Category: News
Entra en recta final juicio a 17 militares por desaparición de adolescentes en Ecuador
Por GONZALO SOLANO
QUITO (AP) — Casi dos años después de la desaparición y muerte de cuatro adolescentes en una ciudad del suroeste de Ecuador, el proceso judicial contra un grupo de militares por ese caso entraba el martes en la recta final.
Se esperan los últimos testimonios de tres militares y pruebas de descargo de los acusados, tras lo cual el Tribunal Penal entraría en deliberación en un proceso judicial conocido como “Las Malvinas”, en alusión a la zona donde vivían las víctimas.
Durante las audiencias judiciales, que iniciaron hace casi un mes, la Fiscalía presentó testigos y pruebas que incriminan supuestamente a los uniformados, mientras que los 17 militares ofrecieron versiones contradictorias, unos negaron que los menores hayan sido agredidos y otros detallaron pormenores de actos de violencia, tortura y amenazas.
El caso inició en diciembre de 2023, cuando los hermanos Ismael y Josué Arroyo, de 15 y 14 años, sus amigos, Saúl Arboleda de 14 y Steven Medina de 11 años salieron a jugar fútbol en un barrio del sur de la ciudad portuaria de Guayaquil, pero no regresaron a casa.
Imágenes captadas en videocámaras de seguridad mostraron a dos patrullas militares de la fuerza aérea que los interceptaron y subieron a la fuerza a dos camionetas. Los uniformados argumentaron que recibieron una alerta por robo en el sector, pero la Fiscalía ha negado que los menores hayan estado involucrados.
La captura de los cuatro adolescentes ocurrió en medio de la declaratoria de conflicto armado interno por parte del gobierno del presidente Daniel Noboa a inicios de enero de 2024 cuando movilizó un bloque de seguridad integrado por policías y militares en operativos para combatir al crimen organizado.
Los militares han sostenido que los menores fueron abandonados horas más tarde del apresamiento en una zona rural de difícil acceso. Luego de 23 días desaparecidos , los restos calcinados de los menores fueron hallados cerca de una base militar en las afueras de Guayaquil. Los uniformados aseguran que los liberaron “vivos”.
Lo que sucedió mientras los cuatro menores estuvieron bajo custodia de los militares se reveló durante la audiencia de juicio.
A través de peritajes y unos 100 testigos, la Fiscalía mostró que los adolescentes fueron víctima de golpes en la cabeza, patadas, insultos y malos tratos, según el relato de un perito policial. Acostados boca abajo y contra el suelo recibieron puñetazos en la cabeza, a uno se le aplicó una llave y oro fue lanzado desde el vehículo al suelo, agregó.
También fueron obligados a desnudarse, mientras su ropa fue lanzada en la vía. Uno de los militares disparó cerca del más pequeño y fueron intimidados por un militar que les dijo que llegaron “al lugar donde van a morir”, de acuerdo con el relato.
El caso puso a Ecuador en el foco de organismos internacionales como el Comité de Desapariciones Forzadas de las Naciones Unidas que expresó su preocupación por la falta de información en el caso.
Welcome To Hotel California: Democrats Push Retroactive Billionaire Tax
Welcome To Hotel California: Democrats Push Retroactive Billionaire Tax
California was once known as the destination for anyone seeking a fortune, from the Gold Rush to Hollywood. The image of a line of wagon trains heading West has now been replaced by a line of U-Hauls heading anywhere but California. Unable to stem the exodus, California is again toying with retroactive taxes — targeting the wealthy regardless of whether they flee the state.
Welcome to Hotel California, “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”
California democrats have long faced the same dilemma of constantly tapping the wealthy to cover their deficit spending: these individuals and their wealth are mobile. They can simply leave and many are doing so. We recently discussed how California is now losing a taxpayer every minute.
Previously, the state moved to tax people who left the state. Now, the state is seeking a billionaire tax and making it retroactive. Thus, even if you were waiting to decide to leave, it is too late. You are being taxed for the prior year.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing the retroactive billionaire tax targeting the roughly 220 billionaires residing in California in 2025. It signals not just desperation in the face of crippling debt and overspending but a recognition that California is chasing its highest earners out of the state.
