follows the release of american basketball style, brittany greiner from a russian prison. kimberly how kit has more from the white house. the white house is taking these signals from russia and is actively considering them a, in the context that this is a good sign for paul whale. and the american that was not able to be released as part of this exchange between brittany griner and victor boot. what we know is that the feeling is here in the united states is that there is now a certain atmosphere that has been created. and there are now active discussions underway between the russian diplomats and the us. diplomats for the release of paul whalen. i was on his sen. christian cinema has decided to register as an independent means. the democrats now have 50 seats in the 100 seat. senate vice president commonly harris holds the tie break vote. police in peru have full with

supporters of impeach president pedro castillo. he was detained and removed from power on wednesday, after attempting to shut congress and rule by decree. the world's longest serving president has been sworn in for a 6 term in office. equitorial, guinea, theodore r o. b and graham. i took the presidential as before, inspecting a military parade. the a 2 year old cease power in a coup in 1979. south africa, the government is planning to legalize prostitution, to help combat growing violence against women. if the change is backed by parliament, the justice ministry says sex workers will have access to safe working conditions. nigerian politicians have some on the governor of the central bank because of a new policy. restricting cash withdraws. it aims to promote cashless transactions in africa's largest economy. last week, restrictions were imposed on over the counter and atm cash withdraws.

9 people have died in an explosion at a coal mine in indonesia, not known what caused the blast in west sumatra. authorities believe the mine is filled with methane gas. a funeral has been held for palestinian teenager who was killed in an israeli raid on thursday. 17 o d r. a maui were and 4 others were killed by israeli forces in 2 different raids in the occupied west bank. this has been the deadliest here for palestinian since 2006 over 217. have been killed by israeli forces including ages ada jennifer sharina barkley croatia has equalized against brazil during extra time. and the 1st quarter final match of the woke up the match went to extra time after ended go less than 90 minutes. that is around 5 minutes. still to play. those are the headlines inside story is next on edge data.

ah, cruise president pedro castillo impeached and detained. argentina's vice president, christina kurtz, no convicted of corruption. what's behind this wave of investigation and criminal charges at the highest echelons of power in latin america? this is inside story. ah. hello there and welcome to the program. i'm the start, the ok. now, a week ago, he was sitting at his presidential desk, now peruse,

formerly that pedro castillo sits in a prison cell, impeached by the same congress that he tried to dismiss. he faces charges of rebellion earlier criminal investigations also continued. now his removal came the same week as argentine as vice president christina coach now was convicted of corruption. the former president's immunity keeps the out of jail. but unless she wins any appeal, her political career could be over all this just weeks off to brazil elected luna da silva, president for a 2nd time. it's a dramatic reversal after 18 months in jail for corruption before his conviction was an old. so why have several current left us leaders in latin america been under investigation? we'll put that to our guests in just a moment. but 1st, this report from marianna such as in lima on castillo, is down for marching for the former leader supporters. a fatal casteel gathered outside the prison, which has been held from the heart of the capital city to the south of the country supporter say they want him free. it was late,

his political crisis included on wednesday when cathy was impeached by congress. when he left the presidential palace, the order to arrest him had already been issued, he was on his way to the mexican embassy to seek asylum at gaseous own escorts were instructed to detain him at gunpoint. he was flown to this prison on the outskirts of the capitol, where he'll stay for at least the next 7 days as an investigation into allegations of rebellion. and conspiracy gets under way a good, a good. his lawyer has rejected the charges and says, gusty, his detention is illegal outside. angry supporters blamed the new precedent enough on what the forecast the years down for. yeah, that's a man's, don't miss it as yet. until a month ago, she was saying that if diana say she castillo, there would go with him. now she takes over the presidency and says, she doesn't agree with the crew. the top one,

water based beetle 6th precedent in 5 years. and the 1st woman to lead the nation on her 1st full day in office. she appealed for a political truce, but refused to rule out the possibility of early elections. jessica luna's wasa, some voices are calling to have early elections, and that is democratically respectable. i think that after the assumption of the presidency, it's time for a bit of our reorientation of what else to be done with a country audience. opinion pull, say 87 percent of peruvians want fresh elections, frustrated by years of political turmoil, most of beatles, former leaders are being investigated for some form village at corruption. castillo is being held, the sink prison, a former precedent under discussion morty, bell garcia. 2 and i read the book, he, marty, who is serving a 25 year sentence for human rights abuses. they are the only 2 former president of

