International
chilean mothers harness AI to seek children stolen during Pinochet era”
The organization Sons and Mothers of Silence (HMS) has launched an international campaign to search for the thousands of children who were stolen during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973-1989) and given to other families around the world.
The initiative includes demanding an apology from the Chilean state for what happened and a project to recreate the faces of these children using Artificial Intelligence.
“I always felt oppressed because I was the first mother in Chile to denounce the illegal adoption of two of my children. Everyone was afraid of Pinochet,” explained Ruth Cárdenas to EFE during the presentation of the international search campaign ‘The Children of the Dictatorship’, at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in the Chilean capital.
Meanwhile, the founder and president of the HMS foundation, Marisol Rodríguez, told EFE that they are asking the “State to take responsibility for this, for justice and reparation.” Additionally, they want “a state DNA bank to be established and for apologies to be issued, not only by Chile but also by all the countries involved, such as France, Italy, Sweden, and many more.”
This new initiative involves creating, through digital genetics and artificial intelligence, images of the children who never had photos taken, showing what they would look like today, with the aim of disseminating them and “reuniting them with their true families,” detailed the organization, founded in 2014.
Children disappeared during the dictatorship
HMS estimates that 20,000 Chilean children were sold to Europe and North America, while mothers were told by the military and other agents of the regime that their children died after birth, without allowing them to see their corpses.
“My mother has been telling her sad story for forty years and the State has no willingness to acknowledge the crime,” said Andrea Mercado to EFE, daughter of Ruth Cardenás and sister of the two children stolen during the dictatorship.
Amelia Flores gave birth to her son in 1974, who died two hours after birth; but now she does not know if that is the real story.
“My daughter, my ex-husband, and I have been searching for my other son for three years; he would have turned fifty now. I just need them to tell me if he really died, to prove it to me,” Flores said in an interview with EFE.
The Chilean dictatorship
The event was also attended by the former president of the Special Investigative Commission of State Organizations’ Acts, Boris Barrera. “I have mixed feelings. It is good that this organization is strengthened with these meetings, but I don’t know if it is something to celebrate, because the idea is that these organizations should not exist because these human rights violations should never have existed,” he said.
The director of the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, María Fernanda García, explained in her speech that they are facing “the horror of horror” of the dictatorship, referring to the children and therefore, the most vulnerable.
Chile’s dictatorship lasted 17 years and left more than 40,000 victims, including executed individuals, disappeared detainees, political prisoners, and torture victims, according to figures from the official commission that collected testimonies from victims and their families. More than 3,200 Chileans died at the hands of state agents.
The government of current president Gabriel Boric launched an unprecedented campaign to search for disappeared detainees aimed at clarifying the fate of 1,469 people, of whom only 307 have been found.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
