International
Second cycle of peace talks between Colombian Government and ELN closes
March 10 |
The delegations of the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) closed this Friday the second cycle of dialogues for the search for peace, which took place in Mexico, during a ceremony in which the Colombian Vice President, Francia Márquez, participated.
The parties informed the public that they agreed on a new agenda for Peace in Colombia (Mexico Agreement), as well as agreements on the initial elements for the participation of society and, finally, on initial elements for the ceasefire between the Government and the ELN.
They then proceeded to the signing of the Mexico Agreement, a step which corresponded to the chief negotiators of the Government delegation, Otty Patiño, and the ELN, Pablo Beltrán.
After the signing of the agreement, Beltrán emphasized that the search for peace was fed by the will for change of the majorities and the youth, as evidenced during the national strike of 2021.
He pointed out that the dialogue agenda addressed between the parties is committed to the interests of the millions of victims of the armed conflict and the popular majorities. He urged everyone to seek a lasting peace and to participate in the national effort to have a country in which exile caused by political persecution and economic hardship ceases.
He expressed the ELN’s commitment to help overcome the armed conflict and contribute to the transformations of society, an effort in which he invited to empower women and listen to all victims to contribute to reconciliation.
For his part, Patiño pledged that the population, with its participation and initiative, will give the necessary rhythm to the peace dialogues.
He explained that for the third cycle of dialogues, the challenge will be to enter into more substantive issues, to build a pilot peace and apply it in some territory, to advance in the bilateral and national ceasefire, to achieve more inclusive participation and to strengthen the social rule of law, among other aspirations.
Regarding the third cycle, he recalled that it will take place in Havana and thanked Cuba for its unwavering support for peace in Colombia for several decades.
Vice-President Francia Márquez also welcomed Cuba’s gesture and said that the armed conflict has destroyed everyone and, in view of that certainty, there is no other way but to assume the will for change and total peace promoted by the Government of President Gustavo Petro.
He detailed that this implies dedicating to education, health, food, water and electricity services and to create infrastructures to improve life the substantial resources that were previously dedicated to war.
He stated that the Government welcomes this new dialogue agenda to solve the armed confrontation, to advance in implementing a humanitarian attention plan and to transform the structures that led the country to believe that the solution was through arms.
She recalled that the Government undertook an agenda of transformation and development that also seeks to preserve our big house and protect the country that future generations will receive.
She called on all Colombian women, who make up 52 percent of the population, to participate in the effort to advance towards total peace and thus prevent war, violence, pain and suffering from continuing in the social and political fabric of the country.
The Mexican Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, pointed out that the dialogues to find peace in Colombia point to hope and the future. He thanked his country for the opportunity to contribute to peace in a brotherly and dear people, united by a common cause.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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