International
US offers reward for another associate of Venezuela’s Maduro
AFP
The United States on Friday offered a $10 million reward for the arrest on money laundering charges of an associate of a businessman whose extradition infuriated Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Alvaro Pulido, who is Colombian, has been indicted alongside Alex Saab on allegations they ran a network that exploited food aid destined for impoverished Venezuelans and moved $350 million into foreign accounts.
The West African island nation of Cape Verde earlier this month extradited Saab to the United States, enraging Maduro who suspended dialogue with the US-backed opposition.
The State Department said it was offering $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Pulido.
“Pulido and his co-conspirators allegedly marked-up the cost of producing the boxes of food in order to make a personal profit from their production,” an announcement said.
Pulido and four others were slapped with new charges over the scheme that were unveiled Thursday by a federal grand jury in Florida.
If convicted, Pulido and the others could each face up to 100 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.
Venezuela’s opposition has described Saab as a frontman doing shady dealings for Maduro, a left-wing populist whose nation has fallen into economic despair.
International
U.S. to suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 countries
The United States announced on Wednesday that it will suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 nationalities, marking another move by President Donald Trump’s administration to curb the entry of migrants into the country.
“ The United States is freezing the processing of all visas for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia and Iran,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X. According to Fox News, the measure will take effect on January 21 and will remain in force indefinitely.
Based on an internal State Department memorandum obtained by Fox News Digital, consular officers have been instructed to deny visa applications under existing law while the agency conducts an in-depth review of screening and vetting procedures. The stated goal is to tighten criteria to prevent the entry of foreigners who could eventually rely on public assistance.
The list of affected countries includes several nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Somalia and Yemen, among others. Fox News reported that exemptions to the suspension will be “very limited” and will only be granted once applicants pass an assessment related to the public charge requirement.
Other countries in the Americas subject to the suspension include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The decision is based on a strict interpretation of the so-called “public charge” clause of U.S. immigration law. A cable sent to U.S. consulates worldwide in November 2025 had already signaled the shift, instructing officials to apply tougher standards when evaluating applicants, taking into account factors such as age, health status, English proficiency, financial situation, history of public assistance, and even the potential need for long-term medical care.
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.
U.S. to suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 countries
Bukele warns crime can become a ‘parallel government’ during visit to Costa Rica
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International2 days agoDeadly van accident near Brazil border leaves 11 dead in Bolivia
-
Central America2 days agoTaiwan’s $10 million donation after 2001 earthquakes allegedly diverted in El Salvador
-
Central America2 days agoU.S. and El Salvador maintain close partnership, embassy says
-
International2 days agoDominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
-
International2 days agoU.S. to host Danish and Greenlandic Foreign Ministers at the White House
-
International2 days agoPolice hunt gunmen after fatal shooting in Corsica
-
International2 days agoEx-President accused of bid to establish dictatorship as verdict nears in South Korea
-
International2 days agoVenezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump
-
International5 days agoU.S. strike in Caracas killed 32 cuban security officers, experts say surprise was crucial
-
International4 days agoU.S. Issues Urgent Evacuation Call for Citizens in Venezuela
-
International20 hours agoColombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
-
Central America12 hours agoBukele warns crime can become a ‘parallel government’ during visit to Costa Rica
-
International20 hours agoPeruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
-
International12 hours agoU.S. to suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 countries