International

At least two members of the Gulf Clan die in a Colombian Army operation

At least two members of a Gulf Clan group, accused of the murder of social leader Jaime Gallego, died this Sunday in an operation carried out by the Colombian Army in a rural area of the municipality of Anorí, in the department of Antioquia (northwest).

The Seventh Division of the Army detailed in a statement that during the operation two members of the Gulf Clan, the main criminal gang in the country, were killed, as well as “war material, stewardship, communications, explosives and ammunition” was seized.

“This is a sustained operation that seeks to hit the Jorge Mario Valle Structure of the GAO (organized armed group) Clan del Golfo, responsible for the murder of social leader Jaime Gallego. Currently, this military operation is in development,” the information added.

Gallego, a defender of human rights and traditional miners of Antioquia, who had been missing for a week, was murdered, according to social organizations on Sunday.

“With deep pain and indignation we have learned that the social leader and defender of human rights Jaime Gallego, known as ‘Mongo’, was cowardly murdered,” said the Corporation for Peace and Social Development (Corpades) in its X account.

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Gallego had been missing since March 3 when he was last seen along with his escort Didier Berrío, of the National Protection Unit (UNP), whose whereabouts are “unknown.”

The social leader was found “lifeless at 2:00 in the morning on the sidewalk (hamlet) El Jabón, in the municipality of Vegachí, with gunshots,” the information added.

According to the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz), with the death of Gallego, 33 social leaders have been murdered so far this year in Colombia.

Gallego was the founder of the Mesa Minera of the municipalities of Segovia and Remedios (Antioquia), where there are disputes between different illegal armed groups over gold deposits, and in 2023 he was a candidate for mayor of Segovia for the Historical Pact, party of President Gustavo Petro.

Last August, Petro authorized the opening of a “socio-legal conversation space” with the Gulf Clan, heir to the paramilitary United Self-Defense of Colombia (AUC) and the country’s main criminal gang.

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The objective of this space is to set the terms of submission to justice according to the precepts allowed by law, but the process has not yet begun.

Unlike other negotiating tables installed such as those that the Government has with the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), with a faction of the FARC dissidents of the Central General Staff (EMC) and with a split group of the Second Marquetalia, it is a space for socio-legal conversations.

This happens because the Government does not recognize the Gulf Clan, self-proclaimed Gaitanista Army of Colombia (EGC), political status.

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..

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“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.

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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.

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“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.