International
Peasants camp in Bogotá in protest against guerrilla violence in the Catatumbo
At least 70 leaders of the Catatumbo demanded this Wednesday in Bogotá solutions from the Colombian government for the guerrilla violence that plagues that border region with Venezuela and that leaves in just over two weeks between 60 and 80 dead and more than 50,000 displaced.
This was stated by a leader, who like her companions camped in the central Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá, to raise her voice against violence and demand real guarantees for their return to the populations from which they came pressured by violence.
“We are here because we were displaced by what is happening in the Catatumbo due to the clashes between the ELN and the FARC. These uncertainties that the peasantry who have had to leave their lands are experiencing have been debated,” the woman who preferred to keep her identity in reserve told EFE.
The clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents in the Catatumbo since January 16 left between 60 and 80 dead according to the counts of the Ombudsman’s Office and the Government of Norte de Santander.
However, the authorities have only been able to collect 50 bodies due to the situation that the most remote rural areas continue to experience, where the authorities have not yet been able to access.
Among the fatalities are six peace signatories, while 12 former FARC fighters are missing.
The leader reiterated that it is up to President Petro and his ministers to give them the guarantees for “the effective enjoyment of the rights of the civilian population.”
He recalled that the violence increased in the Catatumbo since the murder of the gravedigger, his wife and a son of both, which occurred on January 16.
“They passed by warning that they were entering the houses, that they were going to murder and that scared us,” he said.
He emphasized that the situation of violence in the Catatumbo needs fundamental solutions because he wondered what will happen when the resources of the mayor’s offices are exhausted.
“We have no guarantees,” insisted the leader, who added that staying in a hotel and a market exchange does not give for a long subsistence time.
Likewise, he said that they have been in the discussions that are being held in the Colombian Congress about the Catatumbo crisis but “people do not listen to each other.”
Regarding the security for the Catatumbo, the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, said in Congress that “from the first moment when it was known what happened on January 16, all the capacities turned to saving lives specifically of persecuted signatories, of feared leaders like the population.”
Likewise, he said that within the second phase of this operation of the Military Forces for the security and defense of the territory, there are already five operations that have been developed by the National Army against the ELN and other armed actors.
“There has been pressure on all the armed actors that has also motivated structure 33, that 91 of its members have submitted, that we have been able to recover 20 minors, boys, girls, adolescents who were part of that organization, who had been recruited, as we always say, forcibly by structure 33,” Velásquez said.
International
German Authorities Investigate More Than 100 New Cases Against Convicted Nurse
German authorities announced Monday that they are investigating more than 100 additional cases involving a nurse who was sentenced to life in prison in November for the murder of 10 patients.
The man, who was 44 at the time of his conviction, worked in palliative care at a hospital in Würselen, near Aachen. He was also found guilty of 27 attempted murders.
Aachen prosecutors are now examining 121 new cases, a spokesperson for the office said.
Prosecutors leading the investigation are preparing a new indictment that could be filed next year. Nearly 40 bodies have so far been exhumed as part of the investigation, which covers alleged incidents dating back to September 2022.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in the city of Cologne are investigating 18 additional cases. According to a spokesperson, the oldest case dates back to 2010.
Before working at the Würselen hospital, the nurse is believed to have worked at a clinic in eastern Cologne, according to local media reports.
At the time of his November conviction, the court ruled that the severity of his crimes was particularly serious, a finding that would make it difficult for him to obtain early release after 15 years in prison.
Between December 2023 and May 2024, the nurse administered overdoses of sedatives or painkillers to terminally ill patients, most of them elderly, according to the indictment in the original case.
His alleged motive was to sedate patients who required care so that he could minimize his workload during night shifts, prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, the nurse worked «without enthusiasm» and «without motivation». When faced with patients requiring extensive care, he allegedly became «irritated» and showed a lack of empathy.
The case has revived painful memories in Germany of Niels Högel, a former nurse and serial killer who was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2019 for the murders of at least 85 patients.
International
Venezuela Raises Earthquake Death Toll to 6,301
The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 6,301, while relatives continue searching for missing people among the rubble of collapsed buildings, parliamentary leader Jorge Rodríguez said Monday.
So far, the Venezuelan government has not released an official figure for the number of people missing after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, which caused around 190 buildings to collapse, most of them in the coastal state of La Guaira, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Caracas.
The latest figure represents an increase from the 6,125 deaths reported by Venezuelan authorities on August 3.
According to statements made to local media by La Guaira Governor José Alejandro Terán, around 1,400 people were still missing just over a week ago.
Thousands of homes remain at risk
In addition to buildings that completely collapsed, authorities have classified another 9,567 structures as being at «high risk». Meanwhile, 12,411 homes remain under a «restricted» classification.
As a result, many families who lived in these properties have been relocated to temporary shelters or have sought accommodation with relatives and friends.
Nearly 24,000 people left homeless by the disaster are currently living in camps in Caracas and La Guaira, a popular tourist destination whose economy has been severely affected by the earthquakes.
The situation sparked renewed concern among Venezuelans on Monday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, with its epicenter in Colombia, was felt across several regions of Venezuela.
The earthquake in Colombia left at least 111 people dead and dozens injured, according to preliminary figures released by authorities in that country.
International
CEAPI Backs Colombia’s New Government and Calls for Greater Public-Private Cooperation
The Ibero-American Business Alliance Council (CEAPI), led by its president, Núria Vilanova, participated in the inauguration ceremony of Abelardo de la Espriella as Colombia’s new president. The events were held on August 7 in Cali and brought together heads of state and institutional representatives from numerous countries.
CEAPI maintains a strong relationship with Colombia as part of its mission to serve as a meeting point between Ibero-American business leaders and the region’s main institutions and governments. The organization has more than 25 members in Colombia, including Jaime Gilinski, Luis Carlos Sarmiento, Omar González and Diego Urrea. In addition, Colombia hosted the seventh CEAPI Ibero-American Congress, held in Cartagena de Indias in 2024.
During his inauguration speech, President De la Espriella identified confidence and economic stability as key pillars of his administration and emphasized the role of private enterprise in Colombia’s future.
He also reaffirmed his intention to govern for all Colombians and strengthen institutional dialogue, while referring to Spain’s democratic transition and the leadership of former Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez.
Vilanova said she has seen this commitment firsthand during meetings with members of the new government, who have expressed their willingness to work closely with business leaders and the private sector to promote economic growth.
According to CEAPI, the government is considering measures aimed at strengthening legal certainty and business confidence, encouraging investment and promoting formal employment.
For Vilanova, Colombia’s new political and economic stage represents an opportunity to demonstrate that «when the public and private sectors are aligned, they can achieve more».
«Colombia has everything it needs to make it happen. And Ibero-American business leaders are ready to support it», she said, adding that CEAPI is already working with the government to organize a future investment delegation to the country.
The organization said the planned visit would seek to strengthen business ties and identify new investment opportunities in Colombia, reinforcing the role of the private sector in the country’s economic development.
German Authorities Investigate More Than 100 New Cases Against Convicted Nurse
Venezuela Raises Earthquake Death Toll to 6,301
CEAPI Backs Colombia’s New Government and Calls for Greater Public-Private Cooperation
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