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

Spain’s irregular migrant population rises to 840,000, study finds

The number of migrants living in Spain without legal residency status continues to rise and has reached 840,000 people, with 91% originating from the Americas, particularly Colombia, Peru and Honduras, according to a report by the Spanish think tank Funcas (Foundation of the Savings Banks).

An estimated 17.2% of the non-EU foreign population living in Spain is in an irregular administrative situation. The estimate is based on the gap between the number of foreign residents effectively living in Spain, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), and those who hold a residence permit, benefit from international protection, or are in the process of obtaining it.

The data, as of January 1, 2025, point to a notable and sustained increase in irregular migration since 2017, when the estimated figure stood at around 107,000 people, representing 4.2% of the non-EU population residing in Spain.

By origin, migrants from the American continent stand out, totaling around 760,000 people, or 91% of all irregular migrants. Colombians account for nearly 290,000, followed by Peruvians with almost 110,000, and Hondurans with about 90,000. Migrants from Africa (50,000), Asia (15,000) and Europe (14,000) trail far behind.

The figures predate Spain’s latest immigration regulation reform, which came into force in May 2025 and introduces measures to ease access to legal status through residency ties. According to Funcas, the reform would, in principle, tend to reduce the number of migrants in an irregular situation.

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International

Historic snowstorm paralyzes Toronto after 60 centimeters of snow

Toronto, Canada’s largest city and the fourth most populous in North America, was largely paralyzed on Monday after a historic snowstorm dumped up to 60 centimeters of snow and sent temperatures plunging to -15 degrees Celsius, authorities said.

Late Sunday, as the scale of the snowfall became clear, city officials declared a climate emergency, triggering extraordinary measures including parking bans on several major streets to facilitate snow removal operations.

Toronto’s public transit authority reported that while some buses remain immobilized, subway and streetcar services are operating with relative normality, though localized disruptions may occur.

A similar situation is affecting the city’s commuter rail network, which remains operational but is experiencing significant delays on its main routes due to the severe weather conditions.

International

Venezuela frees at least 80 political prisoners, NGO says

At least 80 political prisoners were released on Sunday across Venezuela, human rights group Foro Penal reported, as the broader process of detainee releases continues at a slow pace under the interim government.

Foro Penal’s director, Alfredo Romero, wrote on social media platform X that verified releases took place nationwide and that the figure could rise as more confirmations are completed.

Attorney Gonzalo Himiob, also from Foro Penal, said the excarcelations occurred during the early hours of the day and emphasized that the number is not yet final pending further verification.

The releases are part of a series of steps announced by Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, who took power after the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026. Rodríguez has pledged a significant number of liberations but has been criticized by opposition groups and rights organizations for the slow and nontransparent nature of the process.

So far, the Venezuelan government reports that 626 detainees have been freed since December, though independent counts by human rights groups suggest the number of actual political prisoner releases is lower and that many remain behind bars.

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Families of those still detained have maintained vigils outside prisons, hopeful for further releases even as broader concerns about political imprisonment and due process persist.