International

Colombia’s House of Representatives approves Health Care Reform

Photo: @CamaraColombia

December 6 |

The Colombian House of Representatives approved with 82 Yes votes and 37 No votes the Health Reform proposed by President Gustavo Petro, in said plenary they approved 133 articles and eliminated 10.

It took more than five months of debate to approve the reform proposed by Petro, on Tuesday two articles were eliminated, article 128 which sought to capitalize the new EPS and article 42 which modified the way in which the directors of public hospitals were to be delegated, where the merit-based competition would not be considered.

Likewise, Articles 122 and 123 were approved in a final vote, which would allow Petro to issue norms that “guarantee the consultation and free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples, black, Afro-Colombian, Raizal and Palenquero communities and the Rrom people”.

After this intense discussion, the reform has another litmus test ahead: the debate in the Senate, where it must first be discussed in the Seventh Commission and then in the plenary.

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For his part, the Colombian Minister of Health, Guillermo Alfoso Jaramillo, welcomed the approval of the Health Reform proposed by the Executive.

“There are many changes in the bill and I believe they are for the better. We have managed to reach a consensus on many of the articles and we believe that this way, when it is reviewed in the Senate, it will be seen that we have accepted many of the points. So that we can continue working on the basis of what has been built and act to solve the serious problems that exist in the rural and marginalized sectors of the country”.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, this proposal is rejected by the Democratic Center, which maintains a plan for public health money to continue to be managed by private insurance companies or EPS.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.