International

U.S. senators’ request for sanctions against Bolivia rejected

Photo: PL

March 26 |

The president of the Bolivian Senate, Andrónico Rodríguez, and the vice minister of Foreign Affairs, Freddy Mamani, rejected on Saturday the request of six U.S. congressmen to the Government of that country to apply unilateral restrictive measures against the South American country for alleged human rights violations.

In a statement released through his social networks, Rodríguez stated that “the international community must know and hold this U.S. senator and others from his country responsible for promoting interventionist policies in different regions of the world”.

He recalled that respect for the sovereignty of each country is a fundamental principle of the harmonious coexistence of the international community. He added that these “interventionist insinuations” are linked to statements made by the head of the U.S. Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, regarding Washington’s interest in lithium and other Latin American resources.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamani made it clear that the prosecution of Áñez and Camacho is not the responsibility of the U.S. Government.

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He considered that the request came from “only six congressmen, out of 435 in the U.S. Congress”. He added that it lacks seriousness and has no basis whatsoever.

Mamani asserted that his country watches over human rights and access to justice, “and that commitment is demonstrated in the openness of our government to invite the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which will arrive to observe the human rights situation in our country,” he said.

He affirmed that the international community recognizes Bolivia’s commitment in this matter, which is why it chose Bolivia to occupy a vice-presidency of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

This week, Senators Marco Rubio, Rick Scott and Bill Cassidy, as well as Representatives Carlos Giménez, María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart, all ultraconservatives, sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting the application of sanctions against Bolivia.

According to them, human rights violations have been committed in the South American nation in connection with the detention of the former de facto governor Jeanine Añez and the coup leader and governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho.

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In the opinion of the congressmen, their arrests weaken the opposition in Bolivia and open the door for the Chinese Communist Party and “other authoritarian regimes to further impose their strategic interests in the South American country and the region”.

International

Hiroshima survivor who embraced Obama dies at 88

The emotional embrace between Barack Obama and Hiroshima survivor Mori—who was eight years old when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945—resonated around the world.

According to Asahi Shimbun and other local media, Mori died on Saturday at a hospital in Hiroshima.

Mori, known for his research on the fate of American prisoners of war in Hiroshima, was thrown into a river by the force of the explosion on August 6, 1945, during the atomic bombing of the city.

In a past interview with AFP, ahead of his meeting with Obama at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in 2016, Mori recalled the chaos and desperation that followed the blast.

He described how, after emerging from the water, he encountered injured civilians seeking help amid the devastation, an experience that stayed with him throughout his life.

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In 2016, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he paid tribute to the victims of the first atomic bomb used in warfare. During the visit, Mori was visibly moved as he met the president, sharing a brief but powerful moment that symbolized remembrance and reconciliation.

The bombing of Hiroshima resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 people, including those who succumbed to radiation exposure in the aftermath.

Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people and contributing to the end of World War II.

International

Colombia seeks ‘total suffocation’ of armed groups with regional support

Colombia is advancing a strategy aimed at the “total suffocation” of illegal armed groups, seeking to corner them in border regions with the support of Ecuador and Venezuela, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said in an interview with AFP.

According to the minister, coordinated pressure from neighboring countries—backed by United States—aims to dismantle criminal networks that use cross-border routes to traffic Colombian cocaine toward North America and Europe.

For decades, armed groups involved in Colombia’s internal conflict have relied on border territories as strategic rear bases to evade military operations and maintain logistical support.

However, Sánchez said that dynamic is beginning to change.

“We expect a total suffocation between both nations so they have no spaces where they can live or feel safe […] to close off any room they might have,” he stated during the interview in Bogotá, less than five months before the end of President Gustavo Petro’s term.

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Regional developments have reinforced this strategy. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation, Washington has increased its influence in Caracas, where interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has implemented a renewed anti-narcotics policy.

Meanwhile, in Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa—a key U.S. ally in the region—has launched a two-week security plan under strict curfews to combat criminal gangs, with U.S. support.

Sánchez argued that these combined efforts leave illegal organizations with fewer escape routes and operational spaces, effectively placing them in a “dead end.”

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.