INTERNACIONAL
Albanian protesters flood streets demanding prime minister’s resignation amid corruption accusations
Albanians protest against government corruption
Thousands of protesters gathered in Tirana, Albania on Saturday June 20, 2026 demanding government change. The demonstrations have expanded from initial opposition to a luxury resort project into broader anti-government protests. (Reuters.)
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The government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama is under increasing pressure as Albanians continue taking to the streets to call for his resignation, as well as the leader of the opposition, Sali Berisha, faulting them and their parties for some thirty years of corruption ever since the end of the communist regime in 1991.
The catalyst for the protests first began over a multi-billion-dollar luxury resort plan by Jared Kushner and his business partners pursuing the creation of two resort properties through investment firm Affinity Partners that will add around 10,000 hotel rooms and villas to Albanian coastal lands.
One planned location, the abandoned Sazan Island, is the home of a former Soviet military base. The other property in Zvërnec is said to be home to the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape where monk seals and flamingos make their homes and sea turtles nest.
EUROPEAN CAPITAL ROCKED BY VIOLENT PROTESTS AS GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION PROBE FUELS UNREST
Thousands of protesters gathered in Tirana, Albania on Saturday June 20 demanding government change over corruption claims. (Reuters)
Agim Nesho, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital that, «Unlike some of the misinformation in the media, the protests in Albania are not against the family of President Donald Trump and foreign investors like Jared Kushner. These investors are bringing in $4 billion dollars into Albania that will create jobs and opportunity for our youth.
«They are building on private land whose protected status was revoked years ago by Rama and his oligarchs. Global investors have standards and demonstrate accountability, and there is a hope they will show more care and consideration for the environment than Edi Rama and the business interests around him, who would instead build there on their own,» he said.
Nesho claimed that «After 12 years and at least three stolen elections, including last year’s parliamentary election which was not recognized by the United States, and which handed Rama a supermajority that can change laws and the constitution, Rama’s days now look to be numbered.»
Eric Czuleger, Editor-in-Chief of The Under Report, has lived in Albania for five years and has documented the growing protests. He told Fox News Digital that «Rama’s government has never been under such direct pressure from the Albanian people and his response is instructive. First, he denied the existence of the protests, claiming that they were a couple hundred people with an axe to grind. When they grew, the international media forced the domestic media [to] stop its blackout. Suddenly, the protests were a ‘hybrid war’ spurred on by Iran and Russia.»
Protestors hold banners as they gather in front of the Albanian Prime Minister’s Office to demonstrate against the construction on the southern coast of Albania a luxury resort near a protected natural area, in Tirana, on June 10, 2026. (Adnan Beci / AFP via Getty Images)
The protests, which began in May, have not swayed Prime Minister Rama’s support for planned investments. The Rama government sent a lengthy response to Fox News Digital on behalf of the prime minister directed at «all interested foreign parties and individuals, who have spread all kinds of misinformation and launched all kinds of baseless attacks all over the globe against a highly ambitious project with the potential to become another role model for how next-generation tourism destinations can be built.»
ALBANIANS RALLY BY THE THOUSANDS AGAINST RULING SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT
His statement added that «Sazan Island is state property and has never been intended, nor requested, to be sold.» He also said that the «area in Zvërnec is privately owned land,» and explains that additional claimants to the land have taken their claims to court.
In an effort to clear up misconceptions, Rama’s statement said that «the project must undergo not merely an ordinary Environmental Impact Assessment, but an In-Depth Environmental Impact Assessment.» Rama also claims that the project location «has no connection whatsoever with the Vjosa Delta,» and says that claims that protected status labels were removed from development areas to allow for investment «is one of the greatest falsehoods inflated beyond all imagination.»
Protestors with their faces covered by images depicting Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama (R) and Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha gather in front of Albania’s Prime Minister’s Office in Tirana on June 12, 2026. (Adnan Beci / AFP via Getty Images)
Irrespective of Rama’s defense of the projects, on Wednesday, the European Parliament urged the Albanian government to stop construction on protected lands, Politico reported. They also called for a moratorium on further permits and construction in protected areas.