The “2026 Billionaires Tax Act” would impose a one-time 5% tax on individual wealth exceeding $1 billion. While technically using 2026 wealth figures, it would apply to billionaires who resided in California in 2025.
So you cannot hope to flee… at least with your wealth intact.
It is a penalty for those who stayed too long hoping that rational minds would prevail in California.
The tax is a familiar tactic of many in politics who attack the wealthiest citizens as somehow ripping off the poor.
If states can do this for billionaires, it is likely to do it for those in lower tax brackets as they face the choice between financial discipline and tax increases.
As I discuss in my forthcoming book, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution, there is a common myth that the top five percent of this country do not “pay their fair share.” However, putting that debate aside, the question is whether it will produce more revenue than it costs the state in the long run. As these politicians campaign on clipping the “fat cats” who are not paying their fair share, many are likely to follow the exodus to lower tax states with greater fiscal discipline.
The constitutionality of a retroactive tax has long been controversial. In Landgraf v. USI Film Products (1994), the Supreme Court declared “the presumption against retroactive legislation is deeply rooted in our jurisprudence… [e]lementary considerations of fairness dictate that individuals should have an opportunity to know what the law is and conform their conduct accordingly; settled expectations should not be lightly disrupted.”
Most Americans are obviously not billionaires, but see the obvious unfairness to such retroactive taxes. People are allowed to make decisions on whether they want to stay in a state and how to invest their money in light of tax and other considerations. These retroactive taxes allow a bait-and-switch for taxpayers as politicians tap wealth from prior years.
However, in United States v. Carlton (1994), the Court addressed a new estate tax deduction for selling stock in employee stock ownership plans that was included in the 1986 tax reform law. In January 1987, the IRS announced that the legislation had a flaw: it did not require a taxpayer to own the stock before dying. New legislation was passed in December 1987 with retroactive effect to the 1986 law.
The Supreme Court refused to strike down the 14 months of retroactive application. Calling the change “modest,” the Court noted that the IRS sent out a quick notice that it would seek a legislative fix, and that the law essentially corrected an unintended error. However, even that left some on the Court uneasy, and justices like Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas warned against “bait-and-switch taxation.” The key was the notice and the fact that it only applied to a single year.
Some retroactive taxes have been struck down. For example, in Blodgett v. Holden, 275 U.S. 142 (1927), a 12-year period of retroactivity was struck down as “so arbitrary and capricious as to amount to confiscation.”
The Court has left the area a mess of countervailing rationales and holdings. However, it has clearly held that retroactive taxes are not per se unconstitutional. In Welch v. Henry, 305 U.S. 134, 147 (1938), the Court upheld a retroactive tax and held that the outcome depends upon whether “retroactive application is so harsh and oppressive as to transgress the constitutional limitation.” It stressed that:
“Provided that the retroactive application of a statute is supported by a legitimate legislative purpose furthered by rational means, judgments about the wisdom of such legislation remain within the exclusive province of the legislative and executive branches . . .’
The rational basis test is difficult for a state to fail. However, California could force the Court to reexamine this area and offer more concrete protections for citizens who are retroactively fleeced by a state.
Until then, welcome to the Hotel California:
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
“Relax,” said the night man
“We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/02/2025 – 10:20
Will Hobart’s Paxson Hicko dunk? ‘I think it could happen.’ But expect this: The 5-foot-10 guard will score.
Hobart’s Paxson Hicko burst on the scene as a sophomore last season.
The 5-foot-10 junior point guard is being asked to take another step forward so the Brickies, whose last winning season was in 2019-20, can do the same.
“We can’t win without Paxson scoring,” Hobart coach Devon Key said. “We have a few key guys that can put up points, but we need Paxson to be Paxson every night.
“He knows that he needs to put the ball in the basket and he needs to be consistent. As long as he’s consistent, we’ll have a lot of success.”
Hicko averaged 9.1 points last season, ranking second among returning players behind senior guard Ryan Basham, and also contributed 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals.
Together, Hicko and Basham are expected to form one of the top backcourts in the Northwest Crossroads Conference. Basham, a Dominican University commit, averaged 13.3 points while shooting 35% from 3-point range last season.
