International
Trump and Harris campaign in the US Midwest 4 days before the elections
The former president of the United States Donald Trump (2017-2021) and Vice President Kamala Harris encouraged their voters in two key states in the Midwest, 4 days before a tight election that will define the country’s political future for the next four years.
Both candidates had several stops in the two states, Michigan and Wisconsin, and ended the day in Milwaukee, in campaign events just a few kilometers away from each other.
In addition, they emphasized their respective proposals for the country and what differentiates them from each other.
Campaigning all over the country
Harris focused on the importance of the young vote, whom he called the “promise” of the United States and insisted on his vision of unity and collaboration with the Republicans, while Trump emphasized his “love for the country” and assured that the Democrat “hates” the nation.
“He is not a good person (…) I think he hates them,” the former president told his followers and added that he believes that the former prosecutor is “incompetent” and that she has been “the worst vice president in history.”
Harris, for his part, insisted that he believes it is necessary to work with Trump’s party: “I promise to look for common points and find common sense solutions for the challenges we face.”
Several artists participated in the Harris event, including rappers GloRila and Cardi B. The latter gave a speech in which she revealed that she made the decision to vote when the vice president replaced Joe Biden in the Democratic candidacy.
Trump appeals to Arab voters and Biden to the working class
Before visiting Milwaukee, Trump visited Dearborn (Michigan), considered the “Arab capital” of the United States, to fish votes between the Arab and Muslim community, very unhappy with the Democrats for supporting the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
When visiting a restaurant of Arab owners, the New York tycoon assured that if he wins the elections there will be “peace in the Middle East,” although he did not detail any plan to achieve it.
Trump was questioned by the press about the controversy unleashed on Thursday by suggesting that former Republican Congressman Liz Cheney, facing the former president, should face a firing squad.
Far from rectifying, the Republican again lashed out at Cheney, assuring that he is “a war falcon” and a “unfortunate.”
All for the middle class
“The middle class built this country and the unions built the middle class,” Biden said, repeating one of his best-known phrases and arousing the applause of those present.
Unions are a fundamental pillar in political support for Biden throughout his career, and now the president seeks to transfer that support from the working class to Harris in states with great labor electoral weight such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Michigan and Wisconsin are part of the states known as the ‘blue wall’ traditionally democratic thanks to the urban African-American vote and the white working class, until in 2016 they leaned towards former President Donald Trump.
Biden recovered them in 2020 for the Democrats, but four years later they are at risk again: the polls predict a close contest, with Harris outperforeing Trump by a margin of only 1 percentage point, according to the survey aggregator portal FiveThirtyEight.
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.
International
Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
A Dominican court on Monday postponed until March a preliminary hearing against the owners of a nightclub that collapsed last year, killing more than 200 people.
The roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed in the early hours of April 8, 2025, during a concert by popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died along with 235 other people.
Jet Set owner and manager Antonio Espaillat and his sister Maribel, who served as the club’s administrator, were arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter but were later released on bail after posting approximately $842,500.
Both appeared at the Palace of Justice, where they were met by a small protest from relatives and friends of the victims.
“Thirty years in prison is not enough” and “President, we want JUSTICE,” read signs held by demonstrators.
The preliminary hearing determines whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to trial. The court decided to reschedule the hearing for March 16.
“We don’t want money and we’re not demanding anything else, only justice for those who died,” said Secundino Pérez, a 75-year-old shopkeeper who lost 12 friends in the Jet Set tragedy.
“Antonio and his family celebrated Christmas sitting at a table, celebrating their freedom,” said Edgar Gómez, who lost his daughter in the collapse.
The Dominican Republic’s Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the defendants “significantly altered” the structure of the nightclub. Prosecutors filed formal charges in November and requested that the case proceed to trial.
The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of three months to two years in prison.
“May your conscience never let you sleep. I lost my son,” a woman shouted through tears before the hearing, while others chanted, “Murderers, murderers, murderers.”
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
Colombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
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