标签： South America

High above Lima, Peru, a gathering of traditional shamans convened on the sacred San Cristobal hill Monday to perform their annual divination ceremony, offering prophetic insights into global affairs for the coming year. Clad in colorful Andean ponchos and ceremonial headdresses, the spiritual practitioners conducted ancient rituals that blended indigenous traditions with contemporary geopolitical forecasting.

The shamans delivered several striking predictions during the heightened spiritual state achieved through ceremonial consumption of plant-based hallucinogens, including Ayahuasca and San Pedro cactus extracts. Their foremost prophecy indicated Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would face removal from office, with shaman Ana María Simeón specifically referencing potential involvement from former U.S. President Donald Trump in this political transition.

Beyond Venezuelan politics, the seers forecast continued international conflicts, particularly emphasizing the ongoing warfare between Ukraine and Russia. The ceremony also included appeals for Middle Eastern peace and addressed concerns about natural disasters, including seismic events and extreme climatic phenomena.

The historical accuracy of these annual predictions presents a complex picture. While last year’s warning of nuclear conflict between Israel and Gaza failed to materialize, the group correctly anticipated the December 2024 passing of imprisoned former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who died from cancer at age 86.

The ritual itself incorporated traditional elements including ceremonial blankets adorned with yellow flowers, ritualistic placement of coca leaves, symbolic swords, and other sacred objects. Participants engaged in circular dances accompanied by ancestral musical instruments, creating an atmosphere believed to channel positive energy and influence global decision-making among world leaders.

A horrific mass stabbing has shaken the South American nation of Suriname, leaving nine people dead—including five children—on the outskirts of the capital city of Paramaribo. According to official police statements, the attack occurred Saturday night on a residential road leading out of the city, marking one of the most severe violent incidents in recent memory for the country.

Law enforcement officers responding to the scene apprehended a male suspect after shooting him in the leg to subdue him. The injured suspect was transported to a medical facility under police guard for treatment. Additionally, two other victims—one adult and one child—survived the attack with serious injuries and were rushed to hospitals for emergency care.

While authorities have not released formal details about the perpetrator’s motives, local media outlets citing officials and residents have reported that the suspect may have been experiencing significant mental health challenges. In a sobering statement, Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons revealed that the victims included members of the attacker’s own family and neighbors, describing the tragedy as ‘the harsh reality that there is another side to the world.’

The president extended her condolences to all affected, stating: ‘I wish all the bereaved much strength, courage and comfort during this unimaginably difficult time.’ Police have indicated that additional information regarding the circumstances of the incident will be released as the investigation progresses.

This devastating event stands in stark contrast to Suriname’s typically low rates of violent knife crime, making such mass casualty incidents particularly rare. The nation, which gained independence from the Netherlands in 1975, has historically experienced political instability including several coups and a civil war, but has rarely seen violence of this nature targeting civilians in residential areas.

A horrific knife attack in the small South American nation of Suriname has left a community in mourning after a domestic dispute escalated into a mass killing. The incident, which occurred in the Richelieu area of the Commewijne district approximately 25 kilometers east of the capital Paramaribo, resulted in nine fatalities, including five children.

According to police reports and eyewitness accounts, the tragedy unfolded following a heated telephone argument between a 43-year-old male suspect and his estranged wife. The confrontation reportedly intensified when the woman informed the man that she would not be collecting their children personally but would instead send another individual to retrieve them.

Enraged by this development, the suspect initiated a violent rampage, first targeting his own four children with a knife before turning his aggression toward neighbors who attempted to intervene. The victims included the attacker’s children and several adult neighbors, with a neighbor’s child also among those killed. Local media indicated that the attacks occurred across multiple residential properties.

Suriname’s Police Corps confirmed that responding officers encountered an actively violent suspect who attempted to attack them upon their arrival. During the subsequent apprehension, the suspect sustained injuries and was transported to a medical facility where he remains under guard while receiving treatment.

Additionally, a sixth child and another adult suffered serious injuries during the attack and are currently receiving medical care at a hospital in Paramaribo.

Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons addressed the tragedy on her official Facebook page, expressing profound grief over the incident. Writing in Dutch, the country’s official language, the president extended her condolences to the bereaved families, wishing them “strength, resilience, and comfort in this unimaginably difficult time.”

The violence represents a particularly shocking event for Suriname, which maintains the smallest population of any independent South American nation at approximately 600,000 residents. Historically recognized for having one of the region’s lowest homicide rates, the country has recently experienced a concerning surge in violent crime. Data compiled by the think tank Insight Crime indicates Suriname’s murder rate climbed significantly in 2024, reaching 30 homicides per 100,000 residents.

A tragic aviation incident unfolded off the iconic shores of Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach on Saturday, resulting in the confirmed death of the pilot. According to local authorities, the ultralight aircraft, which was towing an advertising banner, plunged into the ocean in a devastating crash captured by security cameras.

The accident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time (1530 GMT), with video evidence showing the Cessna 170A model aircraft diving nose-first into the sea. The aircraft was registered to an advertising company, though specific identification was not immediately disclosed.

Emergency response teams from the Fire Department launched a comprehensive search and recovery operation utilizing multiple resources. The rescue effort incorporated Jet Skis, inflatable boats, dive teams, and aerial support units. Sophisticated sonar technology was deployed to scan the seabed for potential additional victims and aircraft wreckage, though no further casualties have been reported.

The pilot’s remains were transported to a medical examiner’s facility for formal identification and autopsy procedures. The Brazilian Air Force has initiated a full-scale investigation to determine the precise cause of the catastrophic crash, examining all potential factors including mechanical failure, weather conditions, and human error.

This incident marks another sobering moment for Rio’s aviation community and raises questions about safety protocols for aerial advertising operations in densely populated coastal areas.

In an extraordinary natural display, the iconic shores of Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro witnessed a remarkable marine phenomenon on December 26th. Millions of anchovies converged in a dense, shimmering school just meters from the coastline, creating a living tapestry that stretched across the water’s surface. The spectacle unfolded during peak beach hours, captivating both locals and tourists who found themselves swimming alongside the massive fish aggregation.

Marine biologists suggest this unusual coastal congregation likely resulted from a combination of optimal water temperatures and abundant plankton concentrations following recent tidal patterns. The anchovy school, while appearing alarming due to its sheer density, represented a temporary natural event rather than an ecological disturbance. Beach safety officials monitored the situation but found no cause for concern regarding swimmer safety.

The event provided a unique opportunity for marine observation, with the silver-scaled fish moving in synchronized patterns that created mesmerizing light effects in the clear Atlantic waters. Photographers and drone operators captured stunning footage of the aquatic spectacle against the backdrop of Rio’s famous landscape. The phenomenon lasted several hours before the massive school gradually dispersed into deeper waters, leaving beachgoers with an unforgettable Boxing Day experience.