International

Colombia and ELN begin second negotiation cycle in Mexico

Photo: EL TIEMPO

February 13 |

The delegations of the Colombian government and the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army ELN begin on Monday the second cycle of dialogues in Mexico City, with a view to the possibility of establishing a bilateral ceasefire.

The Office of the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace stated that they are sure that “progress will be made on the agreed issues and at the end of the talks the leadership of the Dialogue Table, the support of the international community and the confidence of the Colombian society in the process will be strengthened”.

He also informed that Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Spain will accompany the installation of this second cycle.

According to the Government, the National Police will join the Military Forces observers, “thus completing the full participation of the armed forces”.

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Another issue to be defined at this stage is the participation of Colombian civil society in the process.

Iván Cepeda, a member of the government’s peace delegation, told The Associated Press that before discussing the ceasefire and participation, they will be ready to settle other pending issues such as the agenda of the talks and to report on how the agreements reached in the first cycle are being fulfilled, such as a “humanitarian caravan” that toured territories in conflict listening to the population in order to analyze how to de-escalate the violence.

The talks between the parties began in November 2022, under the leadership of President Gustavo Petro, who seeks, among his main objectives, to achieve total peace in his country, through rapprochement and negotiation with the armed groups.

International

Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer amid coup conviction

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been diagnosed with skin cancer while serving a historic sentence for attempting a coup d’état. His medical team confirmed that the lesions have been removed and that, for now, he does not require further procedures, though he will need regular monitoring.

On Wednesday, September 17, Bolsonaro’s doctors confirmed the diagnosis. The announcement comes shortly after the former leader was convicted of orchestrating an attempted coup.

According to his physician, Claudio Birolini, Bolsonaro has “squamous cell carcinoma, which is neither the most benign nor the most aggressive form — it is intermediate.” Birolini warned, however, that this type of skin cancer “can carry more serious consequences.”

International

Milei praises Paraguay’s growth, calls Argentina’s last 20 years a ‘decline’

Argentine President Javier Milei praised Paraguay’s economic growth over the past two decades during a speech before the Paraguayan Congress on Wednesday (Sept. 17, 2025), crediting it to incentives that favored capitalism. At the same time, he contrasted that progress with what he described as Argentina’s deepening “decline” during the same period.

“If we compare the last 20 years of Paraguay with those of the Argentine Republic, we will find almost diametrically opposite results,” Milei told lawmakers during a special session of Parliament on the second and final day of his official visit to Asunción.

“While you have not stopped growing, we have deepened our decline. If we understand incentives as the engine of capitalism, Paraguay focused on preserving and strengthening them, while Argentina dedicated itself to chaining, directing, and suffocating them,” the right-wing leader stated.

International

Trump administration launches large-scale immigration operation in Chicago

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump intensified a large-scale immigration operation in the Chicago area with the arrival of additional Border Patrol agents on Tuesday and the presence of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem during a raid.

Noem posted a video on her X account showing the immigration operation, in which DHS reportedly removed “violent criminals” from the streets. The footage shows Noem observing the arrest of a man taken into custody at his home early Tuesday morning at an undisclosed location.

“I was in Chicago today to make it clear that we will not back down,” the secretary wrote. “Our work is just beginning,” she added.

The warning from Noem was echoed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Gregory Bovino, who posted a video on X Tuesday showing multiple Border Patrol vehicles arriving in the city with the caption: “Chicago, we are here!”

Bovino, who led the immigration crackdown in Los Angeles implemented since last June, said the team will remain in Chicago to continue the mission they started in California.

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Operation “Midway Blitz” is currently focused on the Chicago metropolitan area and its suburbs. Activists and residents have reported sightings of masked agents and unmarked vehicles in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.