International
Ex-guerrilla leader returns to Colombia after Mexico arrest
AFP
A leader of the disbanded left-wing rebel group FARC returned to Colombia on Wednesday, just hours after he was briefly detained in Mexico under a “red notice” from Interpol.
Rodrigo Granda is the Marxist group’s head diplomat and played a crucial role in a historic 2016 peace accord signed with the government that turned the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into a political party.
The 72-year-old former guerrilla thanked Mexico and the international community for facilitating his return to Colombia as he arrived at Bogota’s international airport, according to local media.
“We’re showing our face, here we are,” said Granda, who denied he had been arrested in Mexico.
Mexican government sources confirmed his arrest to AFP, without giving details.
On Tuesday, Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano said on Twitter that Granda’s arrest “for kidnapping, criminal association and intentional homicide” followed a request from Paraguay.
But a lawmaker from Comunes, the political party descended from FARC, who accompanied Granda to Mexico for an event organized by a left-wing party, also denied he was arrested.
Carlos Lozada was originally one of two Comunes lawmakers to claim on Tuesday that Granda had been detained but on Wednesday he insisted his colleague was merely “isolated” and held incomunicado for seven to eight hours before “voluntarily returning” to Colombia.
“We saw that it was much better to return to Colombia given that … this red notice was circulating,” Lozada told W Radio.
Paraguay announced it had summoned the Mexican ambassador in Asuncion to explain Granda’s release.
Granda said he was authorized to leave Colombia by authorities from the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a body investigating crimes committed during Colombia’s half century long conflict.
He claimed the international arrest warrant was a manoeuver by “high-level officials in the Colombian government” that are opposed to the conditions of the peace process.
Colombian President Ivan Duque is a vocal critic of the peace deal signed by his predecessor Juan Manuel Santos, considering it to be too lenient on former guerrillas.
It is not the first time Paraguay has requested Granda’s detention, having previously done so in 2008, accusing him of involvement in the 2005 kidnapping and murder of the daughter of Raul Cubas, a former president.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
International
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
The administration of President Donald Trump is evaluating new immigration guidelines that could deny permanent residency to immigrants based on their political views, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The proposed measures, outlined in internal Department of Homeland Security documents, would instruct immigration officials to take applicants’ public expressions and ideological positions into account when reviewing green card applications.
According to the report, cases involving “possible anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideologies” would need to be referred to higher authorities for additional review.
Even if applicants have not violated any laws, authorities could still reject residency requests if they determine that individuals have “endorsed, promoted, or supported anti-American views.”
Among the factors listed in the guidelines are participation in pro-Palestinian activities, actions considered antisemitic, and the burning of the U.S. flag.
The documents reportedly describe such actions as “heavily negative” factors in immigration evaluations, potentially blocking applicants from obtaining permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
The directives also place particular attention on demonstrations held on university campuses following the 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
However, flag burning has previously been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as a form of protected free speech under the Constitution.
The proposal has sparked criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition.
Its president, Murad Awawdeh, warned that the policies could pose a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
International
Mexico Arrests CJNG Leader “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
Mexican authorities arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero,” on Monday during a naval operation in the western state of Nayarit, delivering another major blow to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Flores was considered one of the top regional leaders within the cartel and had reportedly overseen criminal operations along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Security analysts viewed him as a potential successor to slain drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera.
The arrest was carried out by Mexico’s Navy Special Forces in a planned operation, according to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
The United States Department of the Treasury had previously identified Flores as a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker,” while U.S. authorities offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture and extradition.
A U.S. grand jury indicted Flores in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin.
His capture comes months after the reported death of “El Mencho,” an operation that Mexican authorities considered a priority due to the cartel leader’s alleged involvement in a 2020 assassination attempt against García Harfuch.
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
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