Hobart’s Paxson Hicko, shown during a practice on campus on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, averaged 9.1 points last season. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)
Basham has played with Hicko since middle school and credits him with making his life on the court easier.
“It’s great playing alongside him because there’s nothing he really can’t do on the basketball court,” Basham said. “He’s great at handling pressure and driving to the basket, and that opens me up to knock down catch-and-shoot threes.”
Basham also noted the strides Hicko made in the offseason.
“He’s worked on his pull-up a lot,” Basham said. “It’s one of his go-to shots. He’s definitely gotten stronger in the paint too. He’s able to create contact, use the defender’s body and finish through it. And he can jump higher than he could.”
That led to Hicko’s signature summer moment — his first dunk.
“That was a good feeling, seeing that my hard work paid off,” he said. “I’ve been trying to dunk since my freshman year, and only recently was I finally able to make one.”
Hicko is cautiously optimistic that he’ll dunk during a game this season.
“If I get a fast-break opportunity, yeah, I think it could happen,” he said.
Hobart’s Paxson Hicko goes for a layup during a practice on campus on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)
But Hicko’s offseason work involved more than dunking. He and Key expect him to average at least 13 points for Hobart, which went 9-15 last season and is scheduled to open against South Central on Wednesday.
Key believes Hicko has done everything necessary to make that happen.
“He’s a gym rat,” Key said. “He’s always at the gym. I tell players all the time that there’s no secret to any of this. The work you put in during the unseen hours when it’s you by yourself, those matter more than you know. So I hear him talk a lot about being prepared, and I think he’ll shoot it well this year because he has prepared himself.
“Once you put the work in when no one is watching, you can expect to see the results.”
Hicko said increasing his numbers is “definitely” in the back of his mind, but that’s secondary to his primary mission, which is helping the Brickies win.
“I’m the same off the court as I am on it,” he said. “I’m hardworking, and in everything I do, I try to do my best and give 100%. That’s in the classroom, with my family, and I try to influence my teammates to do that too. I try to push them to go as hard as they can so I can get the best out of them and so we can get the best out of our team.
“It means everything to me to win games for Hobart. I’m tired, the team’s tired and the program’s tired of losing. I think this year could be our chance to really make a statement that Hobart basketball isn’t a losing team.”
Noah Poser is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/02/basketball-hobart-paxson-hicko/
Michael Burry Is (Once Again) Going To Try And Short Tesla
Michael Burry Is (Once Again) Going To Try And Short Tesla
Michael Burry is once again taking aim at Tesla — a reminder of his high-profile 2021 short, when he bet against the stock just before it nearly doubled before dropping from its peak.
In a new Substack post, the “Big Short” investor called Tesla “ridiculously overvalued” and argued that shareholder dilution will only worsen under Elon Musk’s newly approved $1 trillion pay package.
Burry estimated that Tesla’s stock-based compensation dilutes shareholders by roughly 3.6 percent a year, noting that the company conducts no buybacks to offset it, Yahoo Finance/Bloomberg reported.
Burry used Tesla to illustrate what he described as the “tragic algebra” of tech-sector compensation, and he took a swipe at the company’s shifting narratives: first electric vehicles, then autonomous driving, and now humanoid robots — each emphasis fading once competition arrives, he said.
He did not disclose his current position in Tesla, but the comments add to a recent string of bearish calls. Last month, Burry opened sizable put positions against Nvidia and Palantir, echoing concerns raised by fellow short seller Jim Chanos about Nvidia’s use of vendor financing.
Burry has since deregistered Scion Asset Management and moved his commentary to Substack.
Wall Street, however, has grown more upbeat on Tesla. Melius Research recently deemed the stock a “must own” based on its autonomy efforts and in-house chip development, while Stifel raised its price target and reiterated a Buy rating tied to progress in full self-driving and the robotaxi program.
Burry’s latest broadside comes nearly five years after his last disclosed Tesla wager. In May 2021, Scion held puts on 800,100 Tesla shares, a bet revealed in regulatory filings.
Burry’s first go-round in the name was tumultuous, with Tesla stock up almost double in 2021 after Burry disclosed his position.
