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
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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