International
Colombia, rebels, seek US involvement in peace talks
| By AFP |
Colombia’s government and the National Liberation Army (ELN), the last recognized rebel group in the country, said Friday they would invite the United States to join their peace process.
The talks are an initiative by President Gustavo Petro, who in August became Colombia’s first-ever leftist leader, and has vowed a less bellicose approach to ending violence wrought by armed groups, including leftist guerrillas and drug traffickers.
The parties resumed formal talks in Venezuela on Monday for the first time since 2019.
They agreed to reach out to the United States via diplomatic channels “to find out its willingness to participate in the process” and send a special envoy, according to a statement from Norway, one of the guarantors of the talks.
The statement said the talks had taken place in an environment of “trust and optimism.”
The parties also agreed to invite Brazil, Chile, and Mexico to join Norway, Cuba, and Venezuela as guarantors of the process.
Germany, Switzerland, and Spain would also be invited as “accompanying countries.”
Around 30 delegates are attending the talks which are expected to last three weeks.
Colombia has suffered more than half a century of armed conflict between the state and various groups of left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and drug traffickers.
The ELN started as a leftist ideological movement in 1964 before turning to crime, focusing on kidnapping, extortion of the oil industry, and drug trafficking in Colombia and neighboring Venezuela.
It has around 2,500 members, about 700 more than it did when negotiations were last broken off. The group is primarily active in the Pacific region and along the 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border with Venezuela.
Dialogue with the group started in 2016 under ex-president Juan Manuel Santos, who signed a peace treaty with the larger Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group that subsequently abandoned its weapons and created a political party.
But the talks with the ELN were called off in 2019 by conservative former president Ivan Duque following a car bomb attack on a police academy in Bogota that left 22 people dead.
Petro — himself a former guerrilla — reached out to the ELN shortly after coming to power, as part of his “total peace” policy.
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
International
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday evening he hoped the electric service would be fully restored across Spain “soon,” while urging the public to act with “responsibility and civility” amid the blackout that has affected the Iberian Peninsula since midday.
Sánchez explained that the outage was triggered by “a strong fluctuation (…) in the European power system, which led to a widespread supply interruption across the Iberian Peninsula and some areas of southern France.”
After more than six hours without power, “service has been restored in several northern and southern territories” of the Iberian Peninsula, Sánchez said, adding that “hydroelectric power plants across the country have been reactivated, which should allow us to fully restore electricity in Spain soon.”
“I call on citizens to cooperate with the authorities, to act responsibly and civilly, as we have done in past crises,” Sánchez urged, addressing the chaos unfolding in the streets, with people left without phones, metro services, or trains.
The Prime Minister also asked people to “minimize travel,” “avoid spreading unverified information,” rely solely on official sources for updates, and make “responsible use of mobile phones” by keeping calls brief.
“There are no security concerns,” Sánchez stressed, and “our hospital system is functioning properly.”
International
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
Emergency services carried out 286 rescue operations to free people trapped in elevators in Madrid following a blackout that has been affecting the Iberian Peninsula since midday Monday, the president of the Madrid region reported.
“What we are dealing with most frequently right now are cases of people trapped in elevators,” said Madrid regional government leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso in an interview with Antena 3. She added that Madrid’s extensive metro system, which transports around two million people daily, was evacuated “without incident.”
One man posted a video on social media saying he had been trapped in an elevator without phone service for over half an hour due to the power outage.
“By banging on the door and shouting, a neighbor heard me and called the police,” he explained, noting that it took officers about 30 minutes to free him.
Spain and Portugal share a highly integrated energy network that operates as an “energy island,” connected to the rest of Europe by only a small number of cross-border interconnections with France.
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
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