International

Court orders Colombian presidential rivals to debate

afp

A Colombian court on Wednesday ordered the two men in this weekend’s presidential election runoff to hold a public debate, something one of them — maverick millionaire Rodolfo Hernandez — had avoided until now.

The Bogota High Court ruled that Hernandez and his leftist rival Gustavo Petro must arrange, by Thursday at the latest, a debate to be broadcast on public TV and radio ahead of Sunday’s vote.

The court ruled in favor of a group of lawyers seeking to compel Hernandez to debate Petro, a senator and former guerrilla hoping to become Colombia’s first-ever leftist president.

The judges found that public debates were “a right of the candidate” to get their ideas across, “but at the same time a duty” to the public.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Hernandez, who has no ties to established parties and no obvious political leaning, came in surprise second place in a first election round on May 29, denying frontrunner Petro an outright win and beating out the rightwing candidate until then considered the leftist’s main competition.

Hernandez, 77, has consistently refused to address public gatherings or take part in debates, preferring to address supporters directly on Facebook or TikTok.

Petro, 62, on Wednesday declared himself “ready” to debate, but Hernandez has not commented on the court order.

Mauricio Urquijo, one of the lawyers who filed the suit, said sanctions for non-compliance could include even prison time.

Petro had also skipped some debates ahead of the first round of voting in May as a protest against alleged electoral fraud committed in the March legislative elections.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Both candidates are seeking to rally a vast group of abstentionists — some 45 percent of the electorate and largely composed of young people — as well as undecided voters.

Opinion polls point to a neck-and-neck race.

International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.