International
COP16 recognizes the contribution of indigenous people to the care of biodiversity
The United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16) approved in the early hours of Saturday by consensus the recognition of the contribution of Afro-descendant peoples and local communities to the care and preservation of biodiversity.
The approval was given at the last minute at the COP16 held in Cali and implies “the creation of a new subsidiary body of Article 8J” of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, according to the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
“Historical! We reached by consensus a great agreement on article 8J with 3 great achievements in COP16 Colombia,” said the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, Susana Muhamad, president of the meeting, in her account of X.
With T-shirts printed with images of birds from the region and phrases in which they invite you to take care of nature, more than 2,000 people gathered in the historic center of Cali, in southwestern Colombia, to say goodbye to the COP16 of Biodiversity, whose celebration was a success for the city.
The party, to the rhythm of salsa, was lit in the Plaza de Cayzedo, heart of the Green Zone, in which, according to figures from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, more than 900,000 people attended the activities of the COP over 12 days.
“We leave the name of our city high before the planet, we fulfill Colombia and we fulfill the world. This is because we are united in reconciliation with each other and with nature,” said the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder.
Applause to Cali
The invitation included a massive applause tonight to Cali, Colombia’s third city, in recognition of its civility and commitment to COP16, considered the most important event held in that city.
“I want us not to forget this feeling we are feeling, this joy, this pride of being from Cali because just as Cali organized the largest COP in history, every year we will have the Biodiversity Week and we will continue to take it (the ball) out of the stadium,” Eder insisted.
The salsa of traditional orchestras of the city, such as the Niche Group and Guayacán, rumbled in the square, while two dance teachers led the crowd.
The challenge was to create the largest class of sauce in the world, however, due to “logistical problems”, the task was not achieved.
“It doesn’t matter, no one takes away what we danced and enjoyed. We are ready as Caleños to keep trying and invite all the inhabitants of the different continents to come to this city, a city that we love and that opens its doors for them,” Juliana Álvarez, attendee to the street party, told EFE.
A COP16 that leaves positive figures
During the two weeks that COP16 lasted – from October 21 until today – Cali had visitors from more than 190 countries around the world, hotel occupancy exceeded 91% and even several delegations had to stay in motels for couples.
The Mayor’s Office of Cali also indicated that more than 15,237 tourists arrived in the city that increased the sales of businesses adjacent to the Green Zone by 290%.
The National Government also indicated that Cali reached the level of attendance of the climate COPs, surpassing a call of over 30,000 people.
The official information added that 1,000 businessmen attended the COP15 in Montreal (Canada), while more than 3,000 from around the world arrived at the COP16 in Cali.
“The world press talked about Cali. More than 5,588 portals from 149 countries in 51 languages and more than 23,000 articles with 91,700 impressions confirm that Cali is where the whole world should be,” concluded Mayor Eder.
International
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
A court of Peru’s National Superior Court of Specialized Criminal Justice ordered the definitive dismissal of the criminal proceedings for alleged money laundering and criminal organization against presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, authorities reported on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
The ruling was issued by the Tenth National Preparatory Investigation Court in compliance with a previous decision by the Constitutional Court (TC). The decision was confirmed by Fujimori’s attorney, Giuliana Loza, who said on social media platform X that “there was no money laundering nor criminal organization.”
According to the defense, the case was closed for lacking legal grounds and for violating due process. “The proceedings concluded because they lacked a legal basis and constituted clear prosecutorial persecution,” Loza stated.
Judge Wilson Verastegui, whose ruling was reported by local media, said the Constitutional Court determined that the facts alleged in the so-called ‘Cocktails Case’ do not constitute a criminal offense under the principle of legality. The court noted that the crime of illegal financing of political organizations was not in force at the time the alleged acts occurred.
The dismissal also applies to other leaders of the Fuerza Popular party, including Pier Figari, Ana Rosa Herz, Jaime Yoshiyama and José Chlimper, as well as the party itself.
Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), had been under investigation for the alleged irregular financing of her 2011 and 2016 presidential campaigns, a case that exposed her to a possible 30-year prison sentence. However, one year ago the National Superior Court annulled the trial and returned the case to the intermediate stage.
Fujimori is currently pursuing her fourth presidential bid, ahead of Peru’s general elections scheduled for April.
International
Colombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
Colombia’s Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez Suárez, is in the United States this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, Colombian officials said, in a visit that comes as ties between Bogotá and Washington begin to ease after a period of diplomatic tension.
The trip is seen as a prelude to a scheduled visit by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Washington, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in early February. Sánchez will remain in Washington through Wednesday, according to Colombian government sources.
During his stay, Sánchez is slated to meet with senior U.S. officials, including representatives from the Department of Defense, members of the U.S. Senate, and White House advisors, to outline a joint strategy to “defeat drug trafficking” and expand cooperation on intelligence against transnational crime.
According to a statement from the Colombian Defense Ministry, the agenda will include strengthening collaboration on technology, intelligence sharing, and efforts to disrupt criminal networks that operate across borders. Officials said the discussions will also help set the stage for Petro’s upcoming talks with Trump.
The visit follows a period of strained U.S.–Colombia relations last year, when Washington revoked Petro’s visa and withdrew Colombia’s certification as a key partner in anti-drug efforts — moves that coincided with disagreements over counter-narcotics strategy and broader diplomatic frictions. However, a recent phone call between Petro and Trump, described as cordial by officials, helped lower tensions and reopened channels for dialogue ahead of the presidential meeting.
International
Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
A Dominican court on Monday postponed until March a preliminary hearing against the owners of a nightclub that collapsed last year, killing more than 200 people.
The roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed in the early hours of April 8, 2025, during a concert by popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died along with 235 other people.
Jet Set owner and manager Antonio Espaillat and his sister Maribel, who served as the club’s administrator, were arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter but were later released on bail after posting approximately $842,500.
Both appeared at the Palace of Justice, where they were met by a small protest from relatives and friends of the victims.
“Thirty years in prison is not enough” and “President, we want JUSTICE,” read signs held by demonstrators.
The preliminary hearing determines whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to trial. The court decided to reschedule the hearing for March 16.
“We don’t want money and we’re not demanding anything else, only justice for those who died,” said Secundino Pérez, a 75-year-old shopkeeper who lost 12 friends in the Jet Set tragedy.
“Antonio and his family celebrated Christmas sitting at a table, celebrating their freedom,” said Edgar Gómez, who lost his daughter in the collapse.
The Dominican Republic’s Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the defendants “significantly altered” the structure of the nightclub. Prosecutors filed formal charges in November and requested that the case proceed to trial.
The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of three months to two years in prison.
“May your conscience never let you sleep. I lost my son,” a woman shouted through tears before the hearing, while others chanted, “Murderers, murderers, murderers.”
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
Colombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
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