International

Peace talks begin in the Colombian port of Buenaventura

Photo: @CRPacifico

July 19 |

As part of the total peace agenda promoted by President Gustavo Petro, the Colombian government began dialogues on Tuesday with two criminal groups that dispute the control of illicit businesses in the port of Buenaventura.

The dialogue table was installed in the Casa de Encuentros Heriberto Correa Yepes in the presence of the high commissioner for peace, Danilo Rueda; the president of the Senate, Alexander López, and the archbishop of the city, Monsignor Rubén Darío Jaramillo, in addition to international organizations, businessmen and members of civil society.

“We believe that they are on the right path to be able to achieve these transformations without violence in Buenaventura,” said the high commissioner for peace during the event.

Representatives of the criminal groups the Shottas and the Espartanos, met publicly for the first time on the occasion of the installation of the so-called “urban peace table”.

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The spokesmen for the criminal gangs said they were willing to take the message of peace to the gang members.

We came “for those boys and girls, so that they don’t go later to take up arms,” said Jose Jimmy Garcia, a community leader representing the Shottas.

The spokesman for the Espartanos, Félix Orlando Luna, followed the same line: “The people want peace (…) between all of us we can build peace and move forward,” he said.

The Shottas and the Espartanos were born in 2020 and have since been responsible for shootouts and murders amid their dispute for control of illegal businesses such as drug trafficking and extortion.

The high commissioner for peace, Danilo Rueda, recalled that the Colombian government maintains a policy to address the causes of violence in a systemic, comprehensive and effective manner.

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According to Rueda, since September 2022, when the truce that brought the city of Buenaventura to 100 days without homicides began, 14 discreet and private meetings have been held with both organizations in different areas of the city.

Recent clashes between criminal organizations have caused displacement on the outskirts of the Colombian port city.

In the midst of the policy of total peace, the Colombian government maintains dialogues with the illegal structures of Medellin and holds political negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN).

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.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”