International
The former Chancellor of Peru asks the US and Europe to freeze assets of “corrupt jers of Venezuela”
The former foreign minister of Peru Javier González-Olaechea assured that “the United States is the country that has the most instruments to surround the summit” of the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and even revealed that he had delivered to the North American country “a list of 57 corrupt bosses” with the aim of freezing their assets abroad.
“I say it for the first time: I have provided you with the list of the 57 main corrupt leaders of Venezuela,” González-Olaechea said in an interview with EFE in Quito, after being decorated on Tuesday by the Government of Ecuador for strengthening relations between the two countries.
“They have current accounts abroad, some in the United States, others in some European countries. They should intervene. They should dry them up,” said González-Olaechea, in whose period as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru he advocated within the Organization of American States (OAS) for the recognition of anti-Chavista candidate Edmundo González Urrutia as elected president of Venezuela.
González-Olaechea’s statements
The former Peruvian foreign minister made these statements minutes before the United States Government recognized González Urrutia as president-elect, after elections in July where most of the international community does not recognize the official results of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela that gave Maduro the triumph and asks for the dissemination of the electoral minutes, in which the opposition claims to have won easily.
He insisted that the banks that keep those funds “should not endorse or use those ill-held money, rather exploit them.”
González-Olaechea, who left the Government of President Dina Boluarte in September, also recalled that “there are multiple calls to the members of the Armed Forces themselves to put themselves on the right side of history,” because the military take an oath in defense of the Constitution and “the Venezuelan order has been absolutely upset, falsified and instrumentalized.”
“The first call is to the Armed Forces themselves, not to participate in the corrupt party. That they think of their children and their families, because when they have to continue repressing and end up being slaughtered a daughter, a son or a nephew (of a member) of the Bolivarian Forces, they will face divine justice and their own family,” he said.
Presidential project
Recently, González-Olaechea announced his intention to be elected as a presidential candidate of the Popular Christian Party (PPC) for the next elections in Peru.
“I am an aspirant who wants a radical cycle change to bury everything that hurts us and all the institutions that, in quotes, say they are defenders of human rights and that do nothing but profit from them,” said the former foreign chaill.
“I will do everything possible to lead that proposal for a change of cycle that, basically, is a new current also beyond America. In many countries there are clear signs of boredom of the total state of impunity, of attacking the rights of families and of practically burying religious beliefs and moral values,” he added.
For González-Olaechea, “lies and political persecution against those of us who love and defend freedom above any other consideration have been instrumentalized.”
Defense of freedom is not enough
The Peruvian politician said that “it’s not just about defending freedom, because “that freedom has to be translated into a responsible, honest and transparent exercise of power to serve the large majorities in solving the problems that afflict them such as insecurity, lack of food, lack of opportunities and queues in hospitals.”
Regarding the fact that almost all the heads of state that Peru has had in the last 40 years have ended up investigated or imprisoned, González-Olaechea replied that he faces his political project “with an incorruptible will.”
“I can guarantee in the honor of my family that no one can impute an act of corruption to me,” González-Olaechea said.
Nor does he fear the fact that he can be linked to the Boluarte Government, whose popularity according to various surveys does not exceed 5%, since he argued that he sought as foreign minister “not to be a notary of reality, but an agent of change” and a “worthy representative of Peru abroad.”
When asked if as president he would take the step of leaving the San José Pact as he had suggested as chancellor, González-Olaechea replied that he would decide when the time comes. “Sometimes I think it’s better to fight from the inside, knowing the monster a little, and sometimes I think it’s better to fight from the outside,” he said.
International
‘El Chapo’ Guzmán again asks Mexican president to seek his return from U.S. prison
Convicted drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has once again appealed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to intervene on his behalf and seek his transfer from the United States to Mexico, where he hopes to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.
Guzmán, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, is currently serving a sentence of more than 50 years in the United States after being convicted in 2019 on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to reports, the latest request was made in a letter dated June 2, one of several messages that Guzmán has reportedly sent to Sheinbaum in recent months in an effort to secure his repatriation. In the letter, he expresses hope that the Mexican government can support the efforts of his legal team.
