International
Colombia: President Petro’s son does not accept charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering
August 2|
The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro did not accept on Tuesday the charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering of which he has been accused by judicial authorities.
Nicolás Petro rejected the charges in a hearing in which the Attorney General’s Office set out the elements against him.
The son of the head of state was captured on Saturday in Barranquilla, a city in the north of the country. His ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vásquez, was also arrested that day.
Nicolás Petro – who serves as a deputy of the Departmental Assembly of Atlántico, in northern Colombia – is accused by judicial authorities of having illegally increased his wealth.
The investigation by the Attorney General’s Office began after allegations by his ex-wife, who claimed that she had received money for her father’s presidential campaign but kept those resources for herself.
The Attorney General’s Office exposed on Tuesday that the illegal increase in the assets of the president’s son would have reached $270,000 in 2022, the same year of the campaign in which his father won the head of state.
In the hearing the prosecutor in charge of the case, Mario Andrés Burgos, made a comparison between Nicolás Petro’s income in his work as departmental assemblyman and the expenses he had last year and concluded that he earned around $71,000 but his expenses amounted to about $308,000. According to Burgos, the Attorney General’s Office found no other income declared by Nicolás Petro nor financial credits that would justify that level of spending.
At the same time he exposed the allegations made by his ex-wife before the investigating entity. According to these accusations, Nicolás Petro would have received around $270,000, in different payments, from Samuel Santander Lopesierra, convicted in Colombia and who served a prison sentence in the United States for crimes related to drug trafficking.
Lopesierra is running for mayor of Maicao in La Guajira, in the north of the country, in an election next October.
According to Vasquez’s allegations, her ex-husband also allegedly received money from Alfonso del Cristo “El Turco” Hilsaca through his son, Gabriel Hilsaca. “El turco” Hilsaca is being prosecuted for homicide and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Both payments, according to the president’s former daughter-in-law, were for Gustavo Petro’s presidential campaign, but according to prosecutor Burgos, Nicolás Petro “never” delivered that money but bought goods. Through these acquisitions -according to the Attorney General’s Office-, the president’s son would have sought to “give the appearance of legality” to the money received, which would constitute the crime of money laundering.
Now the judge in charge of the case must decide whether or not to grant the preventive detention requested by the Attorney General’s Office.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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