A source familiar with the situation with the luxury resort project told Fox News Digital that some of what is circulating online about the project is fabricated and doctored, and that some disinformation has emerged from outside the country.
ALBANIAN OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS LIGHT FLARES, SCUFFLE WITH POLICE AMID PARLIAMENT CHAOS OVER CORRUPTION PROBE
Asher Abehsera, Chair of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, told Fox News Digital that «for four years, we have worked toward creating a world-class destination on the Albanian coast—one rooted in thoughtful design, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic opportunity. Our goal is simple: celebrate Albania’s natural beauty, create jobs, and build something future generations can be proud of.» Abehsera said that the project’s «future will ultimately be determined by Albania and the Albanian people.»
As the protests continue, Czuleger said that Albanians are both «concerned that nothing will happen» and «concerned that something bad could happen» if the Rama government does step down. «If leadership doesn’t change now, then people wonder if the corruption will ever stop,» he said. «If leadership does change then it’s possible someone worse comes in.» Czuleger said that «protesters are tired,» and «the news cycle is moving on.» Noting that the «only thing that will bring a change to the administration is patience, pressure, and a clarification of the movement’s goals.»
Albanian actor and artist Florjan Binaj told Fox News that the protests «are the biggest protests that have ever happened in Albania since 1991.» He called the protest atmosphere «amazingly powerful.
Binaj said that he plans to join the protests for «as long as [he] can,» noting that «the protesters want Rama’s resignation» to pave the way for an alternative government.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaks during a press conference following the EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, Belgium, on May 26, 2026. (Daniel Gnap/NurPhoto)
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Nesho added,» The protesters have risen up due to the fact that one of the poorest countries in Europe can count billions and billions in corruption by a government that holds itself accountable to no one. It is difficult for the protesters to compromise and negotiate with PM Rama under these circumstances. The only path is resignation of the government and early elections under international monitors.»
The Rama government did not respond to direct questions about protesters’ concerns.
the balkans, world protests, europe, the european union
INTERNACIONAL
Top Trump ally warns super PAC bankrolled by Dem billionaire is meddling in his GOP primary
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A clean energy super PAC bankrolled by a left-wing billionaire is pouring millions into an effort to unseat Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., as he wages a bid for re-election in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC had spent roughly $1.3 million on opposing Ogles and supporting his Republican challenger, Charlie Hatcher, Tennessee’s former commissioner of agriculture, and recently bought another $700,000 worth of ads.
The group has raised $6.7 million this year, making Ogles a sizable portion of their spending this cycle. A Fox News Digital review of FEC filings discovered that the super PAC is bankrolled by Chris Larsen, the California-based billionaire chairman of Ripple, which is described on its website as the «leading financial technology company that offers crypto solutions for businesses.»
Larsen has donated $6 million to the super PAC since Feb. 2026. His latest $5 million donation to Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC is his second-largest single donation after donating $5,444,975 to Future Forward PAC in 2024 to support Kamala Harris’s failed presidential campaign.
TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Larsen has also donated over $1 million to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, over $1 million between the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and over $300,000 supporting Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., among other six-figure donations to top Democratic campaigns and PACs.
The way that Ogles sees it, it’s an attempt to show Republicans what happens when lawmakers attempt to scale back government investments in renewable energy sources.
«When you have a group spending roughly $2 million in a Republican primary, that tells you how much money they’re making off of government subsidies, and they’re upset that the government welfare has been taken away from them,» Ogles told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Larsen, who is an angel investor and climate philanthropist, is making «climate change his top priority,» according to an online bio.
«He founded the Larsen Lam Climate Change Foundation (since renamed as the Clean Break Fund) in 2021 to guide his climate philanthropy, and is an active early investor in numerous climate tech companies, as well as several prominent climate funds,» the bio continues. «His philanthropic priorities include the climate-driven home insurance crisis, making climate change a bipartisan issue once again, and carbon dioxide removal, among many other projects.»