At the time, Tesla was coming off a 700 percent surge to record highs before suffering a drawdown — a pattern Burry suggests could repeat.
The last time he shorted TSLA, it almost doubled pic.twitter.com/Efyi9Dot09
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 2, 2025
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/02/2025 – 10:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/michael-burry-once-again-going-try-and-short-tesla
Científicos piden a Chile proteger los cielos de Atacama ante inminente proyecto industrial
Por NAYARA BATSCHKE
SANTIAGO (AP) — Un grupo de destacados científicos de todo el mundo, entre ellos el Nobel de Física Reinhard Genzel, envió una carta abierta al gobierno de Chile para pedir protección a los cielos oscuros del Observatorio Paranal del desierto del Atacama, considerado el mejor lugar del planeta para la astronomía y que se encuentra amenazado por la construcción de un complejo industrial, informó el martes el Observatorio Europeo Austral (ESO).
Firman la misiva una treintena de astrónomos, como Genzel; el presidente de la Unión Astronómica Internacional Willy Benz; la presidenta de la Academia de Ciencias de Francia Françoise Combes, y varios Premios Nobel, entre ellos Michel Mayor, Didier Queloz, Adam Riess y Brian Schmidt.
En ella alertan a las autoridades chilenas sobre el impacto de la instalación del megaproyecto energético INNA, de la empresa estadounidense AES, que busca construir un complejo industrial de más de 3.000 hectáreas a pocos kilómetros del Observatorio Paranal, en el desierto del Atacama y operado por ESO.
“Tal como está concebido actualmente, el proyecto representa una amenaza inminente para algunas de las instalaciones astronómicas más avanzadas de la Tierra, que están operando bajo uno de los últimos cielos oscuros y prístinos del mundo”, indican.
Señalan, además, que el Atacama, en el norte de Chile, “es el mejor lugar del planeta para la astronomía, gracias a sus cielos oscuros, su atmósfera estable y su clima favorable”, por lo que “este precioso patrimonio natural” representa un “recurso científico irreemplazable que ha permitido a generaciones de astrónomos ampliar el conocimiento de la humanidad sobre el universo”.
El Observatorio Paranal es uno de los varios observatorios astronómicos situados en el norte de Chile y allí operan algunos de los telescopios más avanzados de la actualidad, entre ellos el Very Large Telescope (VLT). Asimismo, albergará el futuro telescopio Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), el telescopio óptico e infrarrojo más grande del mundo y actualmente en fase de construcción.
Según un estudio realizado por ESO, la construcción del megaproyecto aumentaría la contaminación lumínica en al menos un 35% y provocaría una serie de impactos, desde la generación de microvibraciones que posiblemente impedirán el funcionamiento de algunas de las instalaciones astronómicas hasta un aumento de turbulencia atmosférica.
En su misiva, los científicos advierten que dicho impacto “sería devastador para los cielos prístinos de Paranal y para la astronomía mundial”.
“El daño se extendería más allá de las fronteras de Chile, afectando a una comunidad científica mundial que depende de las observaciones realizadas en Paranal para estudiar todos los fenómenos, desde la formación de planetas hasta los inicios del universo”, agregan.
Finalmente, los expertos recuerdan que durante las últimas seis décadas “Chile se ha convertido en la capital mundial de la astronomía” gracias a sus “leyes pioneras para proteger los cielos oscuros, sus iniciativas de sensibilización pública y su comunidad astronómica cada vez más sólida”.
The Associated Press solicitó un comentario al Ministerio de Ciencia pero de momento no obtuvo respuesta.
En junio, varios observatorios astronómicos internacionales se han unido en una alianza inédita para crear el Consejo de los Cielos Oscuros, con el objetivo de proteger los cielos de Chile y “coordinar estrategias y articular acciones frente al avance de la contaminación lumínica”, según anunciaron las instituciones firmantes en un comunicado conjunto.
Chile concentra hoy cerca del 40% de la capacidad de observación astronómica mundial y, para 2030, se prevé que supere el 60% de esa capacidad.
