International

19,000 migrants amassed in Colombia near Panama border: official

AFP

Some 19,000 migrants, mainly Haitians, are amassed on the north coast of Colombia, from where they hope to cross to Panama and find a route to the United States, an official in Bogota said Wednesday.

A mission of “evaluating the migrant crisis” concluded there were nearly 19,000 migrants stuck in the coastal town of Necocli in northwestern Antioquia department, Colombia’s ombudsman Carlos Camargo said on Twitter, adding they were “mostly Haitians.”

Some had been there for weeks.

A steady influx of migrants from Colombia northward via Panama dried up in 2020 due to coronavirus travel restrictions and resultant border closures. But there have been several thousand new arrivals at Necocli in recent weeks.

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CEL

From Necocli, migrants cross the Gulf of Uraba by boat to the Colombian village of Acandi, which borders Panama.

From there they start, on foot, the dangerous trek across mountain and jungle, facing snakes, steep ravines, tropical downpours and criminals often linked to drug trafficking.

Internacionales

Parliament approves national celebration for Venezuela’s first saint

Venezuela will declare a National Day of Celebration on the date set for the canonization of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, following its approval by Pope Francis on Tuesday, the National Assembly (AN) announced on Thursday. The chavista-controlled Parliament passed a resolution marking this occasion as a historic milestone.

According to the approved decree, this decision follows 75 years of anticipation from the Venezuelan people, who have long awaited the official recognition of the miraculous virtues of this revered figure.

The National Assembly also endorsed efforts to promote the life and legacy of Hernández, who will become Venezuela’s first saint. Additionally, a relic of the “Doctor of the Poor” (1864–1919) will be placed in the National Pantheon in Caracas, where Simón Bolívar’s remains rest.

The legislative body celebrated the upcoming canonization as a tribute to a man who dedicated his life to serving others, spreading a message of hope and love.

International

Colombian Education Minister fails master’s thesis for lack of rigor

Colombia’s Minister of Education, José Daniel Rojas, failed his master’s thesis due to a lack of theoretical rigor, according to the National University, a decision that sparked widespread criticism and mockery on Wednesday.

Local media quickly picked up the news, while social media users flooded platforms with jokes, asking, “What’s the ultimate irony for an Education Minister?”

Rojas’ thesis on “Guaranteed Employment in Colombia” for his Master’s in Economic Sciences was graded as failed due to “theoretical weaknesses and lack of conceptual rigor,” the National University (UNAL), the country’s most prestigious public institution, stated in a press release.

“Additionally, the student’s responses to the questions posed during the defense were not considered satisfactory,” the statement added.

International

Trump announces 25% tariffs on EU products, including cars

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that tariffs on European Union (EU) products will be set at 25% across the board.

“We will announce them very soon, and they will be 25% in general terms, applying to cars and all kinds of things,” he stated during his first cabinet meeting at the White House.

Trump reiterated his grievances against the EU, claiming that the bloc “does not accept [U.S.] cars or [U.S.] agricultural products.”

“They take advantage of us in a different way than Canada or Mexico,” he added. The Republican president once again cited the U.S. trade deficit with Europe at “$300 billion,” a figure the European Commission disputes, estimating it at €150 billion ($157 billion) in goods, and only $50 billion when factoring in the U.S. trade surplus in services.

“The EU was designed to screw the United States. That was the goal, and they succeeded. But now I’m the president,” Trump said, adding that European countries might consider retaliating, but “they won’t.”