International
Colombia, US announce joint exercises with nuclear sub

AFP
Colombia and the United States announced on Monday a nuclear submarine was taking part for the first time in joint military exercises in the Caribbean Sea as regional tensions mount.
Earlier this month, Colombia accused Russia of “foreign interference” on its border with Venezuela where two left-wing guerrilla groups have been fighting deadly battles for control of lucrative drug-trafficking routes.
Russia dismissed the claims from Bogota, which also accuses Venezuela of harboring armed rebels on its soil.
Colombia’s defense minister Diego Molano said the exercises would strengthen the fight against drug-trafficking and protect “national sovereignty.”
“For the first time, a US nuclear submarine participated in interoperability exercises in the Colombian Caribbean Sea,” said Molano in a video statement released on Monday.
The exercises began on Sunday but Molano gave no indication of how long they would last nor how many US troops were involved.
Venezuela reacted with fury to the news.
“Is it a replica of NATO expansion in the American Mediterranean?” said Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino on Twitter.
“Drug trafficking, the war in (the Colombian region of) Arauca, systematic murders and terrorist groups cannot be fought with nuclear submarines.”
On February 3, Molano claimed Venezuelan military units had been “mobilized to the border with the support and technical strength of Russia.”
Moscow denied the allegations.
In May last year, in the midst of unprecedented anti-government protests, Colombia accused Russia of involvement in cyber attacks against official websites.
Moscow also rejected those claims.
In December, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov threatened to send forces to allies Venezuela or Cuba if it did not get its way with NATO over Ukraine.
Colombia is the only strategic NATO partner in Latin America and is also a close US ally.
Moscow had been demanding a guarantee from NATO – the military alliance between mostly Western countries — that Ukraine never be allowed to join.
NATO refused and last week Russia invaded its western neighbor.
International
Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.
The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.
The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).
“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.
Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”
International
Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.
Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.
A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”
According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.
International
Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.
Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.
“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.
“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.
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