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Guatemala: Álvaro Colom, Former President Of Guatemala, Dies At 71

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Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — Former Guatemalan President lvaro Colom died Monday, according to lawmakers from his party. He governed from 2008 to 2012 and supported a United Nations anti-corruption mission. He was 71.

“I deeply mourn the death of ex-President Colom, a man of profound democratic convictions and great social sensibility,” said Orlando Blanco, the leader of Guatemala’s center-left National Unity of Hope Party in Congress.

On Twitter, current President Alejandro Giammattei expressed his condolences to Colom’s family and friends. There was no mention of a cause of death.

Colom defeated retired Gen. Otto Pérez Molina in a runoff election in 2007. It was his third attempt at the presidency.

Colom, an industrial engineer, became Guatemala’s first leftist president in more than 50 years, but he stated that he wanted Guatemala to forge its path rather than align with established leftist leaders like Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez at the time.

Guatemala

Colom Paved The Way Into Large Scale Production

Colom’s success in textiles paved the way for Guatemala’s entry into large-scale production via assembly plants known as maquiladoras in Spanish.

After working with civil war refugees in isolated highlands, he ran for office, promising to reduce poverty. Hundreds of thousands were displaced during the war, which lasted from 1960 to 1996. He was a Mayan minister who stated that he would seek advice from the Mayan Elders National Council, a group of spiritual leaders.

Just weeks before the end of his term, Colom claimed credit for hiring 90,000 new teachers and re-enrolling over a million children in the country’s schools. He claimed that his administration had built more schools and healthcare facilities. He praised Guatemala’s efforts to intercept drug shipments and apprehend drug traffickers.

Colom also backed the United Nations International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, abbreviated CICIG in Spanish. It had begun operations a year before he took office.

Guatemala

Guatemala Won The Contracts

However, in 2018, Colom and his entire former Cabinet were arrested in connection with a corruption investigation involving a bus concession.

The case revolved around Transurbano, a public bus company. The government auctioned off 25-year concessions for bus routes in Guatemala City, and the private companies that won the contracts were later tax-free. The CICIG collaborated with Guatemalan prosecutors on the case.

Colom denied any wrongdoing, and the case was never tried. For the bus scandal, the US State Department included him in a report to Congress on corrupt actors in the region in 2021.

A Nobel Mans Death

Pérez Molina, who took over the presidency after Colom, was eventually forced out by another CICIG investigation and sentenced to prison for corruption in December.

Colom married politician Sandra Torres, who planned to run for president in Guatemala’s June 25 national elections. They had separated.

Torres tweeted late Monday, “May the noble man who always held Guatemala in his heart rest in peace.”

SOURCE – (AP)

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Trudeau GST Tax Holiday to Cost Taxpayers $6.3 Billion

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a two-month GST break on some purchases and a one-time $250 rebate for all Canadians earning less than $150,000. The proposed GST break would last from December 14 to February 15.

The Liberals said it would cover various things, including children’s clothing and shoes, toys, diapers, restaurant meals, and beer and wine. It also refers to real and artificial Christmas trees, snack foods and beverages, and video game systems.

The move will cost taxpayers almost $4.7 billion, and the GST exemption will cost an additional $1.6 billion, totaling $6.3 Billion.

The federal government is now running a significant deficit. This raises the question of who will have to foot the $6.3 billion bill for today’s one-time payments. The government will have to borrow the money, and future taxpayers must either repay it or service the additional debt perpetually.

Critics argue that the GST credit is a collection of terrible ideas that will do little to lift Canada out of the long-term economic rut in which our economy is stuck.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre responded Thursday to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pledge of a “GST Holiday” for Canadians, calling it a “tax trick.”

Poilievre stated that the temporary exemption from the Goods and Services Tax on various ordinary commodities “would not make up for the permanent quadrupling carbon tax on heat, housing, food, and fuel.”

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet stated he is “against any idea of a prime minister who says, ‘I will give you money in order for you to consider voting for me.'”

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, temporary sales tax holidays will only increase confusion and administrative burden for small business owners.

A temporary sales tax decrease would help boost demand in some industries, including restaurants, Canadians, and companies, which require sustainable tax relief during the slow post-holiday season.

The changes amid an inflation-driven affordability crisis have left many dissatisfied with the Trudeau government. A federal election is scheduled for before next October, although it might happen sooner if the minority government falls before then.

For months, the Conservatives have held a double-digit lead over the Liberals in public opinion polls, with Leader Pierre Poilievre promising to cut taxes and government spending to restore affordability.

High inflation has also pressured the Liberals to avoid proposing policies that would boost spending and raise fuel prices.

