International
The Minister of Finance of Colombia denounces Petro’s adopted son, who asks for his resignation
The Colombian Minister of Finance, Ricardo Bonilla, sent a letter to the Prosecutor’s Office denouncing alleged illegal acts of the president of Ecopetrol, Ricardo Roa, and Nicolás Alcocer, adopted son of President Gustavo Petro, who a few hours later asked for his resignation.
In the letter, revealed by Blu Radio, Bonilla assures that Roa, who was the manager of Petro’s campaign and is already being investigated for possible irregularities in financing, “wants to keep all the energy and profitable companies in the sector.”
And he also denounces Alcocer, who is the second son of Petro splashed by controversy, for seeking to “exert undue pressure” on the Ecopetrol board “to take control of it and favor his closest friends.”
“I therefore look forward to the resignation of a great colleague and honest teacher, Dr. Ricardo Bonilla, secretary of the Treasury of Bogotá Humana (Petro Mayor’s Office), who left it at its best financial moment, and great Minister of Finance, who took Colombia out of the recession because of the over-indebtedness left by (Iván) Duque,” Petro said in an extensive letter in X.
The president justifies the great work of one of his closest colleagues in the Government by claiming that he asks him to resign “not because he thinks he is guilty, but because they want to tear him apart for being loyal to the Government program.”
Petro does not allude at any time that the reason for asking for the resignation is the letter that Bonilla sent to the Prosecutor’s Office denouncing his adopted son and Roa.
A hydroelectric power plant at the center of the complaint
Bonilla’s letter is sent regarding the investigation into the Urrá hydroelectric power plant, located in Córdoba, and in it the minister wants to provide the accusing entity with alleged information that has reached him about the undue pressures to favor contracts with the hydroelectric company, whose majority shareholding is held by the State.
In addition to denouncing external officials and contractors, who would have had “full internal knowledge and privileged access to technical information,” Bonilla talks about alleged pressures exerted by Roa and Alcocer on the board of directors of Urrá.
This in an “apparent effort to take control of the company and favor close allies in the award of contracts, specifically in relation to the Urrá 19.9 Solar Park, whose construction has faced a delay of two and a half years,” as revealed by Blu Radio.
History of complaints against Petro’s family in Colombia
It is not the first time that a son of Petro has been involved in a case being studied by the Prosecutor’s Office, since the firstborn, Nicolás Petro, is currently accused of alleged money laundering, illicit enrichment and violation of personal data and has been under house arrest in Barranquilla since the middle of last year.
After his arrest in July last year, President Petro’s son acknowledged, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, that he received money for the campaign of Samuel Santander Lopesierra – extradited and convicted in the United States for drug trafficking in 2007 – and Gabriel Hilsaca Acosta, son of the controversial businessman Alfonso ‘Turco’ Hilsaca.
The Prosecutor’s Office assures that Nicolás Petro “hid and covered up” sums of up to 500 million pesos (about 119,000 dollars today) delivered by politicians such as Máximo Noriega, identified as the intermediary between possible drug traffickers and the president’s son.
Part of that money allegedly entered the Petro President campaign in 2022, although Nicolás Petro assured in an interview with Semana magazine that the president did not know it, in a case for which Roa is also questioned.
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.
International
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Cuba is facing a severe dengue and chikungunya epidemic that has already claimed at least 44 lives, including 29 minors, according to the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap). The outbreak—now considered out of control—has expanded across the entire country amid a critical shortage of resources to confront the emergency.
Authorities report more than 42,000 chikungunya infections and at least 26,000 dengue cases, though they acknowledge significant underreporting as many patients avoid seeking care in health centers where medicines, supplies, and medical personnel are scarce. The first cluster was detected in July in the city of Matanzas, but the government did not officially use the term “epidemic” until November 12.
Chikungunya—virtually unknown on the island until this year—causes high fever, rashes, fatigue, and severe joint pain that can last for months, leaving thousands temporarily incapacitated. Dengue, endemic to the region, triggers fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding. Cuba currently has no vaccines available for either virus.
Minsap reports that of the 44 deaths recorded so far, 28 were caused by chikungunya and 16 by dengue.
The health crisis unfolds amid deep economic deterioration, marked by the absence of fumigation campaigns, uncollected garbage, and shortages of medical supplies—conditions that have fueled the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for both diseases. “The healthcare system is overwhelmed,” non-official medical sources acknowledge.
Beyond the health impact, the epidemic is heavily disrupting economic and family life. The intense joint pain caused by chikungunya has led to widespread work absences, while hospital overcrowding has forced relatives to leave their jobs to care for the sick. In November, authorities launched a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to reduce joint pain, though results have not yet been released.
International
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Violence in Ecuador is expected to reach historic levels by the end of 2025, with the country set to record the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The organization warns that criminal activity is not only persisting but could worsen in 2026.
Official figures show 7,553 homicides recorded through October, surpassing the 7,063 registered throughout all of 2024. ACLED estimates that 71% of the population was exposed to violent incidents this year, despite President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in an attempt to confront powerful criminal groups.
According to the report, several factors are driving the deterioration of security: a territorial war between Los Chonerosand Los Lobos, the two most influential criminal organizations in the country; the fragmentation of other groups after the fall of their leaders; and Ecuador’s expanding role as a strategic hub for regional drug trafficking.
Since 2021, violence has forced the internal displacement of around 132,000 people, while more than 400,000 Ecuadorians — equivalent to 2% of the population — have left the country. Between January and November alone, violent deaths rose 42%, fueled by prison massacres and clashes between rival gangs.
The report warns that conditions may deteriorate further. Ecuador has been added to ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist, which highlights regions at risk of escalating violence. The expansion of Colombian armed groups such as FARC dissidents and the ELN, state weakness, and a potential rerouting of drug trafficking corridors from the Caribbean to the Pacific intensify the threat.
“The president is facing a wave of violence that shows no signs of easing,” the report concludes.
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
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
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