International

Colombian prosecutor asks judge to shelve probe into ex-president

AFP/Editor

Colombia’s public prosecutor said today he would ask a judge to halt an investigation into former president Alvaro Uribe regarding alleged witness tampering and fraud.

Conservative Uribe, 68, is considered Colombia’s most influential politician and is the mentor of current President Ivan Duque. He served as president from 2002 to 2010 and was known for his tough stance on fighting the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas. He also strongly opposed his successor Juan Manuel Santos’s historic 2016 peace accord with FARC that ended a half century of armed conflict by the Marxist rebels.

The investigation surrounds a complaint filed by Uribe in 2012 against leftist senator Ivan Cepeda, whom he accused of hatching a plot to falsely link him to right-wing paramilitary groups.

But the Supreme Court decided against investigating Cepeda and in 2018 instead opened a witness tampering probe against Uribe. “The case prosecutor has established that some of the behaviors” Uribe is accused of “are not crimes and others that are, cannot be attributed to him as author or participant,” said the public prosecutor’s office in a statement.

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Prosecutor Gabriel Jaimes has requested a hearing to present his case to drop the investigation, which a judge may either grant or deny.

Uribe was placed under house arrest by the Supreme Court in August when serving as a senator, but he resigned and two months later was released by a lower court. As a senator, Uribe’s case would have been investigated by the Supreme Court, but his resignation meant the case passed into the jurisdiction of a lower court.

He was thus investigated by public prosecutor Francisco Barbosa, a former ally of his protege Duque.

International

US panel backs Trump-themed coin amid controversy

The United States Department of the Treasury confirmed to AFP that the Commission of Fine Arts approved the design of a new collectible coin featuring Donald Trump, with members of the commission appointed by the current administration.

According to the proposal, the coin will feature an image of Trump standing with clenched fists over a desk on the obverse, while the reverse will display an eagle, a traditional symbol of the United States.

The sale price of the collectible has not yet been disclosed, although the United States Mint typically offers similar items for more than $1,000.

“There is no more iconic portrait for the front of these coins than that of our president Donald Trump,” U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement sent to AFP. He added that two additional coins — a $1 piece and a one-ounce gold coin — are also under consideration.

However, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), another body responsible for reviewing new coin proposals, declined to discuss the Trump design in late February.

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“Only nations governed by kings or dictators place the image of a sitting leader on their currency,” said Donald Scarinciat the time. “No country in the world has minted coins featuring a democratically elected leader during their term in office,” he added.

When contacted by AFP, the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

International

Fed’s Waller warns of rising inflation risks amid Middle East conflict

Christopher Waller, a governor at the Federal Reserve, said Friday that he is increasingly concerned about the inflationary impact of the ongoing conflict involving United States and Israel against Iran, particularly due to the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Waller, who had supported interest rate cuts over the past year amid concerns about the labor market, said he has shifted his stance in recent weeks due to rising inflation risks.

“Since the Strait of Hormuz was closed, it suggests this conflict could be much more prolonged and that oil prices will remain elevated for longer,” Waller said in an interview with CNBC.

“Therefore, this indicates that inflation is a greater concern than I had previously assessed,” he added.

Waller also backed the Federal Reserve’s decision earlier this week to keep interest rates unchanged, signaling a more cautious approach as global geopolitical tensions continue to affect economic outlooks.

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International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.