International
Armed group intercepts humanitarian caravan in Colombia
September 26 |
A delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Ombudsman’s Office and the Church was intercepted in a rural area of Arauca by armed men who presented themselves as alleged members of the ELN to rescue eight of their own who had previously been kidnapped by FARC dissidents after a confrontation on Sunday.
The humanitarian mission had planned to transfer on Monday the eight freed by FARC dissidents, who had been deprived of their freedom after a previous armed confrontation.After the frustrated transfer, the eight released returned to the ELN, their group of origin.
This situation was rejected by the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, who expressed his concern at the lack of respect by the armed groups for the humanitarian missions in the territories they currently control.
“As Ombudsman I see with absolute concern the degradation that the armed conflict in Colombia is suffering, particularly with what happened in Arauca to a humanitarian mission led by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in which the Ombudsman’s Office, the Catholic Church, the Mission to Support the Peace Process of the OAS (MAPP-OAS), the UN Verification Mission and the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace participated”, stated Camargo.
For Camargo, this act was a violation of the ceasefire with the government, so both the Ombudsman’s Office and the Red Cross rejected the operation of these subjects.
“We regret that a humanitarian mission aimed at rescuing people who were being held by FARC dissidents, and who were handed over to a team headed by the ICRC, was intercepted by armed men who identified themselves as members of the ELN and took the people who had been rescued, under the argument that they belonged to their troops,” argued the Colombian Ombudsman.
Although no member of the mission that was intercepted was injured by the ELN, the International Committee of the Red Cross called for their humanitarian actions to be respected as “failure to do so will have a direct impact on communities affected by armed conflict”.
“It is paramount that armed actors allow impartial humanitarian organizations access to all territories so that they can alleviate the suffering of those who do not or no longer participate in the hostilities,” the Red Cross said.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
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