International

Colombia: if foreign relations with Israel have to be suspended, we will suspend them.

Photo: EFE

October 16 |

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, expressed this Sunday that if it was necessary to suspend foreign relations with Israel, he would do so since “we do not support genocide”.

Through his account on the social network X (formerly Twitter), the head of state made a statement following statements given by the spokesman of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Lior Haiat, who announced that his country decided to stop security exports to Colombia.

“If foreign relations with Israel have to be suspended, we suspend them. We do not support genocides. The president of Colombia is not insulted. I call on Latin America to show real solidarity with Colombia. And if it is not capable, it will be the development of history that will say the last word as in the great Chaco war”, expressed Petro.

Furthermore, he assured that neither the “Yair Klein, nor the Raifal Eithan will be able to say what is the history of peace in Colombia” and recalled that “they unleashed the massacre and genocide” in the South American nation.

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The President commented that the people of Israel are asking for help in the peace of Colombia, in the peace of Palestine and the world. “Colombia, as Bolivar and Nariño taught us, is an independent, sovereign and just people,” he said.

Likewise, Petro declared that someday the army and government of Israel “will ask us for forgiveness for what their men did in our land unleashing genocide.”

In his message, the president referred to Yair Klein, who is an Israeli mercenary who traveled to Colombia on three occasions between 1987 and 1988, according to local media, to plan the training of paramilitary groups and who had contacts with various institutions, including the Administrative Department of Security (DAS).

Israel’s decision comes after the statements made by the Colombian president in response to the new attacks and the siege by the occupation forces against Gaza.

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Central America

Nicaragua revokes legal status of 10 more NGOs, bringing total to over 5,600

The Nicaraguan government canceled the legal status of 10 more non-profit organizations on Friday (March 28, 2025), including the Swiss Foundation for Development Cooperation, bringing the total number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) shut down since December 2018 to over 5,600.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the Swiss Foundation for Development Cooperation, which had been registered since March 9, 2002, was found to be in non-compliance for failing to report its financial status for 2024 and for having an expired board of directors.

Among the 10 NGOs whose legal status was revoked were religious organizations, educational groups, consumer associations, and aquaculture organizations, all dissolved “voluntarily” or closed under similar reasons.

As of today, more than 5,600 NGOs have been dismantled following the popular protests that erupted in April 2018 in Nicaragua. In most cases, the assets of these organizations have been ordered to be transferred to the state.

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.