International

The Foreign Ministry of Chile protests against Colombia for Petro’s controversial statements about Jadue

The Foreign Minister of Chile, Alberto van Klaveren, delivered on Monday a harsh note of protest to Colombia in which he described as “unacceptable” and “imprudent” the statements of the president of this country, Gustavo Petro, who asked for the release of the mayor of the municipality of Recoleta in Santiago de Chile, the communist Daniel Jadue.

“They do not know the democratic trajectory of our country, as well as the existence of a rule of law,” the Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs added in his account of X.

Petro said on his social networks that Jadue, in pretrial detention for more than a month accused of several crimes of corruption, is “prisoned by Pinochet’s jurisprudence imposed on free beings.”

In addition, he published a video of Gabriela Rivadeneira, one of the members of the International Justice Committee for Daniel Jadue, who demands his release and assures that imprisonment is because it can “end the great business of pharmaceutical companies.”

The president of Colombia released his statements on the same day that the hearing of review of the mayor’s precautionary measures was held at the request of the defense, but the court decided to keep the maximum and leave him in prison because he considers it “a danger to the security of society.”

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In the morning, the spokeswoman for the Government of Chile, Camila Vallejo, said that Chile “has a rule of law” and “separation of powers,” and stressed that the changes in the Chilean political system “determine” by Chile, “not authorities from other countries.”

“The Executive cannot be giving its opinion, or less intervening on judicial proceedings that are underway, either for the commune of Recoleta or for another case,” he added.

Petro’s words put at risk the good relations between the governments of both countries and the mutual admiration that both presidents – Petro and that of Chile Gabriel Boric – have expressed several times.

Petro’s second and most recent visit to La Moneda in Chile took place in September last year, in the context of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Augusto Pinochet’s coup d’état.

Jadue, a 56-year-old graduate in architecture and sociology of Arab origin, is one of the main leaders of Chilean communism. He played the presidential primaries of the left against Boric and, from his hand, the Communist Party settled on the front line of Chilean politics.

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The politician of Chile is prosecuted for unfair administration, fraud, bribery, bankruptcy crime and tax fraud. All this within the framework of the management of the Chilean Association of Municipalities with Popular Pharmacies (Achifarp), of which he was president.

International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

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“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

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According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

International

Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.

According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.

The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.

French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.

Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.

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When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.

Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.