International
Petro opens an unexpected debate in Colombia with his proposal for a constituent assembly
An unexpected debate on the Constitution opened in Colombia with the proposal of President Gustavo Petro to convene a national constituent assembly in the face of the difficulty of getting Congress to approve its reforms.
This was recognized this Saturday by the president himself on the social network X where he referred to the proposal he presented on Friday in Cali (southwest), which has been criticized by politicians of all currents, including some who supported him in the presidential elections of 2022.
“The proposal of the Constituent Assembly will unleash a national debate. It’s good that it is so,” said the president when sharing the speech in which he made the controversial announcement, described as a “globe” of distraction by various sectors because Petro’s legislative and popular support is diminishing.
According to former left-wing senator Jorge Robledo, Petro’s idea of a constituent only seeks to distract “because he does not have enough votes to approve it in Congress or to approve it among the citizens.”
“That he mentions it, rather than proving his political strength in Colombia, what he demonstrates is his weakness,” Robledo said in X, and assured that Petro’s maneuver is a sign of “despair.”
On Friday, at an event in Puerto Resistencia, a sector of Cali that was the epicenter of the 2021 social protests, Petro argued that the constituent national assembly is necessary if the institutions that the country has “are not able to live up to the reforms” proposed by his Government and that are bogged down in Congress.
The protests were the starting point of the nonconformity that led Petro to win the 2022 elections and in them, the protesters, mostly young people, demanded profound social changes in the country, a flag that the current president took.
Petro’s statement has not been received by politicians, who consider it impertinent to change a Constitution that was promulgated in 1991 and in the drafting of which the demobilized of the M-19 guerrillas, of which the current president was a part, participated, among others.
Senator Humberto de la Calle, a member of the Esperanza Center Coalition and who was the only representative of the Executive in the National Constituent Assembly of 1991, described the president’s argument as “weak.”
“The cause that the president alleges to convene a constituent is the impossibility of complying with the Constitution, according to his own saying (…) If it were true, it is not the Constitution that must be changed but the way of governing,” the congressman added in a statement.
De la Calle recalled that to approve a constituent, a bill is required, which must go through a Congress in which Petro no longer has majorities, and “two calls to the people,” first to say if he wants a constitutional reform and, if so, to approve any changes.
The president was reminded on social networks of a campaign promise he made in 2018 when he allied himself with a faction of the Green Alliance party – led by the former mayors of Bogotá Antanas Mockus and Claudia López – not to convene a constituent.
In the photo, today’s president appears carrying a marble plaque in which he signed a decalogue of commitments in case he wins the elections, which he ended up losing with the Uribe Iván Duque.
The second point said: “I will not convene a constituent assembly.”
Claudia López, who was mayor of Bogotá between 2020 and 2023, said in X: “Gustavo Petro deceived Colombia, ended his incapable government, and decided to devote himself to chaos, the distribution of subsidies and polarization. Serenity and firmness Colombia. In democracy we will protect the Constitution of ’91, which was the result of a national and citizen agreement.”
“It does not have a majorities even to approve an ordinary Law, much less to convene a Constituent Assembly. He knows it, but he says it to sow chaos, division and polarization that are the tools with which he will maneuver the remaining period. Gustavo Petro doesn’t care about change, the people, the economy, security, or the country. The only thing that matters to him is to feed his vain megalomania,” he added.
Analyst León Valencia, director of the Peace & Reconciliation Foundation (Pares), assured that he understands “Petro’s frustration” because “social reforms, as necessary as they are urgent, do not advance” and “the resistance of the traditional elites is enormous.”
However, he considered that “perhaps the environment is not there to embark on a constituent process.”
“The best thing is to go to the presidential faculties to make the possible changes through decrees and directives and concentrate efforts on executing the approved development plan and advancing peace with the ELN (National Liberation Army),” Valencia added.
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.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
OAS urges swift recount in Honduras as election results remain uncertain
Panama seizes over three tons of drugs hidden in Caribbean port container
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoWashington declares State of Emergency as atmospheric river brings severe flooding
-
International4 days agoU.S. to require five-year social media history from tourists under Visa Waiver Program
-
International3 days agoCuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
-
Central America3 days agoHonduras election crisis deepens as CNE president denounces intimidation attempts
-
Central America4 days ago
OAS and EU urge honduran political actors to respect vote results and avoid unrest
-
International3 days agoColombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
-
International2 days agoSeveral people shot in attack on Brown University campus
-
International3 days agoEcuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
-
International4 days agoSix ecuadorian soldiers jailed pending trial for alleged extrajudicial execution
-
International2 days agoU.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
-
Central America14 hours agoPanama seizes over three tons of drugs hidden in Caribbean port container
-
International1 hour agoPolice investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
-
Central America2 hours agoOAS urges swift recount in Honduras as election results remain uncertain