International
Commissioner recognizes that the Government of Colombia did not analyze an alert of violence in the Catatumbo
The Commissioner of the Peace of Colombia, Otty Patiño, acknowledged on Monday that the Government did not analyze the early warning issued last year by the Ombudsman’s Office about a possible confrontation between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and a FARC dissident in the Catatumbo region, as has been the case since January 16.
“What was noticeable through the alerts was an exacerbation of the conflict. There was not, and I want to be very self-critical, an in-depth analysis of why that exacerbation of the confrontations between those who had a situation of coexistence, between what they call (…) the Front 33, and the ELN in that region,” said Patiño.
Patiño participated in a technical session of the unconstitutional state of affairs (ECI) of the security guarantees to the signatories of the Peace Agreement, organized by the Constitutional Court, in which they talked about what is happening in the Catatumbo, a region located in the department of Norte de Santander, since the guerrilla violence has left at least six FARC ex-combatants killed.
The humanitarian and security crisis in Catatumbo was something announced by various authorities, including the Ombudsman’s Office, which on November 15 warned, through its early warning system, of “the risk situation” for the civilian population due to the presence and threats of illegal armed groups.
Since January 16, the clashes between the ELN guerrillas and the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents in the Catatumbo have left between 60 and 80 dead according to the counts of the Ombudsman’s Office and the Government of Norte de Santander, while the number of displaced people is more than 50,000 people.
However, the authorities have only been able to collect 47 bodies due to the situation that the most remote rural areas continue to experience, where the authorities have not yet been able to access.
In addition, it became known that a humanitarian commission, led by the Catholic Church, the UN Mission in Colombia and the Ombudsman’s Office, will address the crisis in the Catatumbo region (border with Venezuela), caused by guerrilla violence that since January 16 has left at least 47 dead.
The Ombudsman’s Office detailed on Monday that the objective is to “address the situation in the Catatumbo region, in order to improve the lives of people in vulnerable situations” due to the clashes between the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents in that region of the department of Norte de Santander.
“The Northeast War Front of the ELN has committed to respecting the actions of the humanitarian commission,” the agency added.
International
Brésil : 11 morts et 45 blessés dans un violent accident entre un bus et un camion
Onze personnes ont perdu la vie et quarante-cinq autres ont été blessées lors d’une collision frontale entre un camion de marchandises et un autobus dans le centre-ouest du Brésil, ont annoncé les autorités ce samedi.
L’accident s’est produit vendredi à 21h40, heure locale, sur la route BR-163, près de la localité de Lucas do Rio Verde, dans l’État du Mato Grosso.
Selon la Police routière fédérale (PRF), un autobus reliant la capitale de l’État, Cuiabá, à Sinop est entré en collision frontale avec un camion transportant des graines de coton.
« L’accident a fait 11 morts », a indiqué la PRF dans un communiqué, précisant qu’une enquête est en cours pour déterminer les causes du drame.
Les blessés ont été transportés vers des hôpitaux de la région : 11 sont dans un état grave, 26 présentent des blessures modérées et 8 sont légèrement touchés, selon la police routière.
Le conducteur du camion a subi des blessures modérées.
La société de transport Rio Novo, propriétaire de l’autobus, a confirmé l’accident.
« Notre priorité est de prendre soin des victimes et de leurs familles », a déclaré l’entreprise dans un message publié sur les réseaux sociaux.
Les accidents mortels sont fréquents sur les routes brésiliennes, un pays aux dimensions continentales.
Dimanche dernier, huit personnes avaient trouvé la mort dans une collision impliquant deux voitures et une moto dans l’État de Minas Gerais (sud-est).
En mai, une collision frontale entre une minifourgonnette et un camion avait fait neuf morts et dix blessés, également dans le Minas Gerais.
International
U.S. doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 million
In February, the United States designated eight Latin American criminal organizations as “global terrorist” groups, including Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, and the MS-13 gang. In July, it added the Cartel of the Suns to the list — a group Washington claims is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Last Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, raising it from $25 million to $50 million, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on social media platform X.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that labeling the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization allows for a strategic shift in dealing with the Venezuelan regime, as it is now also considered a direct threat to U.S. national security, according to El Espectador.
In an interview with The World Over on EWTN, Rubio said the designation enables the U.S. to “use intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, or any other element of American power to go after them.” He stressed this is no longer just a law enforcement matter, but a national security operation.
When asked at the White House whether he believes it is worth sending the military to combat Latin American drug cartels, Trump responded:
“Latin America has many cartels, a lot of drug trafficking, so, you know, we want to protect our country. We have to protect it.”
International
Three injured in early-morning New York City shooting
A shooting in New York City early Saturday morning left three people injured, a police spokesperson told AFP.
The incident occurred at around 1:20 a.m. local time (05:20 GMT) following a dispute. An 18-year-old woman sustained a scratch to the neck, while a 19-year-old man and a 65-year-old man were injured in the lower limbs.
The victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
The alleged shooter was taken into custody at the scene, and a firearm was recovered. As of now, the suspect has not been formally charged.
Videos circulating on social media show scenes of panic among the crowd, though AFP has not been able to verify their authenticity. The incident comes just weeks after another shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper that left four people injured before the gunman took his own life.
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