International
Colombian ex-military officer sentenced for false positives
August 1|
The Prosecutor’s Office of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) on Monday requested a 20-year prison sentence for retired Colombian Army Colonel Publio Hernán Mejía Gutiérrez for around 72 cases of extrajudicial executions known as false positives.
Giovanni Álvarez Santoyo, director of the Investigation and Accusation Unit (UIA) of the JEP accused the ex-military of structuring a criminal organization to kill, disappear and torture people with the objective of generating false evidence, while he commanded the La Popa Battalion.
“He created an armed power structure that was dedicated to execute the criminal plan for false results (…) The accusation made against Mr. Mejía Gutiérrez is for the crimes of homicide in protected person, forced disappearance and torture”, assured Álvarez Santoyo.
The official affirmed that copies were sent to the Prosecutor’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office and the Military Criminal Justice to investigate if there are officials with any criminal or disciplinary responsibility for negligence in dealing with situations of the armed conflict.
The retired colonel will be charged for “35 facts and 72 persons; that is, 72 persons who were extrajudicially executed”, specified Álvarez, who pointed out that these are “criminal conducts”.
It also transpired that prosecutors will have to prove in a trial that the former soldier did indeed commit these crimes and that he did so in collusion with paramilitaries of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), which could lead to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The JEP is studying the so-called “false positives” and counts 6,402 people who “were illegitimately killed to be presented as combat casualties throughout the national territory between 2002 and 2008,” corresponding to the government of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010).
Mejía was commander of the La Popa Battalion, based in Valledupar, in the north of the country, and was charged along with other high-ranking officers for 127 murders and forced disappearances in his jurisdiction. However, he is one of the high-ranking army officers who has not recognized the crimes against humanity charged by the JEP.
“The former colonel was always clear about who his victims were going to be: young people in economic need, the unemployed – in some cases from broken families (…) – and peasant and indigenous populations,” concluded Álvarez.
International
Rubio rules out 2028 presidential bid if Vance runs
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not seek the presidency in 2028 if current Vice President JD Vancedecides to run as the Republican nominee to succeed President Donald Trump.
“If JD Vance runs for president, he will be our candidate, and I will be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio said in an interview with Vanity Fair, in which he appeared alongside other senior members of the presidential cabinet.
Rubio, 54, and Vance, 41, are widely viewed as two of the leading Republican figures who could headline the party’s ticket in the 2028 election. Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump is barred from seeking another term after completing two presidential mandates.
In a lighthearted moment during the interview, Vance jokingly offered photographers $1,000 if they managed to make him look better than Rubio in the photos. Both leaders have received public backing from Trump, who last October floated the idea of a joint ticket featuring Rubio and Vance, without clarifying who would lead it.
“I think that if they ever teamed up, they would be unstoppable. I don’t think anyone would run against us,” Trump said at the time.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who also took part in the interview, confirmed that Trump does not intend to violate the 22nd Amendment, which prohibits a third presidential term, though she acknowledged that the president is “having fun” with speculation about a possible return to office.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, served as a Republican senator from 2010 to 2025. He sought the party’s presidential nomination in 2016 but was defeated by Trump after a bruising primary contest. His name was floated as a potential vice presidential pick in 2024, but Vance ultimately secured the spot. After taking office, Trump appointed Rubio as secretary of state, making him the first Latino to hold the position.
International
Authorities search for armed and dangerous suspect in fatal Brown University attack
According to the statement, investigators are “seeking the public’s help to identify and speak with an individual” who was seen “near” the suspect at the time of the attack.
The Providence Police Department in Rhode Island released three photos of the person of interest, whose face has been blurred. In the images, the individual is wearing navy blue clothing, what appears to be a green hood, and carrying a light-colored backpack.
Earlier, authorities had released several photos and videos of a suspect described as “approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a stocky build,” dressed in dark clothing, with their face covered by a surgical mask and wearing a beanie. The suspect’s identity remains unknown.
Authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person responsible for the killings, who is considered armed and dangerous.
The gunman opened fire on Saturday at Brown University’s engineering and physics building, where exams were being held, killing students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. The names of the nine people injured have not been released.
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
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