International
Colombia and FARC dissidents agree on ceasefire protocol
February 9th |
The Colombian government announced on Wednesday that it had achieved a protocol that will make it possible to verify the ceasefire agreed with a faction of the dissidents of the extinct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP), which did not adhere to the peace agreement signed by the guerrillas and the state in 2016.
The protocol was an essential missing element in the bilateral ceasefire with the self-styled FARC-EP Central General Staff dissidents, which went into effect from January 1 until June 30, 2023, according to the Colombian government.
The government also agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with the Segunda Marquetalia – another faction of FARC dissidents -, the Autodefensas de la Sierra Nevada and the Clan del Golfo cartel, however, the protocols that will apply to these armed groups have not been disclosed.
In a communiqué, the government detailed that the protocol with the FARC-EP Central General Staff “prohibits the transit or permanence” of the illegal armed group in the head towns of the municipalities, rural areas and primary roads to avoid “any affectation to the life and physical integrity of the civilian population”.
In the urban areas of several municipalities of the country, the presence of groups of armed men dressed in camouflaged suits has been registered in the last year, walking through the streets intimidating the population and without being immediately stopped by the public forces. The last of these happened a week ago in Yarumal, in the northwest of the country, where armed men entered a school and interacted with the children.
The ceasefire verification and monitoring mechanism will include delegates from the Ministry of Defense, the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace and an international component, which was not detailed by the government. It will also be accompanied by members of civil society, the Catholic Church and other religious communities.
This mechanism, the government explained, will issue technical concepts and elaborate recommendations to prevent and address possible incidents or non-compliance.
“The Public Force will continue to exercise its national security and defense obligations,” the official communiqué stressed.
The bilateral ceasefires are part of a strategy of President Gustavo Petro – the first leftist in the country and a guerrilla militant in his youth – to achieve “total peace”, which in practice consists of rapprochements and peace talks with multiple armed groups operating in the country and maintaining confrontations.
The state Ombudsman’s Office documented in a recent report that between January 1 and 20 several illegal groups carried out armed actions in the framework of the ceasefire, including harassment against police stations and the kidnapping of several soldiers, who were later released.
Petro said on Wednesday from Yarumal, at the end of a security council, that ceasefires in Colombia could not consist only in the suspension of hostilities between two armies, given that although statistics have shown in recent weeks a decrease in the number of wounded and dead, other crimes such as extortion, drug trafficking and smuggling may be on the rise.
For the president, the ceasefire must include an end to hostility against the civilian population so that there are no massacres, murders of human rights defenders, displacements, confinements or anti-personnel mines.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International3 days agoColombia sees deadliest surge in violence since FARC peace deal
-
International5 days agoNine dead after driver runs over crowd at Vancouver Street Festival
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala sees road blockades amid protests against lawmaker pay hikes
-
International3 days agoConclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
-
International5 days agoKing Charles III expresses deep sadness after Vancouver festival tragedy that left nine dead
-
International3 days agoSpain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
-
International3 days agoMexican activist who exposed pornography ring found dead in Veracruz
-
International3 days agoMadrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
-
International1 day agoVatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
-
International1 day agoKristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
-
Internacionales10 hours agoClashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
-
International10 hours agoMan arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka