caused by the parliament's decision to impeach President Pedro Castillo and his following detention.

Peruvians are blocking roads, storming airports, and administrative buildings. Police and the Army use live ammunition to disperse the protests. Demonstrators respond with improvised explosives and gunfire.

So far, more than 30 people have been killed and hundreds injured. The largest number of victims is reported from Ayacucho province, where seven residents have been killed.

🔻Latest events

▪️Defense Minister Luis Alberto Otarola declared a state of emergency throughout the country for 30 days. A curfew has been imposed in 15 provinces.

The measures not only suspend free movement throughout the country ahead of the Christmas, but also provide police with the right to search homes without permission or a court order.

▪️These measures made protesters to tighten their demands, which are now as follows:

➖ the release of Pedro Castillo and his return to the position;
➖ the convening of a Constituent Assembly and creation of a new constitution;
➖ dissolution of Congress.

▪️New President Dina Boluarte has been trying to placate demonstrators with promises of early elections during the week: first they were planned to be rescheduled from 2026 to 2024, and then to 2023. But the Peruvian Congress rejected the relevant bill.

🔻Reactions to Peruvian protests abroad

➖The governments of Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia issued a joint statement condemning the imprisonment of President Pedro Castillo. They also accused Boluarte and her supporters of "undemocratic pressure" on the arrested former head of state. In response, the Peruvian Foreign Ministry recalled ambassadors from all four countries.

➖ At the same time, the U.S., the EU and the UN expressed support for Dina Boluarte's government of.

🔻 In the previous review it was mentioned that even though the demonstrations are massive and the clashes fierce, the protesters have serious problems that greatly reduce their chances of success.

These include the lack of unified coordination of actions, as well as discontent with the figure of Castillo himself, who, contrary to his own promises made earlier, made concessions to the local oligarchy.

With no clear leaders in the opposition and no support from the security forces, the protests will gradually fade away. Under these conditions, the new Peru authorities have no reason to make concessions to the demonstrators: it is enough to wait for the protest to fade and to easily disperse those who won't agree to give up.

High-res

Versión en español

#Peru #digest

@rybar together with @meriblood

🇵🇪 Boluarte urges Congress to bring elections forward

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, who has said she is leading a transitional government, urged the country's Congress to pass a proposal to bring forward general elections in a news conference from the presidential palace.

#Peru

@meriblood