International
Peasants camp in Bogotá in protest against guerrilla violence in the Catatumbo
At least 70 leaders of the Catatumbo demanded this Wednesday in Bogotá solutions from the Colombian government for the guerrilla violence that plagues that border region with Venezuela and that leaves in just over two weeks between 60 and 80 dead and more than 50,000 displaced.
This was stated by a leader, who like her companions camped in the central Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá, to raise her voice against violence and demand real guarantees for their return to the populations from which they came pressured by violence.
“We are here because we were displaced by what is happening in the Catatumbo due to the clashes between the ELN and the FARC. These uncertainties that the peasantry who have had to leave their lands are experiencing have been debated,” the woman who preferred to keep her identity in reserve told EFE.
The clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents in the Catatumbo since January 16 left between 60 and 80 dead according to the counts of the Ombudsman’s Office and the Government of Norte de Santander.
However, the authorities have only been able to collect 50 bodies due to the situation that the most remote rural areas continue to experience, where the authorities have not yet been able to access.
Among the fatalities are six peace signatories, while 12 former FARC fighters are missing.
The leader reiterated that it is up to President Petro and his ministers to give them the guarantees for “the effective enjoyment of the rights of the civilian population.”
He recalled that the violence increased in the Catatumbo since the murder of the gravedigger, his wife and a son of both, which occurred on January 16.
“They passed by warning that they were entering the houses, that they were going to murder and that scared us,” he said.
He emphasized that the situation of violence in the Catatumbo needs fundamental solutions because he wondered what will happen when the resources of the mayor’s offices are exhausted.
“We have no guarantees,” insisted the leader, who added that staying in a hotel and a market exchange does not give for a long subsistence time.
Likewise, he said that they have been in the discussions that are being held in the Colombian Congress about the Catatumbo crisis but “people do not listen to each other.”
Regarding the security for the Catatumbo, the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, said in Congress that “from the first moment when it was known what happened on January 16, all the capacities turned to saving lives specifically of persecuted signatories, of feared leaders like the population.”
Likewise, he said that within the second phase of this operation of the Military Forces for the security and defense of the territory, there are already five operations that have been developed by the National Army against the ELN and other armed actors.
“There has been pressure on all the armed actors that has also motivated structure 33, that 91 of its members have submitted, that we have been able to recover 20 minors, boys, girls, adolescents who were part of that organization, who had been recruited, as we always say, forcibly by structure 33,” Velásquez said.
International
Japan lifts tsunami alert after strong 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits northern coast
A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s northern coast on Monday, triggering several tsunami waves of up to 70 centimeters, authorities said. The tsunami alert was lifted in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 11:15 p.m. local time (14:15 GMT) off the coast of Misawa, at a depth of 53 kilometers. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) immediately issued a tsunami warning. The first wave reached a port in Aomori Prefecture at 11:43 p.m. (14:43 GMT), followed by others measuring up to 70 centimeters.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that an employee at a hotel in the city of Hachinohe confirmed that several people were injured. Live footage showed shattered glass scattered across roads, while many residents evacuated to the city hall seeking shelter.
The strong tremor was also felt in Sapporo, where emergency alerts were sent to residents’ mobile phones. A reporter in Hokkaido described a horizontal shaking that lasted around 30 seconds, making it difficult to stay standing.
Before the alert was lifted, the JMA had warned of the possibility of tsunami waves up to three meters high along Japan’s Pacific coast. Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara urged residents to remain in safe areas until the warning was officially lifted.
International
Interior Dept. redefines 2026 Patriotic Days, sparking criticism over removed civil rights holidays
A statement from the Department of the Interior announced that there will be eight designated “patriotic” days in 2026, most of them different from those recognized in the previous two years.
In addition to June 14, 2026—which marks both Flag Day and Donald Trump’s 80th birthday—the calendar includes Presidents’ Day on February 16, Memorial Day on May 5 in honor of U.S. soldiers killed in combat, Independence Day weekend from July 3–5, Constitution Day on September 17, and Veterans Day on November 11, which honors former service members.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19, 2026) and Juneteenth (June 19)—a holiday commemorating the end of slavery—are typically included among free-entry days but have now been removed.
Critics argue that the changes are designed to promote the president while downplaying the nation’s history of slavery and the civil rights struggle.
“The president didn’t just add his own birthday to the list; he removed the two holidays that commemorate the African American fight for civil rights and freedom. Our country deserves better,” lamented Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto on X.
Starting in 2026, free admission on these eight selected days will apply only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. “Non-residents will pay the regular entrance fee and the applicable non-resident rates,” the National Park Service (NPS) stated.
The cost of an annual entry pass will rise to $80 for residents and $250 for non-residents. Those without an annual pass will be required to pay $100 per person to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee.
Earlier this year, Trump marked his 79th birthday—which coincided with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army—by organizing an unusual military parade in downtown Washington.
The United States has 63 national parks, federally protected areas designated by Congress. Last year, they received more than 330 million visitors.
International
Five laboratories investigated in Spain over possible African Swine Fever leak
Catalan authorities announced this Saturday that a total of five laboratories are under investigation over a possible leak of the African swine fever virus, which is currently affecting Spain and has put Europe’s largest pork producer on alert.
“We have commissioned an audit of all facilities, of all centers within the 20-kilometer risk zone that are working with the African swine fever virus,” said Salvador Illa, president of the Catalonia regional government, during a press conference. Catalonia is the only Spanish region affected so far. “There are only a few centers, no more than five,” Illa added, one day after the first laboratory was announced as a potential source of the outbreak.
Illa also reported that the 80,000 pigs located on the 55 farms within the risk zone are healthy and “can be made available for human consumption following the established protocols.” Therefore, he said, “they may be safely marketed on the Spanish market.”
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