International

Colombia, US announce joint exercises with nuclear sub

AFP

Colombia and the United States announced on Monday a nuclear submarine was taking part for the first time in joint military exercises in the Caribbean Sea as regional tensions mount.

Earlier this month, Colombia accused Russia of “foreign interference” on its border with Venezuela where two left-wing guerrilla groups have been fighting deadly battles for control of lucrative drug-trafficking routes.

Russia dismissed the claims from Bogota, which also accuses Venezuela of harboring armed rebels on its soil.

Colombia’s defense minister Diego Molano said the exercises would strengthen the fight against drug-trafficking and protect “national sovereignty.”

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“For the first time, a US nuclear submarine participated in interoperability exercises in the Colombian Caribbean Sea,” said Molano in a video statement released on Monday.

The exercises began on Sunday but Molano gave no indication of how long they would last nor how many US troops were involved.

Venezuela reacted with fury to the news.

“Is it a replica of NATO expansion in the American Mediterranean?” said Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino on Twitter.

“Drug trafficking, the war in (the Colombian region of) Arauca, systematic murders and terrorist groups cannot be fought with nuclear submarines.”

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On February 3, Molano claimed Venezuelan military units had been “mobilized to the border with the support and technical strength of Russia.”

Moscow denied the allegations.

In May last year, in the midst of unprecedented anti-government protests, Colombia accused Russia of involvement in cyber attacks against official websites.

Moscow also rejected those claims.

In December, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov threatened to send forces to allies Venezuela or Cuba if it did not get its way with NATO over Ukraine.

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Colombia is the only strategic NATO partner in Latin America and is also a close US ally.

Moscow had been demanding a guarantee from NATO – the military alliance between mostly Western countries — that Ukraine never be allowed to join.

NATO refused and last week Russia invaded its western neighbor.

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.

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International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

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Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.