International
Second cycle of peace talks between Colombian Government and ELN closes
March 10 |
The delegations of the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) closed this Friday the second cycle of dialogues for the search for peace, which took place in Mexico, during a ceremony in which the Colombian Vice President, Francia Márquez, participated.
The parties informed the public that they agreed on a new agenda for Peace in Colombia (Mexico Agreement), as well as agreements on the initial elements for the participation of society and, finally, on initial elements for the ceasefire between the Government and the ELN.
They then proceeded to the signing of the Mexico Agreement, a step which corresponded to the chief negotiators of the Government delegation, Otty Patiño, and the ELN, Pablo Beltrán.
After the signing of the agreement, Beltrán emphasized that the search for peace was fed by the will for change of the majorities and the youth, as evidenced during the national strike of 2021.
He pointed out that the dialogue agenda addressed between the parties is committed to the interests of the millions of victims of the armed conflict and the popular majorities. He urged everyone to seek a lasting peace and to participate in the national effort to have a country in which exile caused by political persecution and economic hardship ceases.
He expressed the ELN’s commitment to help overcome the armed conflict and contribute to the transformations of society, an effort in which he invited to empower women and listen to all victims to contribute to reconciliation.
For his part, Patiño pledged that the population, with its participation and initiative, will give the necessary rhythm to the peace dialogues.
He explained that for the third cycle of dialogues, the challenge will be to enter into more substantive issues, to build a pilot peace and apply it in some territory, to advance in the bilateral and national ceasefire, to achieve more inclusive participation and to strengthen the social rule of law, among other aspirations.
Regarding the third cycle, he recalled that it will take place in Havana and thanked Cuba for its unwavering support for peace in Colombia for several decades.
Vice-President Francia Márquez also welcomed Cuba’s gesture and said that the armed conflict has destroyed everyone and, in view of that certainty, there is no other way but to assume the will for change and total peace promoted by the Government of President Gustavo Petro.
He detailed that this implies dedicating to education, health, food, water and electricity services and to create infrastructures to improve life the substantial resources that were previously dedicated to war.
He stated that the Government welcomes this new dialogue agenda to solve the armed confrontation, to advance in implementing a humanitarian attention plan and to transform the structures that led the country to believe that the solution was through arms.
She recalled that the Government undertook an agenda of transformation and development that also seeks to preserve our big house and protect the country that future generations will receive.
She called on all Colombian women, who make up 52 percent of the population, to participate in the effort to advance towards total peace and thus prevent war, violence, pain and suffering from continuing in the social and political fabric of the country.
The Mexican Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, pointed out that the dialogues to find peace in Colombia point to hope and the future. He thanked his country for the opportunity to contribute to peace in a brotherly and dear people, united by a common cause.
International
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.
The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.
Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Security and border infrastructure
In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.
The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.
Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.
The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.
The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.
Migration and development
On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.
The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.
Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.
The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.
International
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.
“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.
The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.
About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.
The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.
The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.
Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.
International
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.
The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.
Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.
The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.
The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.
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Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
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International18 hours agoFrance to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
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International18 hours agoMexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027