hayden, close congress illegally. you know, a lot of the wants to bring an end to the political feuding which has paralyzed the country for years as she chooses those who will be in her cabinet. she wants to show poor peruvians, they will not be forgotten. adiana sanchez helped us. he don't leave a happy to our father south on the continent. argentina's vice president, christina fernandez, the coach know was sentenced to 6 years in prison. convicted of a $1000000000.00 fraud to raise the bar has worn out from barnes aries. oh, these are so borders of christina fernando. the kirschner who came to the federal court building in when a site is to protest against argentina's judiciary cushion, or was sentenced to 6 years in prison. and given a lifetime ban on holding public office. after being found guilty of corruption, it's the 1st time an argentinean vice president has been convicted of a crime wealth in office 3 months ago,

cushion or was the target of an assassination attempt. when a man pulled the trigger of his hand gun inches from her face as she greeted supporters, the gun failed to fire. ha kirshner is accused of directing millions of dollars of public works contracts to a family friend. the former president denies all charges accusing the trivial in charge of a political witch hunt and serving the interest of the opposition. you don't want to mercy. this is much simpler. it's not no fair, but it's not a judiciary party. it's not a patent state and mafia. it's a judicial mafia. christina, for an under the kirschner where the argentina reference for 8 years between 20072015 is now this country's vice president either devices bigger in control. while there are many who continue to some border, there are many others who would like to see her in prison. kirschner is expected to

be against the court's decision. despite her conviction, she has congressional immunity and isn't likely to head to jail any time soon. ah, ah, let's not bring in our guests in london. we have javier far. hey, he is a journalist and also an analyst on latin american affairs. in one of the areas we have sebastian the cleanser. he is a senior reporter for read intelligence, latin america, and a former editor of the burners areas, harold and in managua, nicaragua, ben norton, investigative journalist, and also the founder and editor of multi port paula vista and independent news website. that's based in latin america, a warm welcome teacher. thank you for joining us on inside story gentlemen. there's obviously been a lot that's happened in latin america in just the last few days, plenty to one pick. so i want to start in peru at pedro because tiers obviously made some decisions that have lost and lots of allies landed him in prison. but i

do want to take a bit of a, a step back and have a look at the corruption allegations against him. he says that they're politically motivated. javier is that fat? well, it's very difficult to determine that because in latin america, in peru anyway, the border between the legally legal issues and political issues is very, very blurry. in the case of the of mr. castillo accusations, i had a chance to read the whole in diamond by the. busy attorney general and although the attorney general pro wise evidence that members of his in the circle way involving corruption, there is no data going between them and pressure. and kathy you, which is a bit of a tricky issue in 5 or many a jewish so many, especially some legal issues in peru, say that it would be very difficult for that to stand up in court. because the only reason why the attorney general link mr. cost to you to these cases because these people were part of his in the sequence relatives friends and older. but there's not that elite this more evidence that is that it, ling,

i'm not saying that the reasoning is said that there's not evidence legal ebby that they said that the link between president got to you are he's or he's and did corrupt people that who are being indicted, he's been accused of been the head of a lee of her criminal enterprise, but the attorney general did not provide enough evidence to link him directly with this case of corruption. many people accused of being of being neglectful or being of in terms of not looking after, you know, the interest of the presidency. but the link is very, very frightened, fragile. and it would have been very difficult to prove in court unless he provides . and they provide concrete evidence that he was directly involved. he directly benefited promoted or encouraged is can over acts of corruption. okay. well then turning to argentina, we've obviously had some similar accusations from christina kutner and she says that part of the case against her is an attack by a parallel ne state is amassing. who is she talking about one because just

related to it. they used to be a close friend of the leg, press and metal case. now let's talk about a who became or now or construct or, or probably warms in the properties of santa cruz in the very south. but that one is moved to one side is one that's or was elected. so then something around the lead to investigate why this person who end up having mediums, doses of mediums of dollars in bank accounts in the same time the prosecute or didn't find. busy to your evidence of a connection between the for, to know these disease mcknight,

but under her pina said that she's big team. she's being offered while it is a politic somebody. there are may be that there are reasons to think that and there is a connection on the broad between my leaders of the opposition on the part of the or the alliance. the part of the, of the job sherry spies, which is the main the group. so there's a bit of speculation that sebastian, i know been, you've done some digging into this. i want to understand how, what cut is alleging could actually be possible. surely this is a strength of the question of, of institutions and not need the strength of them, but their integrity as well. what we need to understand that argentina in so very

