International
The head of the Directorate of Intelligence of Colombia resissts linked to a corruption case
The head of the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI) of Colombia, Carlos Ramón González, resigned this Friday from his position, after he was linked to the corruption scandal in the state National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), which splashes several members of the Government and Congress.
The resignation of González, one of the people closest to the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, with whom he played in the M-19 guerrilla in his youth, was confirmed by the same president in a message on his X account from Paris, where he attends the inauguration of the Olympic Games today.
“I accept the resignation of Carlos Ramón, director of the Directorate of National Intelligence. His position as head of civil intelligence is incompatible with any judicial investigation and with the same justice apparatus in the country,” Petro said.
González, who was also Petro’s right-hand man as director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (Dapre), was pointed out on Thursday by the Prosecutor’s Office as the person who last year ordered the payment of bribes to two important congressmen in exchange for legislative support to the Government.
As revealed on May 3 by the former deputy director for Disaster Management of the UNGRD, Sneyder Pinilla, money from that entity was used in 2023 to pay millionaires of bribies to the then president of the Senate, Iván Name, and that of the House of Representatives, Andrés Calle.
That money was allegedly diverted from the one allocated for the purchase of 40 tanker trucks to supply water to the Caribbean department of La Guajira, a project in which resources were misappropriated because the vehicles acquired did not meet the technical conditions, among other failures.
The name of González, a very influential figure within the Government who had already been mentioned in the complaints, was officially cited yesterday by the Prosecutor’s Office at the accusation hearing against Pinilla and against the former director of the UNGRD Olmedo López, although the accusing entity has not yet filed charges.
At that hearing, the delegated prosecutor before the Supreme Court of Justice, Andrea Muñoz, said that the former Presidential Counselor for the Regions Sandra Ortiz, also involved in the corruption plot, received orders from González, as her direct boss when she was the director of Dapre, to allegedly deliver the co-ras to Congressmen Name and Calle.
“For the tranquility of prosecutors and judges, for their independence and good judgment and for the same defense work of Carlos Ramón’s lawyers, the best thing is the separation from his position,” Petro added in his message in X.
The corruption scandal in the UNGRD, the body that is responsible for attending to and preventing emergencies caused by natural disasters in the country, was uncovered by the press last February and since then has been growing to reach senior government officials.
Another of those indicated in this process is the Minister of Finance, Ricardo Bonilla, who according to the Prosecutor’s Office was decisive, in coordination with Olmedo López, for the award of three contracts for 92 billion pesos (about 23 million dollars) to benefit six congressmen in exchange for supporting the extension of the Government’s debt quota.
In this case, Petro gave Bonilla a vote of confidence this Friday, pointing out that his actions have not been different from those of other finance ministers.
“I believe in the innocence of the Minister of Finance, because I know what has happened to all the ministers of Finance to maintain the macroeconomic stability of the country,” the president said.
International
U.S. to suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 countries
The United States announced on Wednesday that it will suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 nationalities, marking another move by President Donald Trump’s administration to curb the entry of migrants into the country.
“ The United States is freezing the processing of all visas for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia and Iran,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X. According to Fox News, the measure will take effect on January 21 and will remain in force indefinitely.
Based on an internal State Department memorandum obtained by Fox News Digital, consular officers have been instructed to deny visa applications under existing law while the agency conducts an in-depth review of screening and vetting procedures. The stated goal is to tighten criteria to prevent the entry of foreigners who could eventually rely on public assistance.
The list of affected countries includes several nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Somalia and Yemen, among others. Fox News reported that exemptions to the suspension will be “very limited” and will only be granted once applicants pass an assessment related to the public charge requirement.
Other countries in the Americas subject to the suspension include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The decision is based on a strict interpretation of the so-called “public charge” clause of U.S. immigration law. A cable sent to U.S. consulates worldwide in November 2025 had already signaled the shift, instructing officials to apply tougher standards when evaluating applicants, taking into account factors such as age, health status, English proficiency, financial situation, history of public assistance, and even the potential need for long-term medical care.
International
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
A court of Peru’s National Superior Court of Specialized Criminal Justice ordered the definitive dismissal of the criminal proceedings for alleged money laundering and criminal organization against presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, authorities reported on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
The ruling was issued by the Tenth National Preparatory Investigation Court in compliance with a previous decision by the Constitutional Court (TC). The decision was confirmed by Fujimori’s attorney, Giuliana Loza, who said on social media platform X that “there was no money laundering nor criminal organization.”
According to the defense, the case was closed for lacking legal grounds and for violating due process. “The proceedings concluded because they lacked a legal basis and constituted clear prosecutorial persecution,” Loza stated.
Judge Wilson Verastegui, whose ruling was reported by local media, said the Constitutional Court determined that the facts alleged in the so-called ‘Cocktails Case’ do not constitute a criminal offense under the principle of legality. The court noted that the crime of illegal financing of political organizations was not in force at the time the alleged acts occurred.
The dismissal also applies to other leaders of the Fuerza Popular party, including Pier Figari, Ana Rosa Herz, Jaime Yoshiyama and José Chlimper, as well as the party itself.
Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), had been under investigation for the alleged irregular financing of her 2011 and 2016 presidential campaigns, a case that exposed her to a possible 30-year prison sentence. However, one year ago the National Superior Court annulled the trial and returned the case to the intermediate stage.
Fujimori is currently pursuing her fourth presidential bid, ahead of Peru’s general elections scheduled for April.
International
Colombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
Colombia’s Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez Suárez, is in the United States this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, Colombian officials said, in a visit that comes as ties between Bogotá and Washington begin to ease after a period of diplomatic tension.
The trip is seen as a prelude to a scheduled visit by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Washington, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in early February. Sánchez will remain in Washington through Wednesday, according to Colombian government sources.
During his stay, Sánchez is slated to meet with senior U.S. officials, including representatives from the Department of Defense, members of the U.S. Senate, and White House advisors, to outline a joint strategy to “defeat drug trafficking” and expand cooperation on intelligence against transnational crime.
According to a statement from the Colombian Defense Ministry, the agenda will include strengthening collaboration on technology, intelligence sharing, and efforts to disrupt criminal networks that operate across borders. Officials said the discussions will also help set the stage for Petro’s upcoming talks with Trump.
The visit follows a period of strained U.S.–Colombia relations last year, when Washington revoked Petro’s visa and withdrew Colombia’s certification as a key partner in anti-drug efforts — moves that coincided with disagreements over counter-narcotics strategy and broader diplomatic frictions. However, a recent phone call between Petro and Trump, described as cordial by officials, helped lower tensions and reopened channels for dialogue ahead of the presidential meeting.
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