International
Petro on the formulation of charges against him: “It’s the beginning of a coup d’état”
The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, assured on Wednesday that the country initiated “a coup d’état” with the favorable presentation presented by two magistrates of the National Electoral Council (CNE) to bring charges against him for the alleged irregular financing of his campaign.
“If the Constitution says that the President of the Republic cannot be tried by an entity other than the Commission of Accusations (of the Chamber) (…) Why have two entities belonging to an administrative entity said that they raise charges against the president? That is deeply unconstitutional and is the beginning of a coup d’état in Colombia,” the president said.
CNE magistrates Álvaro Prada and Benjamín Ortiz, who are in charge of the investigation, filed the presentation that also calls for charges to be made against Ricardo Roa, president of the state oil company Ecopetrol and who was its campaign manager, according to local media on Wednesday.
In this regard, Petro, who spoke during a day of ‘Government with the popular neighborhoods’ in Cartagena de Indias, and said that “11 and a half million Colombians (who voted for him in the second round of the 2022 elections) will lose their political rights.”
“Not because no criminal judge has ruled that they are criminals, but because it was decided by the Colombian oligarchy and the corruption regime. They want to determine, as they have done in so many Latin American countries, that the president of the Republic despite being elected by the people of Colombia has to stop being president because four or five vagabonds of the political so want it,” Petro added.
Finally, he said that he will remain in office “as far as the people say.”
“If the people say later, later I will go without any fear, without any fear, we will go to where the Colombian people orders. The president of the Republic has only one commander at the front,” he said.
The National Electoral Council (CNE), which will study a paper that recommends charging the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, for the alleged irregular financing of his campaign and violation of the electoral expenses cap, rejected the statements of the president, who considered that decision the beginning of a “coup d’état”, because they “put their magistrates at risk.”
“The serious statements against the members of this corporation break the normal functioning of the democratic system and put at risk those who are in charge of making decisions in fulfillment of their constitutional functions,” the CNE said on Wednesday in a statement.
Magistrates Álvaro Hernán Prada, former congressman of the right-wing Democratic Center party, and Benjamín Ortiz, former secretary general of the CNE, presented a presentation favorable to the positioning of charges against Petro and against Ricardo Roa, president of the state oil company Ecopetrol and who was manager of his 2022 presidential campaign, due to the alleged irregular financing of it.
The presentation presented by the two magistrates will be discussed by the full chamber of the CNE, composed of nine members, who will decide whether to admit it to continue with the process, for which they need the votes of at least five magistrates, or if, on the contrary, they file it.
This case dates back to February 2023 when the CNE opened a preliminary investigation against Petro’s presidential campaign for alleged irregularities in its financing.
As reported by that body at the time, the investigation was opened “based on the anonymous complaint filed for alleged irregularities in the financing and presentation of income and expenditure reports of the first and second presidential electoral campaign” of the Historical Pact, the left-wing coalition that led Petro to the Presidency in 2022.
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.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
Panama seizes over three tons of drugs hidden in Caribbean port container
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
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
-
International5 days agoMexico City prepares for 13 million pilgrims at Basilica of Guadalupe
-
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
-
Central America5 days agoHonduras’ electoral chief reports ongoing technical issues but says results remain intact
-
Central America5 days agoU.S. accuses Ortega regime of systematic human rights abuses in Nicaragua
-
Central America5 days agoU.S. finds no evidence of fraud in Honduras election despite delays
-
International3 days agoCuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
-
Central America4 days ago
OAS and EU urge honduran political actors to respect vote results and avoid unrest
-
Central America3 days ago
Honduras election crisis deepens as CNE president denounces intimidation attempts
-
International3 days agoColombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
-
International1 day agoSeveral people shot in attack on Brown University campus
-
International4 days agoSix ecuadorian soldiers jailed pending trial for alleged extrajudicial execution
-
International3 days agoEcuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
-
International1 day agoU.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
-
Central America4 hours agoPanama seizes over three tons of drugs hidden in Caribbean port container