Indaba zesiNdebele Ekuseni - Voice of America
Indaba zesiNdebele Ekuseni - June 27, 2024
to Friday at 1,500 UTC GMT. [MUSIC PLAYING] This is Veeway News, amateur dream. Another high ranking Bolivian military official has been arrested in connection with Wednesday's apparent failed coup. Government Minister Eduardo Del Castillo said that former Navy Vice-Amer Juan Arne Selvador was taken into custody in addition to Army General Juan Jose Zuniga, the apparent leader of the failed rebellion. Armored vehicles around the doors of Bolivia's government palace in the capital La Paz Wednesday, President Luis Arce directly confronted Zuniga and his rebellious troops envowed to stand firm. He named a new army commander who immediately ordered the troops to stand down. The soldiers withdrew hours later, and hundreds of Arce supporters rushed to square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing the national anthem and sharing. Zuniga claimed the attempted coup was an effort to restore democracy in Bolivia, which has been plagued by infighting between President Arce and his one-time ally, former leftist President Evo Morales, which has paralyzed the government's efforts to deal with the country's economic crisis. Veeway Scott Waltemann spoke with the Veeway Latin American service reporter Celia Mendoza about that aspect. Over the past few years, the economy of Bolivia, which was one of the fastest growing economically in the region, has stole their going backwards and their food security, economy, poverty, and all those elements have contributed for people to start getting anxious and angry about the situation of the country. And therefore, this claim could be possible. For more on this and all the stories we're covering, visit us at VuewayNews.com 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X, formerly known as Twitter, and download our app, Vueway News. This is Vueway News. 400 Kenyan security officers arrived in Haiti this week, part of a contingent of international police forces sent to quail gang violence in the Caribbean nation. At the same time, protests over proposed tax increases in Kenya turned deadly. Vuey Nairobi Bureau Chief Maryamadiello reports. Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti Tuesday on a mission to help restore order in the troubled Caribbean nation. Meanwhile, protests over proposed tax increases that have rocked Kenya over the last two weeks resumed. Several people were shot dead outside Kenya's parliament as police clashed with protesters who stormed the complex after lawmakers passed the highly controversial tax hikes. Kenyan President William Bruto on Wednesday said that after having reflected on the content of the finance bill and listening to the people who are against it, he's decided not to sign it. Maryamadiello, Vueway News, Nairobi. The European Union is expected to sign a security agreement with the Ukrainian president, Walota Mesolensky, on Thursday, pledging to keep delivering weapons, military training, and other aid to keep for years to come. The agreement will lay out the EU's commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defense policy, including arms delivery, military training, defense industry cooperation, and demining. That's according to a draft seen by Reuters. Zelensky is expected to sign the pact at a summit of EU leaders and Brussels. The US Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday border arrests have fallen more than 40%, ended three weeks as President Joe Biden halted asylum processing. AP correspondent Haya Punjwani reports. The department said that border patrols average daily arrests over a seven day period have fallen below 2,400, from before President Joe Biden's proclamation took effect on June 5th. That's still above the 1,500 mark needed to resume asylum processing. Here's US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaking in Tucson. The safety and security of the American public is indeed our highest priority. We screen and vet individuals when we encounter them. He added that while Biden's executive action is effective, Congress needs to stop up. Haya Punjwani, Washington. -Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheimbaum said on Wednesday she has no plans to increase taxes for the general population, but that her administration would continue to invest in major infrastructure projects and increase the minimum wage. She will take office in October after winning a landslide election victory earlier this month, becoming the first woman in Mexico to be elected president. She is vowed to maintain social welfare programs expended under her predecessor, President Andreas Manuel Lopez-Obrador. I'm Richard Green, for VOA News. Olivia beats back a coup attempt. [CHEERING] -Kenyon President Ruto reverses course and kills the tax bill I concede. And therefore, I will not sign the 2024 finance bill. -And a robo-taxi from Croatian carmaker P3, named after Jules Bern. -We already have 11 cities that have, say, basically said to us, we want your service in our city. We're talking to more than 30 cities. -Today is Thursday, June 27. And this is VOA's international edition. [MUSIC PLAYING] -I'm Scott Walterman. -And I'm Alexis Strope. -People in Bolivia taking to the streets after troops in La Paz ran the doors of Bolivia's government palace in an apparent coup attempt. President Luis Arce replaced the command staff of the military, and soon after that, the soldiers pulled back. Arce addressing the crowds from the balcony of the palace. