International
Brazil’s Bolsonaro gets in spat with heckler
AFP
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro got into an altercation Thursday with a social media personality who questioned and insulted him, grabbing the man by the shirt and arm after he called the leader a “bum.”
Video of the incident outside the presidential residence shows Bolsonaro clutching the heckler in an apparent attempt to grab his cell phone as the man filmed himself criticizing the far-right leader.
News site G1, which published the video, identified the man as Wilker Leao, a self-described lawyer, army corporal, politics junkie and military enthusiast with 127,000 followers on TikTok.
The incident happened outside the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia as a grinning Bolsonaro, looking casual in an untucked, short-sleeve blue shirt, greeted supporters who crowded around his waiting motorcade to take pictures with him.
Filming with his phone, Leao approached the president and asked why he had entered an alliance with a corruption-stained group of parties known as the “Centrao” and signed legislation restricting plea bargains, often used in anti-graft investigations.
An unidentified person pulled Leao away and threw him to the ground. Undeterred, Leao approached again, calling the president — who had gotten in his car — a “coward,” “bum” and “the Centrao’s sweetheart.”
Bolsonaro then exited the car and appeared to make a grab at Leao’s phone.
“Come here, I want to talk to you,” the president said, first grabbing Leao by the front of his football jersey, then clutching his left arm with both hands.
The president’s security detail then intervened and escorted Leao away.
Several minutes later, Bolsonaro allowed Leao to approach again — a line of bodyguards between them — and spoke briefly with him.
“I have to get things passed in Congress, right?” the president said, before returning to his car and leaving.
Neither Leao nor the president’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.
Bolsonaro, a 67-year-old ex-army captain, is running for reelection in October against leftist former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010).
Leao, who regularly posts videos of himself asking hostile questions of both left- and right-wing supporters, said he was no fan of Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT), either, calling them “bums” too.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
US announces $1 billion security assistance package for Colombia under new government
Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia’s president for 2026-2030
Appeals Court blocks Trump’s White House ballroom project without congressional approval
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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