International
Colombian JEP orders the arrest of Cauca’s governor
December 28 |
Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) on Wednesday morning ordered the arrest of Clara Luz Roldan, governor of Valle del Cauca, in a case regarding the lack of protection for victims.
According to the sentence of the transitional jurisdiction, which emerged after the 2016 agreements, the local policy “puts at risk the guarantee of victims’ rights and the materialization of the Final Peace Agreement.”
In that sense, the JEP points out that Roldán would have incurred in lack of control in the fulfillment of the functions delegated to the Governor’s Office by the JEP to protect areas of forensic interest where victims of enforced disappearance could be found in that department.
Given this, the magistrates considered that “his lack of care puts at risk the guarantee of the rights of the victims and the materialization of the Final Agreement for Peace”, signed in 2016 between the Colombian State and the then FARC-EP.
According to the sentence Roldán will be deprived of her liberty for two days by order of the JEP, although in the interim hearings will be held between the jurisdiction and the Governor’s Office to review compliance with precautionary measures.
The Governor’s Office of Valle, as well as those of other departments, had committed with the JEP to advance actions for “the protection of the rights to truth and guarantees of satisfaction for the victims of forced disappearance”.
The particular case in which Roldán will be deprived of her liberty for two days by order of the JEP is about hearings between the jurisdiction and the Governor’s Office to review compliance with precautionary measures. The Governor’s Office of Valle, as well as those of other departments, had committed with the JEP to advance actions for “the protection of the rights to truth and guarantees of satisfaction for the victims of forced disappearance”.
The judicial proceeding was to take measures in 36 cemeteries in Valle del Cauca since there could be bodies of the so-called “false positives” or other victims of the armed conflict in Colombia.
The so-called “false positives” were extrajudicial executions of civilians by members of the Colombian Army who were then presented as guerrillas killed in combat in order to receive rewards or benefits.
According to the JEP, at least 6,402 innocent young people were deceived with promises of false jobs and executed by members of the Army to improve anti-guerrilla statistics and receive rewards in return.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
International
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
The United States may soon carry out airstrikes on military facilities inside Venezuela as part of an escalating offensive against Nicolás Maduro’s regime, according to reports Friday from the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to the Trump administration.
Airstrikes could take place “within days or even hours,” the Herald reported. The Journal noted that while the option is under serious consideration, President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on authorizing strikes on Venezuelan soil.
Potential targets allegedly include military-controlled ports and airports used in drug trafficking operations, such as naval installations and airstrips, officials told the Journal.
The Herald also quoted a source saying that “Maduro’s time is running out”, suggesting that more than one Venezuelan general may be ready to detain and hand him over. However, officials declined to confirm whether the Venezuelan leader would be among the military targets.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to block the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, following nearly two months of airstrikes against vessels in the Pacific and the Caribbean. Those operations have destroyed 15 boats and left 61 people dead and three survivors since September 1.
“We are finally waging a war against the cartels — a war like they’ve never seen before — and we are going to win that battle. We are already winning at sea,” Trump told U.S. troops during a speech in Japan.
The reports on possible airstrikes come on the same day the United Nations accused the U.S. of violating international law with its maritime operations, saying those killed at sea may have been victims of extrajudicial executions.
International
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
Pope Leo XIV announced on Friday that he will revive and update the Global Compact on Education, an initiative launched by the late Pope Francis aimed at deeply transforming global culture through education.
The announcement was made during an audience in St. Peter’s Square, held on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Educational World, which this week gathers more than 20,000 participants from 124 countries in Rome.
During his address, the pontiff — who is of U.S. origin and Peruvian nationality — emphasized the importance of restoring the value of educators and reinforcing the principles that support the pact.
“We must be careful: damaging the social and cultural role of educators means mortgaging our own future,” he warned before thousands in attendance. “A crisis in the transmission of knowledge leads to a crisis of hope.”
The Global Compact on Education, launched by Pope Francis, seeks an integral and long-term cultural transformation. It is structured around five pillars: dignity and human rights; fraternity and cooperation; technology and integral ecology; education for peace and citizenship; and culture and religions. To date, the initiative has been joined by over 553 schools and nearly 410,000 students, according to Catholic Schools data.
Pope Leo XIV also expressed concern over the widespread inner fragility affecting both students and teachers — many of whom feel overwhelmed by bureaucratic burdens.
He additionally addressed the role of artificial intelligence in education, warning that it may worsen emotional isolation among learners: “It can further isolate students who are already isolated, giving them the illusion that they do not need others — or worse, the feeling that they are unworthy of them,” he said.
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U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
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