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] -He's saying it fills us with bravery, courage, to keep resisting any coup attempt because Bolivia deserves its democracy. -So let's get more on this now from VOA Latin American service reporter, Celia Mendoza. So what do we know so far? -We know that members of the military, that claim that they were trying to free some political prisoners, especially members of the military, were able to break into Congress. They brought several military equipment. Tanks were rolled through the streets of the palace, which is the capital of Bolivia. According to the messages that were given by General Suniga, who was leading the group, they were trying to restore democracy according to the statements given to the media. And they claimed that they were going to do that during this event. However, things were stopped. The government was able to keep control. And just in the past few hours, General Suniga and others were detained. However, mixed messages were given later in the evening when he was taken into custody. He also spoke to the media and claimed now that this was an order by president. I would say that president of Bolivia, according to him, this actually was planned on Sunday when they met at the School of Lasaje. And the president said that he needed to do something because this week was going to be very difficult according to the statements given by Suniga. He said that the president said that they have to do a maneuver to bring down the military equipment and to do what is now being alleged to be a government order coup d'etat. So if that's true, he sort of ratted them out right away. Exactly. And that is now we have to see what it will actually be proven to be true. What we saw was the actions of the military, the statements that he gave initially and going against President Arse, the political parties in the country. The president, Ego Morales, this just adds to the confusion of the country of General Suniga. He's able to talk to the media as he's been taken into custody. Well, I mean, there has been a lot of unrest in the country. Over the past few years, the economy of Bolivia, which was one of the fastest growing economically in the region, has stole their going backwards and their food security, economy, poverty, and all those elements have contributed for people to start getting anxious and angry about the situation of the country. And therefore, this claim could be plausible. However, no evidence beyond his statements so far had been given. Are people still out on the street? As far as we know, people are now back into their homes. It is later in the night, so they're just a contention in the country. Suleiman Dosa, with VOA's Latin American service. Thank you so much for the update. Thank you so much. Now, the government has since denied the general's claims about the president being in on the coup plan. [MUSIC PLAYING] In Kenya, another reversal after mass protests in a speech to the nation, President William Ruto said he won't sign a bill that increases taxes. The announcement comes one day after more than 20 people were killed when police opened fire on the protesters. More now from VOA's Nairobi Bureau chief, Mariamadiolo. Kenyan President William Ruto says, after consideration, he's decided not to sign the controversial finance bill 2024. I concede. And therefore, I will not sign the 2024 finance bill. And it shall subsequently be withdrawn. And I have agreed with these members that that becomes our collective position. President Ruto made the statement from the State House on Wednesday in the presence of lawmakers. And thanked those who voted yes for the bill. The bill won approval in Parliament Tuesday, but lawmakers fled the scene as hundreds of demonstrators stormed the complex. Parts of the parliament was set on fire and burned for hours. Mariamadiolo, VOA News, Nairobi. [MUSIC PLAYING] On Thursday, the first debate between US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election takes place. It's super early for such an event. Traditionally, presidential debates are held much closer to the elections in the fall. So let's dig in on this. Joining us to talk about it is Matt Klink from Klink Campaigns. Matt has more than 30 years of experience working on campaigns in more than 35 countries. So let's start with expectations. What are we looking for from the two? For Joe Biden, he has to be able to look with it and attentive and coherent for the full 90 minutes. He'll have no telepromptors. He allegedly won't know the questions in advance. And I say that tongue in cheek because he won't do press conferences without knowing the questions. And he has to look like a person vibrant enough to hold the presidency. For Donald Trump, I think one, he's just happy to be on the same stage with Joe Biden. But Donald Trump has also-- he has lowered the expectations for Joe Biden so much by saying that he couldn't do a debate. So Donald Trump now faces the situation where he has to appear not only coherent, but he can't sound irrational and scream. And he has to really be focused on the things that Americans are upset about. If he talks about lawsuits that are rigged justice system and election returns, it's going to be a great night for Joe Biden. So if you were going to prep both of them, what would you advise first Biden? If I were Joe Biden, I would do what his staff is allegedly telling him to do. I would do my best to get under Trump's skin to force him to be the irrational, unhinged candidate that Biden beat twice in debates in 2020, to show America that this election is really a choice between sanity and craziness. And if that happens, then Joe Biden has won. If you flip the script, though, on the other side, Donald Trump, if he is disciplined enough to not take Joe Biden's bait to try to trap him into these caustic exchanges and focus on the simple question that Ronald Reagan asked when he was debating Jimmy Carter in 1980 is, are you better off now than you were four years ago? And the answer is a resounding no. If Donald Trump can stick to that, talk about open borders, global instability, the lack of people to be able to buy consumer goods and food products, high interest rates, it's going to be a good night for Donald Trump, really two contrasting visions of how we want this debate to go. - Do you, so it's so early, we've never had a debate of the two major candidates this early. Does that impact negatively, positively? So many people aren't even engaged yet. That is very true. However, I think for Joe Biden, it was critical to have an early debate because it will allow him, if he does well, like he did at the state of the last state of the union, it will allow him to put to bed conversations that he is physically and mentally not up to the task of running again for president of the United States. That's why he wanted an early debate. For Donald Trump, no, it's not gonna, I mean, if Donald Trump does what he did in 2020 and attacks Joe Biden and yells and screams and argues with the debate moderator, he'll