International
Colombian State to apologize for false positives in Soacha
September 28 |
Colombian human rights organizations confirmed Thursday that the Colombian State will publicly ask for forgiveness on October 3 for the false positive cases of the Soacha youths, killed in Catatumbo by members of the Army.
According to the organizers, the act of recognition of responsibility will take place in the Plaza de Bolivar and will be headed by the Colombian Minister of Defense himself, Ivan Velasquez.
Asociación Minga and Colectivo José Alvear Restrepo (Cajar), explained that the request for state pardon is framed within the restoration measures established by the Administrative Court of Cundinamarca in 2015, prior to the signing of the Peace Accords, within the case of victim Jaime Estiven Valencia Sanabria.
The act of recognition comes after several days of concertation and were managed to unlock under the Government of Gustavo Petro, stating that several measures were “insistently denied” by previous ministers.
In this sense, from the Cajar explained that “…it is publicly acknowledged that State agents committed crimes that the high military commanders and the former President of the Republic during the period in which they happened, Alvaro Uribe Velez, have tried to minimize and even justify for years. We consider this one more step to confront the impunity that has surrounded these cases”.
El Cajar recalls that this is an “act of recognition of state responsibility” and “includes families covered by sentences of other courts in which the military forces and the National Army were ordered to make public apologies to the victims and society, as well as other victims of extrajudicial executions in which the justice system proved the responsibility of the State but did not order acts of public apology”.
The organizers explain that “although the pain of the families cannot be compensated with anything, this act of public apology can be reparative for them and, we hope, for Colombian society as well”.
They also recall the responsibility of “who was President of the Republic during the period in which they happened, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, (which) they have tried to minimize and even justify for years”, for which they consider “this is one more step to confront the impunity that has surrounded these cases, to honor the memory of those who today are not physically with us and to exalt the struggle of the families who, despite the difficulties to access justice, continue in their search”.
International
Top U.S. Military Commander Meets Interim Venezuelan Leaders After Maduro’s Capture
The commander of the United States Southern Command, Marine Francis L. Donovan, visited Venezuela on Wednesday, holding meetings with interim leaders following the recent capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. The visit, confirmed by both U.S. and Venezuelan officials, marked a significant diplomatic and security engagement in Caracas.
Donovan, accompanied by senior U.S. officials including acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph M. Humire and top diplomat Laura Dogu, met with acting President Delcy Rodríguez and key members of her cabinet, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.
According to official statements, discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation on regional security issues, including efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking, terrorism, and migration. Both sides reiterated a commitment to pursuing diplomatic engagement and shared security goals for Venezuela and the Western Hemisphere.
The meetings also discussed progress on a three-phase plan supported by the United States to help stabilize Venezuela, following Maduro’s removal from power and subsequent detention in the U.S. on drug-related charges. This agenda reflects expanding U.S. engagement with Venezuela’s interim government amid broader efforts to restore diplomatic relations and address regional challenges.
The visit concluded on Wednesday, underscoring a growing U.S. focus on cooperation with Venezuelan authorities in the aftermath of major political developments earlier this year.
International
Bayly Says Trump ‘Gets Along Better With Dictators’ and Criticizes U.S.–Venezuela Policy
Peruvian author and journalist Jaime Bayly said Tuesday in Madrid that U.S. President Donald Trump “gets along better with dictators than he does with democrats” and that his administration is experiencing “a honeymoon with the Venezuelan dictatorship,” according to a report on his remarks during the launch of his new novel Los golpistas (Galaxia Gutenberg).
Bayly made the comments while presenting the book, which reconstructs the turbulent three days in April 2002 when Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez briefly lost power. He also sharply criticized the current Venezuelan leadership, saying that Delcy Rodríguez should be recognized as a dictator and “a continuation of Maduro’s dictatorship.”
The writer lamented that the failed 2002 coup — which he described as carried out by “amateurs” — did not lead to free elections that might have restored democracy to Venezuela. He argued that, even now, U.S. policy under Trump seems more focused on securing access to Venezuelan oil than on supporting Venezuelans’ freedom. “Venezuela could have chosen a free, clean and legitimate government — which we still impatiently await despite Trump, who only seems interested in freeing Venezuelan oil, not Venezuelans,” Bayly said.
Bayly also claimed that “every day that passes, Trump seems more enchanted with Delcy,” suggesting that Washington might leave Venezuelan leaders in power so long as they cooperate on economic interests.
A U.S. citizen who has lived in Miami for decades, Bayly said he is proud never to have voted for Trump, whom he described as “servile with the powerful and cruel with the weak.” He also criticized U.S. immigration enforcement as abusive.
Regarding the book’s creative process, Bayly said he combined extensive documentation and interviews with historical events, weaving fictional dialogue and narrative into real episodes without altering core facts. Los golpistas explores why the April 2002 coup attempt against Chávez failed and how key figures such as Chávez and Cuban leader Fidel Castroshaped modern Venezuelan history.
International
Maduro and Cilia Flores Receive Consular Visit in U.S. Jail Ahead of March 26 Hearing
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is detained in the United States, and his wife, Cilia Flores, received a consular visit from a Venezuelan government official on January 30 while they remain in a New York jail awaiting their next court appearance, scheduled for March 26, 2026, according to a court filing.
The notification, submitted to the judge by prosecutors and the defense and now part of the digital case file, states that Maduro and Flores were visited by “an official representing the Republic of Venezuela to help facilitate any services the accused needed.”
The document also notes that U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ordered the U.S. prosecutor’s office at the couple’s first court appearance on January 5 to ensure they had access to consular services and to inform the court when such access was provided.
Their next hearing was postponed by the court from an original date of March 17 to March 26 at 11:00 a.m., after prosecutors, with the consent of the defense, requested extra time to gather evidence, allow the defense to review it, and determine which pretrial motions they will file, the filing says.
Maduro has denied wrongdoing, calling himself “innocent” of the narcotics charges authorities have brought in federal court.
Top U.S. Military Commander Meets Interim Venezuelan Leaders After Maduro’s Capture
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Bayly Says Trump ‘Gets Along Better With Dictators’ and Criticizes U.S.–Venezuela Policy
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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