US NatGas Hits Three-Year High As Forecasts Point To “Long, Cold Winter”
US NatGas Hits Three-Year High As Forecasts Point To “Long, Cold Winter”
U.S. natural gas futures spiked to their highest levels in nearly three years as models now show a frigid first half of December across the Lower 48. Several forecasters are also warning of a potential polar-vortex-driven Arctic blast event later this month, which could drive temperatures even lower.
Let’s begin with an unusual sight (for this time of year) of winter storm alerts across the Northeast on Tuesday morning.
🚨 WINTER STORM TODAY 🚨
Heavy snow (5-10″ expected) in the Interior Northeast & disruptive ice (up to 0.2″ accretion) in the Central Appalachians will make today’s commutes HAZARDOUS. The storm exits by Wednesday morning. pic.twitter.com/kkcnacF82O
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) December 2, 2025
NatGas futures are on track for their largest quarterly gain since the first quarter of 2022. Prices on Tuesday morning were trading near $5 per mmbtu, the highest level since December 2022. The rally is being fueled by a rapid shift toward colder early-December temperatures across the Midwest and East, which has boosted heating demand expectations.
Weather models turned colder across the eastern two-thirds of the country for Dec. 6 to 10, with additional cooling expected for Dec. 11 to 15. These forecasts merely reinforce expectations for a near-term spike in residential and commercial heating loads.
Meteorologist Ryan Maue warned on X that the stratospheric polar vortex over the North Pole is set for another warming event in about two weeks.
The stratospheric “polar vortex” above the North Pole is loading up yet another “sudden warming” event in 2-weeks.
After most extreme observed November SSW event, we’re hitting multiplier x2 — re-spinning the whole thing.
Told you already we’re going to see the “full load” pic.twitter.com/tgcBsmHsyA
— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) December 1, 2025
“It’s going to be a long, cold winter,” Maue noted in another post.
Monday Winter Weather December 1, 2025
Negative Arctic Oscillation (-AO) is a bad omen with yet another stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) event –> it’s going to be a long, cold winter
Free to read (sign up / email) @weathertrader https://t.co/MaNEqL87GM pic.twitter.com/OpAT7uKunV
— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) December 1, 2025
Meteorologist Judah Cohen stated, “IMO next PV stretch keeps cold train coming in Eastern US up to the holidays.”
The weather pattern is in “rinse, lather, repeat” mode or in #PolarVortex (PV) parlance, one good stretch deserves another. IMO next PV stretch keeps cold train coming in Eastern US up to the holidays. Also first ever N Hemisphere snowfall forecast in blog https://t.co/CGUOIWUvOO pic.twitter.com/v2rQz182wb
— Judah Cohen (@judah47) December 2, 2025
Greta Thunberg’s sudden pivot to all things Palestine and Bill Gates’ open acknowledgment that much of the climate-crisis narrative was overblown only reinforce what’s becoming obvious: the climate-crisis narrative has collapsed like a house of cards. And with the Northeast already plunged into an early-season chill, spare us … we could certaintly use a little “global warming” right about now.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/02/2025 – 09:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/us-natgas-hits-three-year-high-forecasts-point-long-cold-winter
After Wilmette Post Office ceiling fell, here’s where to mail packages
Wilmette’s post office will likely not reopen fully until January as work continues on repairing the damage from Nov. 10.
That was when what appears to be a large patch of the ceiling crashed down on the floor of the downtown facility, according to photos shared by the United States Postal Service. Most postal operations have moved to post offices in neighboring suburbs.
The damage to the roughly 90-year-old building was probably “weather-related,” USPS spokesman Tim Norman told Pioneer Press. The first snowstorm of the season had just doused Wilmette.
That leaves the post office unusable at a busy time of year, when customers are mailing Christmas cards, buying stamps for them and sending holiday gift packages.
On the day of the incident, a postal employee was “locking the door and heard this noise” of the ceiling panels falling down, Norman said. Since then, construction crews have been working on repairs.
Last week, some postal workers and customers appeared to be coming and going, but most services remain relocated outside of Wilmette. And village residents will continue to have to go elsewhere through the end of the holidays.
What appear to be ceiling panels fell down inside the Wilmette post office in November 2025, closing the building and forcing the postal service to relocate services to neighboring towns’ post offices. (United States Postal Service)
“We regret the inconvenience” the incident caused, Norman said.
