International
Trump talks to Zelenski and promises a “negotiation” and the “end of the war” in Ukraine
The former president and Republican candidate for the presidency of the United States, Donald Trump, said on Friday that he spoke with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenski, and promised that if he wins the elections next November there will be a “negotiation” between Ukraine and Russia for the “end of the war.”
On his Truth Media account, Trump described the phone call as “very good” and assured that Zelenski congratulated him on his recent nomination as a Republican candidate, who condemned the assassination attempt he suffered at a rally last Saturday and who highlighted the “spirit of unity” of the Americans.
“I appreciate that President Zelenski communicates (with me) because I, as the next president of the United States, will bring peace to the world and put an end to the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families,” Trump said about the war that began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
“Both parties will be able to get together and negotiate a pact that ends with violence and paves a way forward to prosperity,” the former president promised.
This has been the first conversation between the two political leaders since Trump left the White House in 2021 and it is also his first contact after the former president accepted his nomination as a presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention (CNR) on Thursday.
Zelenski, for his part, indicated in his X account that in the call with Trump he pointed out the “vital” support of both parties and both legislative chambers in the United States, and expressed his gratitude for the country’s help aimed at improving its capacities to “resist Russian terrorism.”
“We have agreed with President Trump to discuss in a personal meeting what steps can lead to a just and truly lasting peace,” the Ukrainian president added.
Trump’s opposition to military aid to Ukraine has raised doubts about US support for Kiev in the event that the former president wins a second term.
In his speech at the CNR, Trump also promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, like that of Israel and Hamas, and boasted that “neither of them would have happened” if he were president.
Zelenski said on Thursday in an interview with the BBC that dealing with a Trump administration would be “hard work, but we are hard workers.”
International
OAS Election Mission to Monitor Claims of Political Interference by Colombia’s President
The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) has pledged to follow up on allegations regarding the alleged involvement of Colombian President Gustavo Petro in political campaigning ahead of Sunday’s presidential election.
The announcement was made by presidential candidate Claudia López after a meeting with the head of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández.
According to a statement released by López’s campaign, the OAS mission listened to the concerns raised by the candidate and committed to monitoring the complaints she has submitted to both national and international organizations.
The mission also reiterated its commitment to overseeing the electoral process to help ensure that the will of Colombian voters is respected throughout the election.
“We have turned to international forums and technical observation missions to warn that Colombian democracy cannot be left at the mercy of fear or undue pressure,” López, the former mayor of Bogotá, said following the meeting.
López has repeatedly expressed concerns about what she describes as political interference in the electoral process and has called on national and international institutions to closely monitor the conduct of the campaign.
The OAS observation mission is one of several international bodies deployed to Colombia to monitor the presidential election, which is taking place amid heightened political tensions and intense competition among candidates from across the ideological spectrum.
The election is expected to be closely watched both domestically and internationally as Colombians choose whether to continue with the country’s first left-wing administration or shift toward a new political direction.
International
Colombia Votes in Pivotal Election as Left Seeks to Retain Power
Colombians headed to the polls on Sunday in a crucial presidential election that will determine whether the country continues under its first left-wing government in modern history or shifts back toward the political right.
The election campaign has been marked by deep political divisions, with armed violence and economic concerns emerging as the dominant issues for voters.
A total of 11 candidates remain in the race following the withdrawal of three presidential tickets. The central question is which candidate will advance to a likely runoff election alongside ruling-party senator Iván Cepeda, who has led opinion polls for months with his platform of “democratic revolution” but is not expected to secure enough votes to win outright in the first round.
On the right, Senator Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Center party, the political movement founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, has lost momentum as support has grown for far-right attorney Abelardo de la Espriella. Known as “The Tiger,” De la Espriella has campaigned on a tough-on-crime agenda targeting criminal organizations and guerrilla groups, drawing comparisons to the security policies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Political analyst Sandra Borda, a professor at the University of the Andes, argues that Colombia is experiencing not simply greater polarization but a broader political landscape.
“The 2016 peace agreement with the FARC opened significant space for the left. Inevitably, it also created opportunities for the right,” Borda told CNN. The political scientist, who ran for the Senate in 2022 with the New Liberalism movement, believes the current election presents a more challenging environment for the left than four years ago.
According to Borda, left-wing candidates can no longer campaign solely as agents of change who have never had the opportunity to govern or who remained untouched by traditional politics.
“They can no longer make that argument. They have already governed and are no longer immune from criticism associated with political power,” she said.
The election is being closely watched across Latin America as voters weigh the record of the outgoing administration against promises of change from candidates across the political spectrum.
International
ICE agent arrested in Texas over shooting of Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota
U.S. authorities arrested an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Friday in Texas after he was accused of shooting a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota earlier this year and later providing false information about the incident.
The suspect, identified as Christian Castro, faces four counts of second-degree assault, along with an additional charge related to filing a false official report. He was taken into custody after investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension located him, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The case stems from a January operation carried out by ICE during which Castro shot Julio César Sosa, a Venezuelan migrant, in the leg. Prosecutors allege that the agent later submitted a misleading account of the incident, claiming that Sosa and another migrant had attacked officers with a shovel and a broomstick.
However, investigators say that video evidence and further findings contradicted that version of events, leading to the dismissal of charges initially brought against the migrants by federal prosecutors.
ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, acknowledged in February that agents involved in the incident had given “false sworn testimony” about what occurred.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty described Friday’s arrest as a “critical step forward” in the judicial process and reaffirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.
OAS Election Mission to Monitor Claims of Political Interference by Colombia’s President
Colombia Votes in Pivotal Election as Left Seeks to Retain Power
Honduras Could Lose All Its Forests by 2045 if Current Deforestation Rate Continues, Study Warns
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoU.S. classifies CV and PCC as terrorist groups in major policy shift
-
International1 day agoColombia Votes in Pivotal Election as Left Seeks to Retain Power
-
International5 days agoMexico Denies Interpol Red Notice Against Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya
-
Central America5 days agoGuatemala Dismantles Largest Cocaine Lab Found in 15 Years Near Mexico Border
-
International4 days agoU.S.–Iran pre-agreement aims to de-escalate tensions and secure key trade route
-
International3 days agoICE agent arrested in Texas over shooting of Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota
-
Internacionales3 days agoRubén Gallego says U.S. policy may push for Cuba regime change under Trump administration
-
International1 day agoOAS Election Mission to Monitor Claims of Political Interference by Colombia’s President
-
International5 days agoInterpol Operation Leads to 8,700 Arrests and Massive Drug Seizures Across Latin America
-
Central America2 days agoHonduras Could Lose All Its Forests by 2045 if Current Deforestation Rate Continues, Study Warns