Written in English and by hand, the letter asks that he be allowed to complete his sentence in Mexico, arguing that such a transfer would enable him to receive visits from family members more easily.
Guzmán is currently being held at the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado, commonly known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” one of the most secure prisons in the United States.
As in previous communications, the former cartel leader complained about his prison conditions, stating that he remains in near-total isolation and has little to no contact with other inmates.
He also reiterated his long-standing claim that he did not receive a fair trial in the United States and argued that the Mexican government bears responsibility for much of the violence associated with organized crime in the country.
In the letter, Guzmán maintains that his actions were motivated by a desire to protect himself and his family amid the violence linked to criminal organizations in Mexico.
Mexican authorities have not publicly indicated whether they plan to respond to the request. Guzmán remains one of the most notorious figures in the history of international drug trafficking and is serving his sentence under some of the strictest security measures in the U.S. prison system.
Central America
U.S. Authorities Accuse Guatemalan Nationals of Using False Information to Sponsor Migrant Minors
Senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday criminal charges against three Guatemalan citizens accused of using false information to sponsor migrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or guardian.
According to an indictment filed in Ohio, Maritza Cahuec Coc allegedly submitted at least 12 sponsorship applications, several of which were filed under aliases or contained materially false statements intended to secure custody of the minors.
Under U.S. procedures, unaccompanied migrant children apprehended at the southern border are placed in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for their care until they can be released to a qualified sponsor, such as a parent or relative living in the United States.
Prosecutors allege that Cahuec Coc, who reportedly entered the United States illegally in 2018, received payments between late 2020 and 2023 for helping bring 12 migrant minors into the country. Authorities claim she submitted fraudulent documents and misleading information to obtain approval for the sponsorship requests.
The case was announced during a joint press conference led by Acting Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. However, officials provided limited details about the investigation and instead focused much of their remarks on criticizing immigration policies implemented under the previous administration.
Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials have frequently pointed to the increase in unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border during President Joe Biden’s term, arguing that the government failed to adequately oversee their care and placement.
During Thursday’s briefing, A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, alleged that Cahuec Coc used the identities of other individuals and falsely claimed family relationships in order to obtain custody of the children.
“Maritza submitted sponsorship applications using other people’s identities and falsely represented that the minors were the children of close relatives in order to secure their release,” Duva said.
The case remains under investigation, and federal authorities have not yet disclosed additional information regarding the other two Guatemalan nationals charged in connection with the alleged scheme.
International
Iván Cepeda Open to Revising Colombia’s Peace Policy Ahead of Runoff Election
Colombian presidential candidate Iván Cepeda said Thursday that he is willing to introduce “necessary changes” to the peace policy implemented by President Gustavo Petro, a strategy he helped design and promote during the current administration.
The future of Petro’s controversial “Total Peace” initiative has become one of the central issues in Colombia’s presidential runoff election, scheduled for June 21, where Cepeda will face right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.
De la Espriella, who narrowly won the first round of voting on May 31, has campaigned on a platform of tougher security measures and a stronger crackdown on drug trafficking and armed criminal groups.
Speaking to AFP in Bogotá, Cepeda acknowledged that adjustments to the peace strategy may be required after Petro’s efforts to negotiate with armed organizations failed to produce the expected results amid a surge in violence across the country.
“We are going to make the necessary changes, of course. We will conduct an assessment,” the 63-year-old senator said during the interview, held ten days before the decisive runoff vote.
Cepeda, a philosopher and longtime human rights advocate, explained that any modifications to the policy would emerge from a broad national dialogue involving political leaders, social organizations and other sectors of Colombian society. However, he did not provide specific details about the proposed changes.
President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” initiative sought to negotiate agreements with guerrilla movements, paramilitary groups and major criminal organizations, including the powerful Clan del Golfo cartel and the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The policy aimed to reduce violence through dialogue and negotiated settlements, but critics argue that it failed to significantly weaken armed groups or improve security conditions in several regions of the country.
As the runoff campaign enters its final stage, the future direction of Colombia’s security and peace policies remains one of the most closely watched issues in the election.
‘El Chapo’ Guzmán again asks Mexican president to seek his return from U.S. prison
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