Ogles, a member of the fiscally minded House Freedom Caucus, has been one of the most outspoken Republicans calling for a reversal of energy initiatives passed under President Joe Biden. Among them, Ogles has argued against clean energy subsidies in Biden’s Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
But more than that, Ogles thinks it’s his proximity to Trump that has made him a target.
«It’s because I’m close to the president. It is because I am outspoken. And quite frankly, it is because I speak plainly on these issues,» Ogles said.
Trump, who has endorsed Ogles, reaffirmed his support for the conservative firebrand ahead of the primary.
«Andy will be really enshrined as one of the best congressmen that you’ll ever see. He’s just fantastic,» Trump said. «Andy has always been there when we needed him and when I needed him. He’s been a great help. He’s been a source of inspiration to a lot of people in Congress.»
Figures who have donated to Invest in Tomorrow framed energy policy as an issue with electoral consequences, hinting that Ogles is on the wrong side of the issue.
TRUMP’S AMBITIOUS ENERGY BET COULD BE A WINNING HAND AS THE WORLD BURNS MORE OIL, GAS THAN EVER
United States Representative Andy Ogles joined the news event in front of the U.S. Capital to announce The Ending Chemical Abortion Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States on Sept. 28, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
«Our campaign is here to show that politicians who oppose clean energy do so at their own political peril. Andy Ogles is next,» Tom Matzzie, the PAC’s executive chairman, said in a statement to Axios.
Matzzie is also CEO of a solar energy company, CleanChoice Energy.
When asked about the comment, Ogles said he doesn’t think his views are at odds with the way voters see energy and has characterized the opposition spending as an attempt to buy a seat energy groups can control.
«If trying to build an energy sector that is self-reliant, because it’s a national security issue, makes me an extremist, then so be it.»
Ogles said he stands by his all-of-the-above energy stance. In his view, it’s not the government’s job to pick winners and losers in the energy market — especially in light of the country’s overspending challenges.
«I’m not against solar. We have a farm. I’ve got a big shop. You know, I’ve contemplated putting solar on my shop to help to run my farm. But I don’t want a government subsidy to make it work. I don’t need a government subsidy to pay for it,» Ogles said.
DEM SUPPORTED ‘GREEN NEW DEAL’ AFTER RECEIVING NEARLY $60K FROM ENERGY GROUPS, NOW WANTS CONGRESSIONAL SEAT
Rep. Andy Ogles walks through the U.S. Capitol in Washington, District of Columbia, on Feb. 3, 2026. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
«Look, at the end of the day, you know, I voted for conservative policies and that’s what America wants right now. We’re barreling towards $40 trillion in debt,» he added.
The Tennessee primary will take place on Thursday, Aug. 6.
republicans elections, politics, campaigning
Las fiestas agostinas de San Salvador reúnen cada año a miles de personas en torno a una de sus expresiones culturales más emblemáticas: los Viejos de Agosto. Esta tradición, con más de 200 años de historia, destaca por la presencia de personajes bufos y figuras mitológicas que recorren las calles durante los desfiles patronales, manteniendo viva una parte fundamental del patrimonio salvadoreño.
Según explicó Yelter Herrera, integrante de la Compañía Artística Teopantli, los Viejos de Agosto surgieron como parte esencial de las celebraciones patronales en diferentes municipios y cantones del país. Herrera relató a Infobae que la compañía fue fundada el 14 de septiembre de 1989 por su padre, Edgar Barrera, quien es el director y creador del grupo.
Desde entonces, la agrupación ha trabajado en la representación de mitos, leyendas y personajes icónicos de la cultura local. “Esta es una tradición salvadoreña que lleva más de doscientos años de realizarse en el país. Siempre se sacan personajes bufos, que en algunos lugares se les conoce también como comparsas, para acompañar a los desfiles de las fiestas patronales en los diferentes pueblos”, afirmó Herrera.
