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The British monarchy wades the crisis after the operation of the Princess of Wales

The British monarchy is still immersed in a worrying crisis of public confidence after the controversy over the edited photo of the Princess of Wales, two months after her mysterious “abdominal surgery” that has given rise to all kinds of conjectures by the media.

The princes of Wales, William and Catherine, two of the most beloved members of royalty in this country, have become in the last days a focus of questions after a difficult week for the institution.

The Financial Times (FT) recalls today that since the princess’ hospitalization in January and since she was removed from public life, speculation has varied, raising all kinds of theories “that go from being in a coma to having undergone a facial stretch or is divorcing,” among others.

This newspaper also raises another interesting debate of what he calls the “Kate Gate”, the one that surrounds the reconciliation on its public and private role: “Being exposed is what has kept the monarchy for centuries. If someone disappears for too long, the citizens take their revenge,” he says.

He also notes that Catalina’s paradox is that she “suffers in part because of her popularity” and she sums that the “obsession with her private life” could be due to the fact that the number of members who actively work for the institution has been reduced “accidentally” with the cancellation of commitments by William to take care of his children, after the departure of the Dukes of Sussex to California (United States) and with Prince Andrew at disgrace.

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Although the media tsunami has declined in the United Kingdom, the firstborn of Carlos III and his wife are still analyzed with a magnifying glass for their way of managing the dissemination on March 10 – Mother’s Day in this country – in their X account of an image of Catalina and her three children that she later confessed that she had retouched.

Several international graphic agencies took the unusual decision to remove the photo from their services when she realized that it had been manipulated, which forced the princess to publicly admit that she herself had edited it by “experimenting as an amateur photographer” and apologizing for it.

Given the opacity that surrounds Catalina’s state of health since her operation on January 16, the image, in which she was seen sitting with her children very smiling, aroused great public expectation.

In the photo, some slight inconsistencies could be noticed in the line of Princess Carlota’s cuff, the print of Luis’s sweater and other blurred contours.

“Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with (photo) editing,” he wrote in X Catalina, who expressed his apologies “for any confusion” that the incident had caused.

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Despite the fact that the family tried to downplay those tweaks – probably made with editing programs or with the mobile – emphasizing the informality of the image, for many experts the incident undermines the credibility of royalty and their messages.

The episode, which has been echoed by media from all over the world, also takes on particular relevance at a time when speculations do not cease about the nature of Catalina’s ailment, of which absolutely nothing is known, except that it is not cancer and that will keep her away from her commitments until after Easter.

King Charles III, who is undergoing cancer treatment, and Camila, whose press office is different from that of the princes of Wales, have remained out of this controversy.

The controversial British presenter Piers Morgan wondered this week on his YouTube channel if the royal family “is hiding something” and insinuated – although he did not confirm – that he had heard “alarming” rumors related to the princess.

“I have been told things that, even if only half of them were true, it is quite alarming what is happening. I don’t know what to believe, nor any of us. We’re not there,” he said.

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Since the publication of the photo, local media have been attentive to the movements of royals, and documented how Prince William and Catherine left together on Monday by car from their residence in Windsor (about 40 kilometers from London).

According to the palace, William was on his way to a religious service in London’s Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day (the Commonwealth of Ancient British Territories), while his wife, who was already known not to attend, was on her way to a private appointment.

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International

US announces $1 billion security assistance package for Colombia under new government

The U.S. Department of State announced Friday that Washington plans to provide Colombia with $1 billion as part of a security assistance package aimed at supporting the new government of far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump said it intends to coordinate with Congress to announce the assistance package, which was unveiled on the occasion of De la Espriella’s inauguration. The United States attended the ceremony with a delegation led by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The package is designed to strengthen Colombian security forces in their fight against terrorist organizations and transnational criminal groups through U.S. technology, increased operational capabilities and coordinated operations with American forces.

The assistance would also significantly expand coca crop eradication and cocaine interdiction operations, while strengthening efforts to track and disrupt the finances of criminal organizations.

Washington also offered to support Bogotá’s efforts to restore state control over territories dominated by armed groups, protect children from forced recruitment and curb irregular migration through greater coordination along the border.

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The State Department described the measures as part of a new chapter in bilateral relations between the United States and Colombia. The broader framework also includes cooperation in areas such as energy, critical minerals, infrastructure, technology and civilian nuclear energy.

Relations between Washington and Bogotá had been strained during the administration of former President Gustavo Petro, particularly over migration and security policies.

De la Espriella’s arrival in office, accompanied by promises of a hard-line approach to armed groups and drug trafficking, is expected to mark a new stage in relations between Colombia and the United States.

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International

Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia’s president for 2026-2030

Lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in Friday as Colombia’s president for the 2026-2030 term during an inauguration ceremony held at the USC Arena of the Santiago de Cali University in Valle del Cauca.

“I swear to God and promise the Colombian people to faithfully uphold the Constitution and the laws of Colombia,” De la Espriella, 48, said as he took the oath before Senate President Honorio Henríquez, who subsequently placed the presidential sash on him, formally marking the transfer of power from former President Gustavo Petro.

At the same time, members of the Colombian Army performed the traditional 21-gun salute from the José María Córdova Military Cadet School in Bogotá. After receiving the presidential sash, De la Espriella was applauded by those attending the ceremony and greeted by his family.

The new president later swore in Vice President José Manuel Restrepo. The ceremony also included the participation of 74-year-old farmer Luis Felipe Yagüé, whom De la Espriella invited as an honorary guest as a symbol of his support for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

De la Espriella arrived at the venue with his wife, Ana Lucía Pineda, and their four minor children. More than 1,000 national and international guests attended the ceremony, which began more than an hour later than scheduled.

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Among the international figures present were King Felipe VI of Spain and presidents Javier Milei of Argentina, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, Santiago Peña of Paraguay, José Raúl Mulino of Panama, Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, José Antonio Kast of Chile and Nasry Asfura of Honduras. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also attended.

Former Colombian presidents César Gaviria, Andrés Pastrana, Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque were also present. Former President Ernesto Samper and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos, however, were not invited to the ceremony.

After the inauguration ceremony concluded, De la Espriella traveled to the Pichincha Military Canton in Cali, where he was scheduled to deliver his first address as head of state to Colombia’s senior military commanders.

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International

Appeals Court blocks Trump’s White House ballroom project without congressional approval

A U.S. appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump must obtain approval from Congress before moving forward with his plan to build a large ballroom on the White House grounds, at the site where the East Wing of the presidential residence previously stood.

The decision was issued in a 2-1 ruling, with the judges determining that a project of such magnitude falls under Congress’ authority and cannot be carried out solely through executive action.

In its ruling, the court sided with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the organization that filed the lawsuit seeking to halt the construction. The judges found that the plaintiffs had convincingly demonstrated that Congress had never granted the executive branch the authority to “redesign or rebuild the White House, the People’s House, to satisfy the wishes of any particular president.”

Following the decision, Trump announced that he would appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling the decision incorrect.

“We will immediately appeal it to the Supreme Court,” the president wrote in a message posted on his social media platforms.

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Trump also argued that the ruling could pose a security risk to the presidential complex, claiming that it threatens the safety of White House employees, future workers, visitors, heads of state, and other dignitaries.

The president has repeatedly said that the project would not require taxpayer funding and that its financing would come from private donations by business leaders close to his administration, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

However, a previous estimate published by The Washington Post placed the project’s cost at approximately $600 million and suggested that nearly half of the funding could come from public resources, contradicting Trump’s claims.

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