International
Haiti’s most powerful gang leader proposes to lay down his arms in pursuit of a national dialogue
Former police officer Jimmy Cherisier, alias ‘Barbecue’, the most powerful armed gang leader in Haiti, proposed this Friday to Prime Minister, Garry Conille, to lay down his arms in an attempt to engage in a national dialogue with a view to recovering peace.
“We have decided to publicly announce that our strategy of laying down arms to facilitate national dialogue and promote peace is already written in black and white on our agenda,” Cherisier, who leads the coalition of armed gangs Vivre Ensemble (Living Together), told the media.
With a red garnet jacket and glasses, it was another Barbacue who appeared before the press today, with a written speech.
A man who usually allows himself to be seen armed and prepared for combat, this time showed a different tone and gestures, repeating again and again his call to national dialogue.
“We are willing to choose a credible and coherent Haitian citizen in the diaspora to facilitate dialogue in order to end this mafia war and facilitate the path to peace in the country,” Barbecue insisted.
Too many divisions, discord and conflicts between local actors have led the international community to look for Garry Conille and put him as prime minister, he recalled, denouncing the “political and economic mafia that keeps the country kidnapped.”
“We want peace because we want to destroy the war. We want dialogue because we want peace. All those who do not want dialogue sat in the war,” said the leader of the most powerful gangs in the country.
According to Barbecue, the weapons used by his men have been put in their hands by “personalities,” who have also sold them weapons.
The former policeman admitted to having made “several mistakes” in his activities as a gang leader.
“Why won’t this man, Dr. Garry Conille, take advantage of the national dialogue to end the war and bring peace back to the whole country?” he wondered.
According to Cherisier, the prime minister must clearly understand that national dialogue is the only way to ensure that the country does not follow the same course that it has tridled so far.
“Only through national dialogue will the Haitian State be able to regain control of the country’s territories, as required by the current Constitution,” said Barbecue, who did not cease to praise Conille’s merits.
He also affirmed that armed gangs should be considered rebel forces, not gangs.
“Let’s focus on the real solution, which is the national dialogue, where every Haitian, without discrimination, has the right to speak. And that’s what the mafias don’t want. They don’t want dialogue because they want to continue with the war,” he said, without identifying those “mafias.”
Barbacue, a powerful gang leader, has received accusations of committing several massacres, murders and homicides in the country. His name Barbecue comes from the fact that he burned his adversaries in an oven once they were captured.
The last crime committed by the leader of the gang – which he himself has claimed – was the murder of three police officers from the Elite Anti-Pang Unit (UTAG, in French) of the National Police in his bastion of Delmas 18, Sans Fil, on Sunday, June 9.
The ex-police is at the head of the two most powerful coalitions of armed gangs in Haiti, the G9 and the GPEP.
Last February, the armed coalition Vivre Ensemble created a situation of terror in Haiti, facing the police, destroying and burning police stations and expelling thousands of residents from their homes. The center of Port-au-Prince is totally destroyed due to the terror of the armed gangs, which dominate much of the capital.
A first contingent of police officers from Kenya have been in Port-au-Prince for more than a week, as part of an advance of 1,000 agents from that country who, together with members of security forces from other nations, will form a multinational mission to help the Haitian authorities regain control of the country.
International
U.S. to suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 countries
The United States announced on Wednesday that it will suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 nationalities, marking another move by President Donald Trump’s administration to curb the entry of migrants into the country.
“ The United States is freezing the processing of all visas for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia and Iran,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X. According to Fox News, the measure will take effect on January 21 and will remain in force indefinitely.
Based on an internal State Department memorandum obtained by Fox News Digital, consular officers have been instructed to deny visa applications under existing law while the agency conducts an in-depth review of screening and vetting procedures. The stated goal is to tighten criteria to prevent the entry of foreigners who could eventually rely on public assistance.
The list of affected countries includes several nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Somalia and Yemen, among others. Fox News reported that exemptions to the suspension will be “very limited” and will only be granted once applicants pass an assessment related to the public charge requirement.
Other countries in the Americas subject to the suspension include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The decision is based on a strict interpretation of the so-called “public charge” clause of U.S. immigration law. A cable sent to U.S. consulates worldwide in November 2025 had already signaled the shift, instructing officials to apply tougher standards when evaluating applicants, taking into account factors such as age, health status, English proficiency, financial situation, history of public assistance, and even the potential need for long-term medical care.
International
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
A court of Peru’s National Superior Court of Specialized Criminal Justice ordered the definitive dismissal of the criminal proceedings for alleged money laundering and criminal organization against presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, authorities reported on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
The ruling was issued by the Tenth National Preparatory Investigation Court in compliance with a previous decision by the Constitutional Court (TC). The decision was confirmed by Fujimori’s attorney, Giuliana Loza, who said on social media platform X that “there was no money laundering nor criminal organization.”
According to the defense, the case was closed for lacking legal grounds and for violating due process. “The proceedings concluded because they lacked a legal basis and constituted clear prosecutorial persecution,” Loza stated.
Judge Wilson Verastegui, whose ruling was reported by local media, said the Constitutional Court determined that the facts alleged in the so-called ‘Cocktails Case’ do not constitute a criminal offense under the principle of legality. The court noted that the crime of illegal financing of political organizations was not in force at the time the alleged acts occurred.
The dismissal also applies to other leaders of the Fuerza Popular party, including Pier Figari, Ana Rosa Herz, Jaime Yoshiyama and José Chlimper, as well as the party itself.
Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), had been under investigation for the alleged irregular financing of her 2011 and 2016 presidential campaigns, a case that exposed her to a possible 30-year prison sentence. However, one year ago the National Superior Court annulled the trial and returned the case to the intermediate stage.
Fujimori is currently pursuing her fourth presidential bid, ahead of Peru’s general elections scheduled for April.
International
Colombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
Colombia’s Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez Suárez, is in the United States this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, Colombian officials said, in a visit that comes as ties between Bogotá and Washington begin to ease after a period of diplomatic tension.
The trip is seen as a prelude to a scheduled visit by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Washington, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in early February. Sánchez will remain in Washington through Wednesday, according to Colombian government sources.
During his stay, Sánchez is slated to meet with senior U.S. officials, including representatives from the Department of Defense, members of the U.S. Senate, and White House advisors, to outline a joint strategy to “defeat drug trafficking” and expand cooperation on intelligence against transnational crime.
According to a statement from the Colombian Defense Ministry, the agenda will include strengthening collaboration on technology, intelligence sharing, and efforts to disrupt criminal networks that operate across borders. Officials said the discussions will also help set the stage for Petro’s upcoming talks with Trump.
The visit follows a period of strained U.S.–Colombia relations last year, when Washington revoked Petro’s visa and withdrew Colombia’s certification as a key partner in anti-drug efforts — moves that coincided with disagreements over counter-narcotics strategy and broader diplomatic frictions. However, a recent phone call between Petro and Trump, described as cordial by officials, helped lower tensions and reopened channels for dialogue ahead of the presidential meeting.
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