International
Gustavo Petro celebrates the achievements of the first half of his mandate and affirms that “it has not been easy”
The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, celebrated this Wednesday the progress made in the first half of his mandate and affirmed that these two years in power “have not been easy,” but he will give “everything” to achieve the goals he set.
This was expressed in an address to the country that was recorded in a cafeteria in the town of Ventaquemada, in the central department of Boyacá, on the occasion of the second anniversary of his Government, which began on August 7, 2022.
“It has not been two easy years, we have the finish, where we will give everything to achieve the goals,” said Petro, who acknowledged: “We have had problems and obstacles, but also achievements and satisfactions.”
Petro charged against Law 100, which created the comprehensive social security system made up of schemes for pensions, health, occupational risks and complementary social services, which he has tried to reform with a new law claiming that it does not work, but that it sank in Congress.
“The system of Law 100 is useless. Tens of billions of pesos are being stolen in recent years while public hospitals are closed. The reform of public services is fundamental,” said the ruler.
In taking stock of his management, the president highlighted 15 points in which his administration has advanced the most, starting with the 1.6 million Colombians who said they came out of poverty and the more than 1.2 million who left extreme poverty, and recalled that in the pandemic, the country “reached a monetary poverty of 40% of its population. Today we are at 33%.”
According to Petro, more than 500,000 adults over 80 years of age benefit from the pension bonus that increased from 80,000 pesos (about 19.3 dollars today) to 225,000 pesos (about 54 dollars), and assured that “this is the biggest social revolution in the last 70 years.”
When referring to employment, he stressed that more than one million jobs were created and that the salary was increased by 12%, while he managed to lower the cost of the family basket.
In tourism, one of his government flags, said that it was possible to increase by 26.6% in 2023, “exceeding 5.8 million non-resident visitors in Colombia” and that “in the first half of this year it increased by 8.5%.”
Later he said that the country is advancing in the energy transition because the production of clean energy went, not counting hydroelectric plants, from 0.2 gigawatts to two gigawatts.
He also estimated that deforestation was reduced by 54% last year throughout the country, “the best figure in 23 years. And 61% in the Amazon rainforest.”
In that sense, he recalled that Cali, capital of the department of Valle del Cauca, will host COP16, which will be held from October 21 to November 1.
Finally, he said that so far this year the seizure of cocaine increased by 23%. “We have been seized 1,500 tons in these two years, which have a market value of 42 billion dollars, more than oil and coal combined.”
“I am the first to recognize that there is a lot of way to go. We have not achieved everything we would have liked, but we have done, and we have done more than many think or say, among others, because the fiscal situation we found was not the most favorable,” he said.
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.
“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.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
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