move on. It will not be a fatal blow for his campaign, but a Joe Biden mistake here would be fatal for his campaign and coming before the Democratic convention, it could, with the underscore on the word could, it could be an opportunity to have an open convention and have the Democrats replace Joe Biden. - Wow. - All right. - Unlikely to happen. - No, but I mean, it's an interesting thought. - Yeah, exactly. - Thanks so much for the time we will talk after the debate. - You got it. - Matt Klink from Klink Campaigns in Los Angeles. (upbeat music) - We're following these other stories from around the world. Amazon surpassed $2 trillion in market value for the first time. It comes a little more than a week after Nvidia hit $3 trillion and briefly became the most valuable company on Wall Street. France's government has ordered the dissolution of multiple extreme right and radical Muslim groups four days before the first round of high stakes legislative elections that may see a surge in support for political extremes. The Interior Minister announced the move on Wednesday citing risks of violence. President Joe Biden is pardoning potentially thousands of former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now repealed military ban on consensual gay sex. The president says he is, quote, "writing a historic wrong" to clear the way for these service members to regain lost benefits. - Israel and the United States say they've made progress towards resolving a rift over U.S. weapons shipments after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly accused President Joe Biden's administration of slowing down deliveries. Defense Minister Yov Galan met with top officials over three days in Washington as he voiced hope for quietly working through the disagreements. The always congressional correspondent Catherine Jipson says this is in contrast to Netanyahu's more confrontational approach. - Concerned growing Tuesday as increased showing that the Israel Lebanon border raises the prospect of a broader regional conflict. Israeli Defense Minister Yov Galan continued his Washington meetings joining Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon who called for a diplomatic solution. - His followers' provocations threatened to drive the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want. Such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians. - Galan said Israel was at a crossroads that would impact the entire Middle East. - In the North, we are determined to establish a purity, changing the reality on the ground and bringing our communities safely back home. - Israel has rejected Hamas's demand that a temporary ceasefire in the eight month old conflict would result in the end of the war. One analyst told VOA that Galan is a key link for the United States as it continues those negotiations. Rafael Cohen is the Director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program at Rand Project Air Force. - The Biden administration has generally seen Defense Minister Galan as a actual ally in this endeavor. You know, they've gone out of notes sort of offered his own post-war plan several months ago. It wasn't bought off by the Netanyahu administration. So I think Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken believe that they have some sort of willing partner in Galan that could be a sort of useful intermediary with the Netanyahu government. - The war began October 7th when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking some 240 people hostage. Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish civilians from combatants, says more than 37,000 Palestinians have died since the beginning of hostilities. At the United Nations Tuesday, humanitarian affairs officer Yasmina Guerda warned that the situation in Gaza is dire. None of them have living conditions. What they have if you look closely is survival conditions and barely, they're holding on by a threat. - The U.S. State Department said Tuesday many land aid convoys in Gaza are not reaching civilians due to criminal targeting. Matthew Miller is the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department. - The work remains ongoing. The situation is still incredibly dire. We need to continue to get more humanitarian assistance into the North and of course address the stagnation. And in some cases, the reversal in situation in the South. Miller said an end to the conflict is the only reliable way to end the suffering in Gaza. Katherine Jipson, Theaway News. (dramatic music) - U.S. reporter Evan Gerskovich denied he's a spy as his trial in Russia for espionage began. Details on day one now from Reuters correspondent Sean Hogan. - Fellow journalists were allowed to briefly film the 32 year old before the start of proceedings in the city of Yekaterimburg, where the FSB security service arrested him in March 2023. Shaven headed and smiling faintly, he nodded at colleagues from inside his glass box. Prosecutors alleged Gerskovich gathered secret information on the orders of the CIA, specifically about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia's war in Ukraine. The closed trial could last several months. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years. Gerskovich, his newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. Government all reject the allegations. They say he was just doing his job as a reporter accredited by Russia's Foreign Ministry. President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is open to the idea of a prisoner exchange involving Gerskovich and that contacts with the United States have taken place, but they must remain secret. U.S. officials in Yekaterimburg, including console chain rules to it Wilson, had little information for reporters on Wednesday. - Have you managed to visit Evan? - Be here? - Yeah. - No, no, we have not. - I'm going to. - Is it all good? - I don't know. - Oh, we put in a request. Right, prisoners, exchanges are negotiated at the high level in Washington, so we're not involved with that. - Washington has accused Russia of conducting hostage diplomacy. It has designated Gerskovich and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, as wrongfully detained, and sees it is committed to bringing them home. - That was Reuters correspondent Sean Hogan. (upbeat