recently in the 1980s was a dictatorship, there were no democratic institutions until early 1983 and many of those institutions are very weak and the judicial system isn't an example of this. and it is weaponized by the political opposition. in fact, since 2004, there have been 650 for judicial cases, filed all, almost all of them frivolous against christina ford on the kitchen that are by the right wing opposition. in fact, 6 individuals, just those individuals have filed between 20 and 74 lawsuits against her. so what we see is a constant concerted political attack using the judicial system against her as a weapon is called law fair legal warfare. and we also have leaked messages and photos and videos showing that prosecutors and judges were conspiring with the riling opposition. and with large media corporations like the global claudine,

which is the main kind of conservative media outlet like fox news and argentina, which supports the right wing for president mighty seal market. there are photos showing some of the prosecutors in an airport meeting with members of this company . when she says that there is a a parallel mafia state that's not elected. that mean that's not wrong. i mean, the reality is we have evidence showing that these compromised prosecutors were directly collaborating with the opposition and flying on their planes and going to their mansions. oh, well, i want to take that moment to talk a little bit more about institutions, that the weakness and the strength of them. because as he tried to dissolve congress, i recall castillo was accusing parliamentarians of was at destroying the root of law and trying to establish a congressional dictatorship in some might argue that a congressional dictatorship led by elected officials as a form of democracy. riot. i want to take a look at a graphic because i believe period has had what 10 presidents now in the last 2 decades now to would just short some temporary interim officeholders. but the other

is we either ousted, jailed or detained. one of them died via suicide. 10 presidents and 2 decades. and what for in just the last 2 years that instability, that level of instability, heavier. how is that contributed to the situation that we're facing now? oh, did this political system improve? is broken? it is not questionable that you have mentioned all the present. what been indicted, one of the indices, waiting for to be extra that it peru alejandro. label allan garcia, committed suicide, or the princes are under house arrest. in the case of mr. castillo, the announcement he made on wednesday there wednesday, december of december, took everybody by surprise. according to the constitution, he cannot close down congress by himself. he cannot do dug that by elated an article of the constitution at bonham for doing that. does it 1st thing? second, when congress got the day before he was,

he was still discussing his defense against attempts to impeach him in congress. your position in congress had managed to get a hold to the bay the ship, but not to, to sucking. they didn't have enough vote for that. he would have probably survived on vote on wednesday and tuesday evening here. now that he was going to go to congress to defend himself on wednesday, meet daycare now. crew that he was close in congress, that he was already in the reorganization of the leisure, which he has not allowed to do that. and also the constitutional tribunal. and that was the got everyone by surprise, all his ministers resigned on the armed forces and in any country letting america you cannot conduct a cool without the support of young forces. an hour after the announced was made young forces said that they would not support this because this was unconstitutional. and of course, a deal after after this announcement, the congress man that it was, he shall manage to get in a vote to indict and to impeach the answer. he sorry to interrupt that any longer

sounds to me like a real triumph of institutions. it shows the strength of the constitution and the press has been. i'm curious, i want to throw this to you because i see that mexico is standing by castillo, and he is there considering offering him asylum, the president's and as manuel. if, as i've read or describe this as a soft crew, is this span left a solidarity, or is armor door potentially concerned that something similar could happen to him? well, it certainly was a congressional cou. i mean, it's true that what castillo did, and dissolving the congress was legally in a gray area. although in the constitution, which we can talk about in a 2nd, which is deeply compromise. and he wanted to change the constitution to prevent these kinds of cars in the future. but it does provide the possibility for the president to dissolve congress in certain cases of obstruction ism, and the congress in peru is that perfect description is obstructionist. it has

taken every single step since day one to prevent castillo, the elected president from being able to govern. that's why there have been 6 presidents in 5 years because there's an article in the constitution that goes back to the fuji mori dictatorship, which ended in 2000. let's not forget who had a far right dictatorship until 2004 g. maury, committed genocide, he sterilized indigenous women, and his children are prominent politicians in the opposition. his daughter came close to becoming president takeoff. would you morty? the point is that he left behind this, this dick the tauriel constitution that allows the congress to remove an elected president with a majority vote if the president is deemed to have moral incapacity. that means nothing. i mean, basically it opens the possibility for the political opposition to constantly tried to launch a legal coup against the president. and yes, you could say that it was a very unwise move for castillo to dissolve the congress. but the reality is that

this was the 3rd time in just over a year that the congress was trying to overthrow him, and he was tired of the obstruction ism, so he dissolved it. and let's not forget that the congress, according to the latest paul from a few weeks ago, has 11 percent approval in peru. so this is, these are on democratic actions taken by a very vicious rhyming opposition and, and been, includes that the daughter and the son of a former far right dictator. okay, so taking a bit of a step back can when talking about 2 trees with left us leadership and a region that's notoriously plagued by corruption. i think we can order the population struggling with vast boston, a quality deep disillusionment with public officials. these kinds of narrative that we're hearing on just confined to proven argentina. we've also seen this big shift towards the left in latin america. this coming january, i was having a look at the numbers for the 1st time i believe, or the 7 most populous countries will have left of center governments and feels