P.O. Box and post office retail services have moved to the Kenilworth post office. Meanwhile, carriers have moved to the Winnetka post office, and the USPS said that customers making drop shipments should go there. “Delivery attempted packages” may also be picked up in Winnetka.
After a Wilmette Post Office ceiling fell in during November 2025, the extensive damage has required USPS to relocate its services to the Kenilworth and Winnetka post offices. (United States Postal Service)
Here are the regular hours and addresses of those post offices. All are closed Sundays:
Kenilworth: 408 Green Bay Road. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon.
Winnetka: 512 Chestnut St. Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Two other post offices close to Wilmette include:
Evanston: 1929 Central St. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Northfield: 1787 Orchard Lane. Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. through 2:30 p.m.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/02/wilmette-post-office-ceiling-fell-where-to-mail/
Comienzan vacunaciones contra el sarampión en zona rebelde del Congo tras mortal brote hace un año
Por RUTH ALONGA
KACHEHEMBE, República Democrática del Congo (AP) — Las vacunas contra el sarampión han llegado a una zona controlada por rebeldes en el este de la República Democrática del Congo, casi un año después de que comenzó un brote mortal de esta enfermedad altamente contagiosa.
La toma de partes de la región a principios de este año por los rebeldes del M23, respaldados por Ruanda, ha afectado la prestación de atención médica en una de las crisis humanitarias más graves del mundo, según han dicho residentes y grupos de ayuda.
Esta semana, padres ansiosos que llevaban a sus pequeños en brazos han hecho fila en Kachehembe, en la provincia de Kivu del Norte, para recibir la vacuna de la organización médica Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF).
“Los niños están sufriendo mucho por esta enfermedad”, comentó Silas Bazimaziki Rugiriki, quien llevó a su hijo.
Ha habido brotes de sarampión en varios países africanos. El Congo ha reportado más de 36.000 casos sospechosos y 565 muertes en casi todas sus 26 provincias este año hasta julio.
El brote está agotando los recursos en el Congo, que también ha enfrentado brotes de viruela símica (mpox) y ébola en los últimos meses, junto con la amenaza rebelde.
Desde enero, el grupo rebelde M23 ha tomado ciudades clave en el este rico en minerales. Miles de personas han sido asesinadas. Los esfuerzos de paz liderados por Estados Unidos y Qatar continúan.
MSF dijo que ha tratado al menos a 1.000 niños por sarampión este año solo en Kachehembe, y 11 han muerto.
Su campaña de vacunación está dirigida a los menores de 5 años. Estas campañas se ven desafiadas por el desplazamiento masivo en el este de Congo, ya que continúan los ataques de múltiples grupos rebeldes.
“La zona está experimentando un constante flujo de familias desplazadas, lo que está aumentando la demanda”, dijo a The Associated Press el doctor Toussaint Selemani, director médico de la respuesta al sarampión en MSF.
En un hospital cercano, Selemani dijo que 53 niños estaban siendo tratados por sarampión.
Sarah Noëlla, de 37 años, observaba a su hijo de 2 años, Fariji Jacques, quien, según ella, tuvo fiebre la semana pasada. Sus ojos se pusieron rojos y aparecieron manchas alrededor de su boca.
Noëlla pensó que era gripe.
Otras madres relataron un rápido deterioro en sus hijos. Sin recursos financieros, dijeron que dependen de la ayuda de MSF.
“Estamos viviendo en una zona de guerra, no tenemos nada”, comentó Irène Shashire, de 21 años, madre de dos.
_______
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Gobierno de transición de Haití aprueba ley para celebrar elecciones
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — El consejo presidencial de transición de Haití ha respaldado una ley electoral en el último paso hacia la celebración de unas elecciones generales por primera vez en casi una década.
La aprobación el lunes por la noche significa que el gobierno finalmente puede publicar un calendario electoral oficial después de temores de que el consejo intentara retrasar las fechas tentativas para permanecer en el poder por más tiempo.
El presidente del consejo, Laurent Saint-Cyr, calificó la medida como una “decisión importante” para Haití.
