This week in international affairs has been heating up, as the tension in Syria continues to grow.

President Donald Trump has officially ordered U.S. soldiers to withdraw from Syria, and instead of heading home where they were promised, they were relocated to Western Iraq. Several days after Turkish forces invaded Syria, Vice-President Mike Pence flew to Turkey and went into negotiations with the country’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdo. After some time, Pence emerged and stated that they had reached a cease-fire agreement, giving the Kurds enough time to withdraw their forces from the combat zone.

As of recently, reports are stating that a cease-fire agreement has been broken, as Syrian-led Kurdish forces clashed with Turkish forces at the key border town Ras al-Ayn.

“The cease-fire in the first place was kind of dumb because Trump used it as a war tactic to push the Kurds out of their homeland,” senior Brian Pryzby said. “People are worried that the U.S. could be charged for ethnic cleansing, and assisting in the genocide against the Kurds.”

Also in Mexico, a gunfight between the National Guard and cartel-members erupted as the Government refused to release the son of infamous drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. It was reported that a group of heavily armed men terrorized the city of Culiacan, where they also placed burning vehicles on the roads to block police reinforcements. A video emerged from the shooting depicting cartel gunman roaming the streets of the city on vehicles equipped with mounted high caliber weapons.

Around 21 people were wounded during this attack, and an additional two dozen prisoners escaped from the local jail.

“The recent violence in Mexico has really saddened me, as innocent lives were put in serious danger,” senior Saif Juma said. “I think the country should work on its security measures by investing more money into their police and other private contractors to patrol the country better. Better equipment and better-trained employees will help fight crime better in any situation.”

In Bolivia, the country erupted in massive protest as Bolivian President Evo Morales’ won a fourth term in office. Opponents of the rigged election set fire to electoral courts and ballot boxes. In the city La Paz, police responded to protesters and supporters of the President by using tear gas, attempting to stop the fighting. The protesters threw firecrackers and stones in response.

“The Bolivian people have every right in the world to protest, if they truly believe that their voices are being silenced,” senior Wasay Khan said. “As a strong advocate for democracy, I believe that for any government to work, the people must be satisfied. If there is corruption or wrongdoing in any government, the people have the right to protest.”

Bolivians protest signifies a changing time in Bolivia’s society, as people want more representation in their country’s political affairs.