Entre los personajes más reconocidos se encuentran la Siguanaba, el Cipitío, el Cadejo Blanco, el Cadejo Negro y el Padre sin Cabeza. Cada uno cuenta con su propia historia y mitología, y forman parte de lo que en El Salvador se conoce como “espantos” o figuras sobrenaturales transmitidas entre generaciones.
La participación en los Viejos de Agosto suele estar marcada por la herencia familiar y el valor de la creatividad. Herrera, quien comenzó a integrarse a la compañía a los diez años, explicó a Infobae: “La principal razón es que mi papá, Edgar Barrera, es el director y creador de la compañía. Él siempre ha estado ligado a temas de danza folclórica y costumbres del país, y así mismo incorporó a estos personajes”.
Con el tiempo, la compañía ha visto pasar a decenas de jóvenes y adultos, llegando a contar con ochenta integrantes antes de la pandemia y manteniendo actualmente un promedio de cincuenta miembros.
Los disfraces, que en algunos casos han permanecido casi inalterables por décadas, se adaptan a los materiales disponibles y las exigencias de cada presentación.
El vestuario del Cipitío, por ejemplo, conserva el tradicional traje de manta blanca y sombrero artesanal de palma, mientras que las máscaras han evolucionado desde modelos de aserrín y pegamento hasta versiones en papel maché y réplicas para cubrir distintas actividades.
Durante las fiestas agostinas, los Viejos de Agosto aportan alegría, color y un sentido lúdico que conecta con el público local y los turistas. “En mi caso, yo represento al personaje del Cipitío, que es un personaje gordito, utiliza un sombrero y regularmente se le aparece a las señoritas en los ríos y quebradas. Es la imagen de un niño que nunca creció”, detalló Herrera.
El contacto con la audiencia, especialmente con los niños, es un aspecto clave: “Lo que hago personalmente muchas veces es darle la mano a los niños antes de interactuar con ellos, para que entiendan que no deben de tenerme miedo, sino que es parte de la diversión”, agregó.
La tradición también ha cruzado fronteras. Las máscaras de los Viejos de Agosto han sido exhibidas en Suiza hace aproximadamente veinte años, y la compañía participó en el Desfile de las Rosas en Pasadena, Estados Unidos, en 2020. “Ser el primer grupo de este tipo que se presenta en el desfile más importante de bandas de paz del mundo es una marca que tenemos gracias a Dios”, señaló Herrera.
El grupo ha recorrido los catorce departamentos de El Salvador, y en su historia ha visitado la isla de Meanguera del Golfo, además de presentarse en países vecinos como Guatemala y Nicaragua.
El elenco de los Viejos de Agosto incluye figuras como el Diablo Rojo, el Diablo Negro, la Siguanaba, el Cipitío, el Historiante, el Padre sin Cabeza, el Monje, el Cadejo Blanco, el Cadejo Negro, la Embarazada, el Sacerdote, el Árbitro y el Enfermero, entre otros. La incorporación de algunos personajes responde a contextos actuales, enriqueciendo la propuesta artística del grupo.
El valor de esta manifestación cultural se refleja en el compromiso de transmitirla a las nuevas generaciones. “Siempre es importante que un pueblo, un país, conserve estas cosas, porque son situaciones autóctonas que nos definen y nos diferencian con otros países de la región”, subrayó Herrera.
Las actividades no solo permiten conocer el territorio, sino que también representan una oportunidad para que niños y jóvenes se involucren y valoren su identidad cultural.
Como mensaje final, Herrera invitó a los jóvenes a integrarse: “Siempre las puertas están abiertas para todos estos jóvenes, chicos y señoritas que le guste la cultura salvadoreña. Es una forma sana y cultural de lograr sobrellevar, y que, pues respeten la cultura salvadoreña, que conozcan de ella y la sigan difundiendo por el paso de las generaciones”.
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