International

The drama of displacement due to the conflict in the Catatumbo returns to the streets of Tibú

The streets of Tibú, an oil town in the Colombian department of Norte de Santander, have once again been the scene of the exodus of thousands of people who seek refuge from the violence between the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and one of the FARC dissidents.

This town experienced similar scenes between 1997 and 2004 when the massacres of guerrillas and paramilitaries forced the displacement of more than 34,000 people who had to flee to get to safety after being accused of collaborating with the other side.

This time, of the 38,000 displaced people left by the guerrilla war in Catatumbo, about 5,300 are in Tibú and the rest, mostly in Cúcuta, capital of Norte de Santander (15,086) and in Ocaña (11,503), the second city of the department, bordering Venezuela.

In the urban center of Tibú there are five temporary shelters that welcome adults and children and in which the situation is about to become critical.

One of them is the Minor Seminary, converted into an improvised home for those who arrive with their own dramas.
In the different spaces of this place there are temporary beds and people with stories of sleepless nights and the despair that accompanies those who flee aimlessly from the bullets.

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“We were two days in silence inside the house. At night we did not turn on the light for fear that they would reach us,” a woman who prefers to omit her name and who fled with her husband and two children from the La 25 sector told EFE.

Another woman, named Luz Mary, from the farmhouse of Miramontes, said that she went out on motorcycles along with several members of her family.

“They told us that we should go out and we left our animals abandoned. It is strong and more for our children,” he told EFE, while in the background some minors were heard chanting “We want peace.”

Don Jaime, a farmer with deep roots in the farmhouse of La Serpentina, shares his story: “My family has lived here for generations. The earth is our home, but now we are forced to flee, but I will return.”

As the days go by, the exodus continues in the deep Catatumbo. Some stay in Tibú, others continue their way to Cúcuta, where there are already more than 15,000 displaced people, or to Ocaña, which has received more than 11,500 people.

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The catatumbero Jean Carlos lived closely the beginning of the conflict and fled with 11 relatives on a motorcycle in search of shelter.

“One panics,” he says, and assures that he plans to return to his land as soon as everything calms down because “we have fought hard to have it to leave it thrown away.”

Lieutenant Colonel Miyer Fernando Moreno Gutiérrez, commander of the Army’s Battalion of Military Engineers No. 30, said that they are evacuating civilians in risky conditions, the most recent of them with 40 people.

“With the constant aerial patrol, 120 people have been rescued, including social leaders, peace signatories and communal leaders, who were protected and placed in shelters,” said the officer, who indicated that they have had knowledge of isolated confrontations, but not with the same intensity of the first day.

The humanitarian response continues to arrive and the Government of the North of Santander has activated protocols to provide basic assistance to those affected: food, mats and hygiene kits are distributed among the shelters.

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The streets of Tibú are patrolled by the Army and the Police, who try to bring tranquility and order, but fear persists and insecurity remains a shadow over the community.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”