International

National Participation Committee formed in Colombia

Photo: @IvanCepedaCast

July 25 |

The Government of Colombia and the rebel National Liberation Army (ELN) continue on Tuesday the work for the formation of the National Participation Committee in order to include civil society in the peace talks.

Its installation will be made public on August 3 and its duration will be of six months, counted from that date.

This transitory body, coordinated by the negotiating table, will facilitate the participation process and will gather proposals from the population.

After seven months of sessions, the negotiating table between the Government and the ELN announced the way in which civil society will participate in this peace process.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The Committee will be made up of 81 representatives of 30 social movements and unions, who will gather proposals and recommendations to build the National Participation Plan.

Among its functions are to hold 15 national meetings, from September 1 to October 31, 2023; nine regional meetings, from November 1 to December 15, 2023, and to build methodologies for workshops and activities with the different sectors of civil society.

Its headquarters will be in Bogota, although the sessions may be held throughout the country, especially in person. Its functioning was announced on July 15 and it is one of the nine protocols approved by the negotiating parties.

With the installation of the National Participation Committee, it is expected to play a fundamental role in the design phase of the peace process.

This process seeks to lay the groundwork for the ceasefire, which is scheduled to begin on August 3. Currently, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the government are at the dialogue table discussing the rules that will govern the ceasefire.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

One of the key aspects will be the role of the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, in charge of observing and verifying compliance with the rules agreed during the ceasefire. This body will be fundamental to guarantee transparency and respect for the commitments made by both parties.

Related Topics:Colombia National Participation Committee

Up Next

Chile begins 24-hour national teachers strike

Don't Miss

Peruvian court upholds seizure of former president Castillo’s assets

20260224_estafa_mh_300x250

International

Hiroshima survivor who embraced Obama dies at 88

The emotional embrace between Barack Obama and Hiroshima survivor Mori—who was eight years old when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945—resonated around the world.

According to Asahi Shimbun and other local media, Mori died on Saturday at a hospital in Hiroshima.

Mori, known for his research on the fate of American prisoners of war in Hiroshima, was thrown into a river by the force of the explosion on August 6, 1945, during the atomic bombing of the city.

In a past interview with AFP, ahead of his meeting with Obama at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in 2016, Mori recalled the chaos and desperation that followed the blast.

He described how, after emerging from the water, he encountered injured civilians seeking help amid the devastation, an experience that stayed with him throughout his life.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

In 2016, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he paid tribute to the victims of the first atomic bomb used in warfare. During the visit, Mori was visibly moved as he met the president, sharing a brief but powerful moment that symbolized remembrance and reconciliation.

The bombing of Hiroshima resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 people, including those who succumbed to radiation exposure in the aftermath.

Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people and contributing to the end of World War II.

International

Colombia seeks ‘total suffocation’ of armed groups with regional support

Colombia is advancing a strategy aimed at the “total suffocation” of illegal armed groups, seeking to corner them in border regions with the support of Ecuador and Venezuela, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said in an interview with AFP.

According to the minister, coordinated pressure from neighboring countries—backed by United States—aims to dismantle criminal networks that use cross-border routes to traffic Colombian cocaine toward North America and Europe.

For decades, armed groups involved in Colombia’s internal conflict have relied on border territories as strategic rear bases to evade military operations and maintain logistical support.

However, Sánchez said that dynamic is beginning to change.

“We expect a total suffocation between both nations so they have no spaces where they can live or feel safe […] to close off any room they might have,” he stated during the interview in Bogotá, less than five months before the end of President Gustavo Petro’s term.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Regional developments have reinforced this strategy. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation, Washington has increased its influence in Caracas, where interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has implemented a renewed anti-narcotics policy.

Meanwhile, in Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa—a key U.S. ally in the region—has launched a two-week security plan under strict curfews to combat criminal gangs, with U.S. support.

Sánchez argued that these combined efforts leave illegal organizations with fewer escape routes and operational spaces, effectively placing them in a “dead end.”

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.