like the public has also railed preference. a big personality is kind of outside of figures. now, given the rise and populism across the region, sebastian, do you think that it makes these kinds of attacks on, on individual, specifically more effective in it, to issue speaking, how many countries are on the environment of our countries are very different from, from some being for instance, if you're not being paid are in washington politics of your report and what site is supported by about one of the population for approval. right? things are pretty same with the 5 or the storm,

a hot side in the last decade. and so she's still competitive with one of the ladies of the cc service was low for her in the left lane in front alliance. police on is decisive. so this is an ongoing, ongoing to raise on many and i'm not sure who he's support to to be seen on the phone number at the bottom. not using the. ready gauge because there are, there are so many. so what, what says is that something that

we've been policies show? well politics can go either way and we've obviously seen both left and right. mean, governance in power across latin america over the well, the last century in the last few decades, both governments on the left and the riots have been accused of corruption. and if you off the left, all the rights who is more corrupt, they'll obviously say each other. so do you think then javier, let me throw this to you. is this an attack that we're seeing on the left, or is this simply cyclical power politics that it just happens to be that there are a large number of left us politicians and power at the moment, and they're being attacked by the rice? well, it depends very much on what country you're talking about here in peru, for example. well, mr. castillo was elected on the left when ticket, when he became president, nobody knew exactly where he stood. that is one of the, the well to prove that he had politically speaking for the novel worked at the

current president who's just been appointed by congress, is moral to the left to mr. castillo, done? actually, mr. castillo, in fact, a new or tourist, if prime minister until recently of mr. custio's are coming, it once defended hitler angle saline, which is not exactly something you would expect from somebody who comes from the lift. so they became like a lack of total, a political identity in relation to the political side of it. it is absolutely true out our colleagues said that parliament has been trying to put all struggles to apply to a mr. cost to you, to government. and they tried to get rid of him, in fact, they wanted to accuse him of trees on which was ridiculous accusation. however, when mister castillo and opposition never had enough vote to impeach him. when mister castillo, decide to close congress, he gave ammunition to the opposition to get in, or both because many people in congress who would have been reluctant to him to impeach the president, didn't have a choice, but to ward in favor of the impeachment. so he gave the ammunition to the position

to get rid of him, and of course he was totally relate. he didn't form any of the members of his cabinet. apart from his, his prime minister. if they were all caught by surprise, his lawyers were caught by surprise. he probably would have warned the war against him richmond. that is the irony of the situation i did with his decision he took. he gave ammunition to do what you can rid of him here to get rid of him, which is exactly what happened. i saw it is more than pollyanna, i was a strategy. there was, there were lot of mistakes. sure. i'm going to stop there because i do want to take a moment to also look at what lies ahead and the main trend from recent elections. it seems, and latin america has been ante incumbency. what an an opponent says one the last. what? 16 free presidential contests in the region. so ben, do you think very briefly, we should expect then to see a swing to the riots in the coming months and years? well, it depends on the country. in argentina, the situation is very difficult, especially economically, largely because the country is trapped in unimpeachable,

odious debt, owed to the international monetary fund. ironically that, that debt, which is $44000000000.00, was taken by the previous writing president montes your mockery, but it has really trapped the current government, the center send for less government to prevent this. and christina gets minutes, and it's very likely that in the 2023 elections that are coming up, especially considering that christina said in her speech after the sentence, but she's not going to be running for president. it's likely the right wing is going to win argentina, and that is going to throw a wrench into the project of regional integration. because when lula comes in in brazil on january 1st, he has said clearly that he wants to try to economically integrate latin america to bring back institutions like the sword, the bank of the south, creating a new currency. and it's very likely that in argentina the right is going to come back to power. so, i mean, it, it depends on the country that you're looking at, but certainly argentina is one where i think the less their,

their control of power is very limited. and then it will be very interesting to see how the various corruption allegations and various leaders across the region also pay out and upcoming elections. we'll have to leave it there for today though. thank you. so all of our guest. hey, sebastian la crenza and ben norton and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again anytime by visiting our website. that's algebra dot com. and for further discussion, do go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash age 8 and 5 story. and remember, you can also join the conversation on twitter. handle is a high story for me in the se, hey, i'm the whole team here in the me. ah,

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