According to the Fraser Institute, The Trudeau government got one thing fundamentally right: Lowering the tax burden on Canadians has benefits. Unfortunately, the policy package it has proposed to deliver tax relief is completely wrong.

It lowers the incorrect taxes, moves taxes temporarily rather than lowering them, does little to improve economic incentives, and punishes future taxpayers. With the holiday season approaching, this attempt at a gift for Canadian taxpayers is the economic equivalent of a lump of coal in the stocking.

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Matt Gaetz Withdraws as Trump’s Pick for Attorney General

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Matt Gaetz,attorney general, Trump

Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as President-elect Donald Trump’s candidate for Attorney General, citing concerns about a federal sex trafficking probe that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed.

Gaetz resigned after failing to persuade the Senate to endorse his contentious candidacy. Shortly after Gaetz’s unexpected departure, the president-elect issued a statement applauding his former AG nominee’s choice to seek Senate confirmation.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all the great things he will do!” the president-elect wrote on Truth Social.

Gaetz had earlier stated that he was retiring from his current seat in Congress and would not take the oath of office for the upcoming session, which begins in January. Now that he has withdrawn from consideration for AG, his future in Washington is uncertain.

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Eric Hovde Concedes The United States Senate Race To Tammy Baldwin.

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Eric Hovde

(VOR News) – Eric Hovde, the Republican candidate for the United States Senate, has acknowledged that he was defeated by Tammy Baldwin, the Democratic candidate for the same seat on the ballot.

Baldwin acknowledged Hovde’s defeat and consented to it. Furthermore, he released a statement in which he contends that the election results are not only inaccurate, but also devoid of any factual foundation.

Eric Hovde experienced this two weeks after the election.

Baldwin emerged as the unofficial victor of the Senate campaign in Wisconsin, a race that was closely monitored by a significant number of individuals. Baldwin was awarded the title of victor on November 6th. Baldwin emerged victorious by a razor-thin margin.

According to the data provided by the Associated Press, Baldwin emerged victorious by a margin of 29,116 ballots, which is approximately equivalent to 0.9 percent of the total votes cast. Baldwin emerged victorious by a substantial margin, as indicated by the results.

Hovde issued his public apology subsequent to the conclusion of the canvassing of the results by the majority of county clerks throughout the state. This process will ultimately result in the results being recognized as official. Publication of Eric Hovde’s decision. Not only were the results announced at this time, but they were also proclaimed in an official capacity.

The exact phrase of the announcement, “Thank you for your support,” was included in a post by Eric Hovde on Monday and published on the social networking site X.

The public was notified of this announcement. The announcement was public on Monday. It has drawn a lot of attention. “It is time to begin moving on.”

In contrast, Eric Hovde’s film began with a somewhat less inclusive tone, which persisted throughout. He made this assumption without offering any evidence to back it up, and his claims that there were “many troubling issues” with absentee ballots tabulated late on election night were factually incorrect. His claims were not supported by empirical evidence.

His claims were unsupported by any proof. Not a single piece of evidence could possibly prove that his allegations were correct. He stated in the statement that “numerous supporters” had demanded that he challenge the election results. He acknowledged receiving the request.

Eric Hovde acknowledged receiving these demands.

In particular, Eric Hovde asserts, “However, a request for a recount would serve no purpose if it were not for a detailed review of all the ballots and their legitimacy, which will be difficult to obtain in the courts.”

Subsequently, you would recount the identical ballots, regardless of their authenticity. This is the reason, as elucidated in this article. This is the rationale for the current state of affairs.

Hovde and his campaign refrained from issuing any public statements subsequent to Baldwin’s disclosure that Eric Hovde had emerged victorious in the election, which transpired over a week after Baldwin’s initial announcement.

The previous week, he uploaded a video to social media platforms that expressed his “deeply concerned” sentiments regarding the election results in Milwaukee.

The election was conducted in Milwaukee. While the film was being screened, there was a discussion regarding the results of the election in Milwaukee. As the ballots were still being counted in the largest city in Wisconsin on the evening of the election, he expressed his “shock” at the sequence of events that had transpired.

Eric Hovde was emphasizing the occurrence of specific events.

In addition, he declared that ballots were still being tallied at the time of the election. Eric Hovde made this declaration during the voting period, while ballots were still being tabulated.

Baldwin’s team referenced her victory speech, which she delivered the week prior to the election, in response to a request for comment that was submitted on Monday.

In response to the campaign’s request, this action was implemented.

A representative of Baldwin’s team has verified that “Hovde has not called,” which is consistent with the information that was disclosed on Monday morning. The representative who provided these details has worked in a variety of capacities throughout their career.

SOURCE: WPR

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