music) - VOA's International Edition continues. I'm Alexis Strope, along with Scott Walterman. - NATO on Wednesday selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its next boss. He's been a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. - Speak out against Putin and Russia's violation of the UN Charter. Support a peace plan, support Ukraine, even if it takes time, even if there are setbacks, especially if it takes time and there are setbacks. - And to tell Russia to give back the stolen children of Ukraine. - Rutte has spent nearly 14 years as Dutch Prime Minister and cemented his bid to become NATO's new chief last year, while co-leading an international coalition that will deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and train Ukrainian pilots. - Record floods that killed more than 170 people and displaced half a million in southern Brazil are a warning side of more disasters to come throughout the Americas because of climate change. That's the official word from the United Nations refugee agency, according to Reuters correspondent, Arthi Taiaparan. - At what point do you basically have to sort of slap somebody in the face and say, well, wake up? - Does Andrew Harper, a special advisor on climate action to the United Nations refugee agency? - It's a warning signal, but we've been seeing warning signals now for five, 10 years. He visited a neighbourhood in Porto Allegri left devastated by the floods. Residents have not returned even after the flood waters subsided and many are still living in shelters. The UN refugee agency is helping the local government build temporary housing. - It was a ghost town because you had, like, it was under water for almost 40 days. And so there wasn't even any rats running around, like everything could die. - Roughly 389,000 people remained displaced in the state of Rio Grande de Sol. Local officials say it's the worst disaster in the region's history. Some residents may never return, Harper says, having been forced to move due to repeated floods. Scientists say climate change made the flooding twice as likely to happen. Harper says governments need to understand where the people most vulnerable to climate change live and include them in their climate plans. - We're seeing the emergence in Brazil of what we may be seeing throughout the Americas. So, to ignore this, they do it at their own peril. - That was where it is correspondent, Arthi Taiaparan. - And finally, you know, we pay a lot of attention to the race for artificial intelligence, but there's another high-tech race going on that may be just as important to our everyday lives. That's the race to develop self-driving cars and autonomous vehicle startup called Project 3 Mobility, set up by the founder of Croatian electric vehicle maker Remack Group, unveiled its self-driving Robotaxi, named after French writer, Jules Verne. - 90% of rides are with one or two people. - And they're getting a lot of interest with deals already signed to begin service. - We already have 11 cities that have saved, basically said to us, we want your service in our city. We're talking to more than 30 cities, and each one of these cities is really unique. So we have to tailor our approach together. It cannot be a cookie-cutter approach for the same for everybody, but we're talking to the cities, finding the way how we embed our service into the city. - This has been International Edition on the Voice of America. - On behalf of everyone here in VOA, thank you so much for being with us. For pictures, stories, videos, and more, follow VOA News on your favorite social media platform and online at VOANews.com. - In Washington with Alexis Strobe, I'm Scott Walterman. (upbeat music) Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government. - The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire, according to numerous United Nations reports. More than 50% of the population, some of 23.7 million people need humanitarian assistance. Nearly 3 million children are experiencing acute levels of hunger, and in April and May, some 120,000 people were affected by flash flooding and mudslides that destroyed entire villages and killed more than 340 people. This is perhaps why the Taliban accepted an invitation to attend the third UN convene meeting of special envoys and special representatives on Afghanistan, which will take place in Doha, Qatar, on June 30th and July 1st. Among the topics of discussion in Doha, will be Afghanistan's many crises and how they are interconnected with and exacerbated by the Taliban's suppression of women's rights. According to a recent United Nations report, Afghan women are subjected to decrees, policies, and systematized practices with gender discrimination and mass oppression of women at their core. Separate and independent UN bodies are now calling out the Taliban's systemic human rights abuses, said US alternative representative for special political affairs at the UN, Robert Wood. - These reports outline in stark detail, the Taliban's institutionalized efforts to erase women from society, sweeping gender persecution, callous treatment of persons with disabilities, and human rights abuses against members of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, as well as LGBTQI+ persons. - The international community must continue to stand with the Afghan people, especially its women, girls, and members of marginalized communities said Ambassador Wood. - We must insist on reversing these oppressive measures, pushing for justice and accountability for abuses, and clarifying that human rights cannot be siloed or deprioritized. - In Afghanistan, girls are barred from attending school beyond the sixth grade. The harm caused by the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls cannot be overstated, said Ambassador Wood. - It has now been over 1,000 days, since the Taliban banned girls from secondary schools. If these types of restrictions are allowed to continue, the pervasive and harmful impacts will affect Afghans from across the country for many years to come. - We must ensure that women and civil society participants have a voice in Doha, said Ambassador Wood. Their concerns must be highlighted in all deliberations on Afghanistan's future. (upbeat music) - That was an editorial reform.