International
Colombia’s Defense Minister denounces the kidnapping of 29 uniformed officers in the southwest of the country
The Government of Colombia denounced this Friday “the attempted murder and the subsequent kidnapping of 29 soldiers of the Public Force” in the department of Cauca (southwest), where the Army launched an operation last October to take control of the area from a dissident of the former FARC.
The events occurred on Thursday in the hamlets of El Plateado and La Hacienda, located in the municipalities of Algeria and El Tambo, as confirmed today by the Minister of Defense, retired General Pedro Sánchez Suárez.
“The life and safety of the kidnapped members of the Public Force is the direct responsibility of those who committed this reprehensible crime,” the minister said in an extensive message on his X account.
The minister did not specify who the soldiers kidnapped in the region of Colombia are, but local media indicate that most of them are members of the Police who yesterday helped repel a sason of residents of El Plateado against the Army and who also “set fire to two official vehicles.”
Sánchez attributed these attacks to the Carlos Patiño group, of the FARC dissidents, and to “invillants instrumentalized by this group”, who acted “with service and dressing in civilian clothes to infiltrate and attack the integrity of our uniformed men.”
The minister said that the members of the Carlos Patiño group “not only forcibly recruit minors but also instrumentalize and coerce the civilian population in order to expel the Public Force and prevent state institutions from providing access to health, education, work and opportunities for the transformation of the territory.”
On October 12 of last year, the Colombian Army launched ‘Operation Perseo’, with more than a thousand soldiers, to regain control of El Plateado, the main bastion of the Carlos Patiño group, a faction of the Central General Staff (EMC), the largest dissident of the former FARC, which is dedicated to drug trafficking.
However, five months later the military deployment has not given the expected result and the dissidents continue to control the area.
“Since entering the region, the Public Force has faced constant threats from Carlos Patiño, who seeks to sow fear, anxiety and stop the arrival of social and development projects that benefit communities,” the minister added.
Sánchez, who took office last week, also rejected “the recent blowing up of the bridge that connects El Plateado with La Hacienda,” an attack that he classified as “proof of how these actions directly affect communities, restricting their mobility and access to essential services.”
Without referring to the events that caused Thursday’s sasonada, the Minister of Defense reiterated that in the Micay Canyon, a strategic step for drug trafficking routes, “no forced eradication actions (of coca bushes) will be carried out.”
International
Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza
Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.
Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.
“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.
Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”
Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..
“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”
She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.
Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.
International
Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions
Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.
“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.
The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.
Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.
The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.
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.
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International4 days agoTrump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
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International3 days agoMarco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions
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Central America1 day agoArévalo Announces Overhaul of Guatemala’s Prison System Amid Security Crisis
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