International
Colombia apologizes for police cadets in Nazi uniforms
AFP
Colombia’s President Ivan Duque issued an apology Friday after cadets at a police academy caused outrage by dressing up as Nazis for a “cultural exchange” event in honor of Germany.
Photos of the ceremony were shared Thursday on an official police Twitter account.
In it, students are seen dressed in the grey-green uniform of the Wehrmacht, one of them sporting a small, Adolf Hitler-style moustache.
Others are dressed in the black uniform of the SS, complete with the red swastika armband.
The black, red and yellow German flag and balloons in the same colors decorated the venue that also featured a replica Luftwaffe plane, copies of Nazi firearms, and swastikas on the table cloths.
Two police officers in Colombian uniforms inaugurated the event by cutting a ribbon, the pictures showed.
“From the SimonBolivar police academy in the city of Tulua, we are organizing an #InternationalWeek with guest country #Germany. With these cultural exchanges, we are strengthening the knowledge of our police students,” proclaimed the police Twitter account.
The photos were met with a mixture of anger and incredulity on social media, provoking deep embarrassment for the authorities.
“Any apology for Nazism is unacceptable and I condemn any demonstration that uses or refers to symbols referring to those responsible for the Jewish Holocaust that claimed the lives of more than 6 million people,” Duque said on Twitter Friday.
The police dismissed the head of the academy.
The Defense Ministry, under whose umbrella the Colombian police falls, said in a statement that its training guidelines “do not envisage in any way an activity such as the one which took place yesterday.”
The German and Israeli embassies in Bogota issued a joint statement expressing “total rejection of any form of apology or demonstration of Nazism.”
Under fire internationally for its brutal suppression of anti-government protests earlier this year, the Colombian police has embarked on a “transformation” campaign to improve its image, which will include a uniform change.
International
Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism
U.S. citizens have revived a lawsuit in Miami against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following his capture, as well as against Vice President and now acting leader Delcy Rodríguez and other senior Chavista officials, whom they accuse of kidnapping, torture, and terrorism.
The plaintiffs — including U.S. citizens who were kidnapped in Venezuela and two minors — filed a motion over the weekend before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida asking the court to declare the defendants in default for failing to respond to the lawsuit initially filed on August 14, 2025, according to court documents made public on Monday.
The case, assigned to Judge Darrin P. Gayles, accuses the Venezuelan leaders of violating the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the Florida Anti-Terrorism Act, and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
In addition to Maduro and Rodríguez, the lawsuit names Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López; Attorney General Tarek William Saab; Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello; former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maikel Moreno; and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.
The complaint also lists the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and former Electricity Minister Néstor Reverol as defendants.
According to the filing, Maduro “committed flagrant acts of terrorism against U.S. citizens,” citing the criminal case in New York in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in court for the first time on Monday following their arrest on Saturday.
The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs “were held captive by Maduro” with “illegal material support” from the other defendants, whom it identifies as members of the Cartel of the Suns, a group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization last year.
International
U.S. faces worst flu season in decades as new strain spreads nationwide
The flu continues to take a heavy toll across the United States, with all but four states reporting high or very high levels of activity as a new viral strain known as subclade K continues to spread.
According to another key indicator — doctor visits for fever accompanied by cough or sore throat, common flu symptoms — the U.S. is experiencing its highest level of respiratory illness since at least the 1997–98 flu season, based on data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“This is definitely a standout year,” said Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “It’s the worst we’ve seen in at least 20 years. Most of the country is experiencing very high levels of activity, and we are still near the peak.”
Rivers noted that it is unusual to see such a severe flu season following another poor season the previous year, as intense seasons typically do not occur back to back.
Nationwide, approximately 8.2% of doctor visits during the final week of the year were for flu-like symptoms. At the same point last season — which was also severe — that figure stood at 6.7%.
In Massachusetts, where flu activity is reported as very high, health officials urged residents to get vaccinated.
“This is a moment for clarity, urgency, and action,” said Dr. Robbie Goldstein, Commissioner of Public Health, in a press release. “These viruses are serious, dangerous, and potentially deadly. We are seeing critically ill children, families grieving devastating losses, and hospitals under strain due to capacity.”
International
U.S. Energy Secretary to meet oil executives on reviving Venezuela’s crude industry
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is set to meet this week with executives from the American oil industry to discuss how to revive Venezuela’s crude oil sector, according to multiple media reports.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of an energy conference organized by investment banking group Goldman Sachs in Miami.
Senior executives from major U.S. oil companies, including Chevron and ConocoPhillips, are expected to attend the symposium.
Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 300 to 303 billion barrels, representing roughly one-fifth of known global reserves.
Following the controversial operation carried out on Saturday to detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump has placed renewed emphasis on control over and exploitation of Venezuela’s vast oil resources.
Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism
U.S. faces worst flu season in decades as new strain spreads nationwide
U.S. Energy Secretary to meet oil executives on reviving Venezuela’s crude industry
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