International

Authorities retake control of Tacambú prison, Paraguay

Photo: ABC Color

October 12 |

The general director of Intelligence and spokesman of the National Police of Paraguay, commissioner Ever Paris, confirmed Wednesday that the prisoners who since last Tuesday had taken control of the Tacambú prison reached an agreement with the authorities, which allows the reestablishment of order there.

In statements given to the media in the vicinity of the penitentiary, the largest in the South American country, Paris reported that the inmates released the 22 guards they held captive for almost 15 hours and that the weapons they had taken from the officers were recovered.

He also explained that several women who were inside the penitentiary for family visits were released and that 11 women who were there with their respective husbands, in the section for private meetings (which last one day), will be released soon. He confirmed that they did not participate in the events.

He said that at this moment the control of the penitentiary is being reestablished and its director is again in charge of his functions. He assured that the situation is back to normal, no deaths or injuries were reported, and that the National Police will continue its preventive work in the surroundings of the prison.

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Paris commented that the inmates requested a 15-day period for the reopening of family visits and for the return of a group of prisoners who were transferred to other prisons. He said that this Wednesday afternoon the Ministry of Justice is expected to hold a press conference on the case.

According to local media, a vice-minister of the Ministry of Justice, Rodrigo Nicora, who visited the place and refused to give statements, went to inform the head of the sector, Ángel Ramón Barchini, about the end of the negotiation.

Days before, the latter assured that the inmates had murdered and dismembered a former policeman held in Tacambú for homicide, Oliver Lezcano, who actually escaped from the prison. This accusation would have provoked the riot.

For his part, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña denied that there is a prison crisis in the country and that what happened is another expression of the State’s confrontation with crime. He gave his full support to Barchini, whose immediate resignation is already being demanded by legislators of the National Republican Association (Colorado Party) for his role in the events.

The rioting inmates were led by the head of the Rotela clan, Javier Rotela, who is serving time for crimes related to micro-trafficking in the metropolitan area of Asunción (capital). He is considered the king of micro-trafficking in that region of the country.

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Tacambú houses 3,000 prisoners and has an overcrowding rate of 607 percent, according to criminologist and professor Juan Martens. There are approximately 16,000 prisoners in 18 penitentiaries throughout the country.

International

Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza

Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.

Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.

“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.

Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”

Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..

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“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”

She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.

Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.

International

Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions

Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.

“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.

The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.

Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.

The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.

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International

Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.

Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.

“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”

The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.

He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.

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“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.

So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.

Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.

Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.