International
Colombia: Woman who called Marquez an “ape” awaits sentencing
April 11 |
A woman will be convicted of discrimination and harassment for uttering racist insults against Colombia’s Vice President Francia Marquez, who achieved a milestone by becoming the first Afro-descendant to hold the high office in the country.
Luz Fabiola del Rosario de Fátima Rubiano de Fonseca, 62, accepted on Monday in front of a judge the charges against her – which she can no longer retract – for having called Marquez an “ape” at a demonstration. He will be sentenced at a hearing scheduled for May 30.
Rubiano de Fonseca’s pejorative comments were captured by the press in the midst of an anti-government demonstration in September 2022. “Francia Marquez is an ape…. What education can a black man have, blacks steal, rob, rob and kill”, said the woman in front of the steps of the Congress.
The video quickly went viral on social networks, opening a debate in the country about racism and prompting the Attorney General’s Office to investigate the identity of the woman, who in the video falsely claimed to be Esperanza Castro.
During Monday’s hearing, the Prosecutor’s Office accused the woman for her “hate speech” that generated “damage to the honor of a population group and directly to the vice president” affecting the right to equality. The prosecutor indicated that by referring to Marquez as an “ape”, the defendant “went beyond her right to free expression”.
Marquez was the victim of discriminatory comments due to her skin color during last year’s electoral campaign when she was derogatorily called “King Kong”. Since her inauguration in August 2022 alongside President Gustavo Petro, Marquez has raised her voice against racism, which, she warns, persists in the country as a “legacy” of colonialism and slavery, which in Colombia was abolished more than 170 years ago.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
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