“Debemos finalmente ofrecer al pueblo haitiano la oportunidad de elegir libre y responsablemente a quienes los liderarán”, escribió en X. “Al dar este paso decisivo, mientras seguimos plenamente comprometidos con la restauración de la seguridad, reafirmamos nuestra dedicación a devolver a Haití al camino de la legitimidad democrática y la estabilidad”.
La adopción de la ley electoral se produjo mientras algunos miembros del consejo han presionado para la destitución del primer ministro Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, incluido Fritz Alphonse Jean, quien fue recientemente sancionado por el gobierno de Estados Unidos.
Algunos creen que las restricciones estadounidenses, como la impuesta a Jean, se están utilizando como una amenaza para intentar influir en la política de Haití.
Tres de los siete miembros del consejo con poderes de voto no estuvieron presentes en la reunión del lunes, donde se aprobó la ley electoral, incluido Jean, según el periódico Le Nouvelliste.
El miembro del consejo Frinel Joseph, quien votó a favor de la ley, dijo que marcaba “un punto de inflexión decisivo” en la transición del poder y que proporcionaba a Haití “el marco legal y político necesario para la celebración de elecciones”.
El Consejo Electoral Provisional de Haití ha dicho que planea celebrar la primera ronda de votaciones en agosto y la ronda final en diciembre del próximo año, aunque la violencia de las pandillas podría retrasar esas fechas.
Mientras tanto, se supone que el consejo presidencial de transición debe renunciar para el 7 de febrero para dar paso al gobierno democrático.
Haití celebró por última vez unas elecciones generales en 2016 y no ha tenido un presidente desde que Jovenel Moïse fue asesinado en su residencia privada en julio de 2021.
El consejo de transición fue nombrado después del asesinato, y los primeros ministros que han servido desde entonces han sido nominados por el consejo.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Holiday Express fest on track to open this week at Blackberry Farm in Aurora
One of Aurora’s annual holiday attractions returns this week as the Fox Valley Park District welcomes back the popular Holiday Express celebration at its Blackberry Farm at 100 S. Barnes Road in Aurora.
The holiday season event will have a Special Needs Night on Friday when the park will feature a lower-sensory environment. Opening night follows on Saturday, with the event running from 5 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 21.
Tickets again are $10 for those 1 year old and older. For tickets, go to www.blackberryfarm.info/special-events/holiday-express/.
The event’s popular holiday train ride, which has been billed as “a community tradition since 2006,” will again be joined by a variety of activities during the Holiday Express celebration.
Blackberry Farm Recreation Superintendent Becky Harling said staff members began setting up for the Holiday Express event more than a month in advance and that many of the popular attractions from last year will be back.
“We’ve continued to add lights and different photo opportunity displays to the park, but we’ve really not made a lot of changes this year in terms of the things we are offering,” Harling said. “We feel a lot of local people come year after year but this has a regional appeal as well. You don’t get to ride a holiday train just anywhere and it’s a great time for families.
“People are looking for those affordable things and I also think the size of our park is really attractive to people,” Harling added. “You can do all the different attractions with your littles without having to go across acres of land, which is really nice. I always feel like we’re busy but we’re never crowded. You can navigate the park at your own speed and jump around to different areas without feeling like you’re waiting in lines for hours.”
For those hoping to see Santa, he will be available every day the fest is open for photo opportunities. Guests can find him at the North Pole Oasis, otherwise known as the Carriage Museum, officials said.
Harling said there is also “a new train photo op – one of our old train engines that we decorated as well,” at the fest.
“This is a new spot for people to take photos which is nice, rather than people trying to rush the actual engine and get a photo,” she said.
Other attractions at the farm include holiday displays and a chance for kids to color a Holiday Express coloring book inside Huntoon House; the Candy Cane Village playground; the Sugar Plum Playland at Little Farmer’s Junction with a winter-themed sensory table; holiday stories inside the Gingerbread School House; a cafe offering treats and hot chocolate; and the Holiday Village in the Early Streets Museum which will offers crafts and holiday music.
Harling said despite the number of years Holiday Express has been offered, “I do still think we are a hidden gem where I still see people online saying, ‘I never knew this place existed.’”
“I think we’re still growing and people are finding us again,” she said.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
