International
Rwanda begins the commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of the 1994 genocide
Rwanda began this Sunday the hundred days of mourning established by the country to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the 1994 genocide in which more than 800,000 moderate Tutsis and Hutus were killed, a massacre that still shookes the world and Rwandan society.
To begin the commemoration, the country’s president, Paul Kagame, lit accompanied by the first lady, Jeannette, the traditional flame of remembrance at the Center in Memory of the Genocide in the capital, Kigali, where more than 250,000 victims of the massacre lie in mass graves.
In a solemn act with moments of silence only interrupted by the commemorative songs singed by a military band and by the protocol instructions, a dozen heads of state and government paid their respects to the white cement blocks where the graves of the victims are housed.
Among the leaders present were the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, and the presidents of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa; Central African Republic (RCA), Faustin-Archange Touadera; Madasgascar, Andry Rajoelina; South Sudan, Salva Kiir; Republic of the Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso; Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan; and the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel.
Likewise, the head of state of Mauritania and current president of the African Union (AU), Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, attended on the same day that it is precisely six months since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, for which Tel Aviv faces accusations of genocide in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Several former presidents, including the American Bill Clinton or the French Nicolás Sarkozy, as well as the president of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, also traveled to Kigali to join the memory acts.
The commemoration program that starts today throughout the country includes the prohibition of large celebrations, such as weddings or sports competitions, and the organization of concerts and other cultural or leisure events not related to genocide in bars and public spaces.
In addition, within the framework of these events, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has issued new certificates to register four other monuments commemorating the genocide as world heritage sites, in Kigali, Bisesero (west), Nyamata (southeast) and Murambi (south).
“This means the international recognition that what happened in Rwanda is a tragedy, not only for Rwanda but also for the entire international community, all of humanity,” the director general of Unesco, Audrey Azoulay, told the press on Friday.
The one hundred days of mourning marked by the Rwandan Government will conclude on April 13 with an act at the Center for the Memory of the Genocide of Rebero (Kigali), in memory of the politicians who were killed for opposing the massacre.
The genocide began on April 7, 1994 after the murder the day before of the presidents of Rwanda, Juvénal Habyarimana, and Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira (both Hutus), when the plane in which they were traveling was shot down over Kigali.
The massacre that followed – the Rwandan Government accused the Tutsi rebels of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of the murder, against whom it had been waging a war since 1990 – caused the death of at least 800,000 moderate Tutsis and Hutus in just over three months.
The genocide was one of the worst ethnic killings in the recent history of humanity.
Paul Kagame warned this Sunday in his speech that the conditions for an ethnic killing can occur anywhere if they are not controlled.
“The process of division and extremism that leads to genocide can occur anywhere if it is not controlled,” the president said in a forceful intervention before about 3,500 people gathered at the imposing BK Arena stadium in Kigali.
He defined any “ambiguity” about who were the victims of the genocide as “a form of denialism, which constitutes a crime.”
The president referred to the situation in the east of the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), whose Kigali Army he accuses of supporting the rebel group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), founded in 2000 by leaders and other Hutu Rwandans exiled in that country.
“The remains of those forces (perpetrators of the killing) are still in the east of the Congo today,” Kagame said, assuring that they have the “full support of the blue helmets of the United Nations” and that “their objectives have not changed.”
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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