International
The president of Peru calls on opponents to establish “a pact for governance”
The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, invoked her political opponents this Sunday to establish “a pact for the governance” of her country that allows, as she said, to fulfill “the historical responsibility” of meeting the needs of the 33 million Peruvians.
“Away from the voices that divide, that expect us to give up, that we go back on this road for the struggle for the progress of the homeland, he invoked a pact for Peru, a pact for governability, for democracy,” Boluarte said during a ceremony held at the Government Palace of Lima.
The president made this approach two days after the plenary of Congress refused to admit to processing three motions for vacancy (dismissal) that had been presented against her by opposition legislators, mostly from left-wing political groups.
Boluarte added that “a divided, intolerant country, even if it is a minority group that moves these aspects that I indicate, affects unity.”
“The country demands the unity of its authorities to move forward,” he emphasized.
The head of state also remarked that “all” politicians have “a historical responsibility with the more than 33 million Peruvians.”
“Therefore, work in unity, as I always say, in a single patriotic heart, will make our homeland bigger, and that within it Peruvians have greater rights,” he concluded.
Last Friday, the Prime Minister of Peru, Gustavo Adrianzén, said that the Executive “will not allow governance to be broken in his country,” referring to the three motions of dismissal presented against Boluarte.
“We tell that small group of benches and parliamentarians that they are not going to make it, that we are not going to allow someone to want to break the governance of the country to lead us to instability and chaos,” he said.
The three motions, which were rejected by a simple majority, called for the dismissal of Boluarte for an alleged moral inability to exercise the head of state and demanded that he offer explanations for the latest complaints that have been made against him, which are also investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Among the arguments was an alleged “abandonment from office,” which a journalistic complaint pointed out by Boluarte for 12 days between the end of June and the beginning of July 2023 to undergo alleged aesthetic procedures.
Also, his alleged involvement in the investigation against one of his brothers, Nicanor Boluarte, by deactivating a police team that supported a prosecutor’s group that specifically prosecutes the crimes of corruption committed by senior public officials a day before his preliminary arrest.
In this case, the Public Ministry opened a preliminary investigation of the president for the alleged commission of the crime against the administration of justice, in the form of personal cover-up.
International
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
A court of Peru’s National Superior Court of Specialized Criminal Justice ordered the definitive dismissal of the criminal proceedings for alleged money laundering and criminal organization against presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, authorities reported on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
The ruling was issued by the Tenth National Preparatory Investigation Court in compliance with a previous decision by the Constitutional Court (TC). The decision was confirmed by Fujimori’s attorney, Giuliana Loza, who said on social media platform X that “there was no money laundering nor criminal organization.”
According to the defense, the case was closed for lacking legal grounds and for violating due process. “The proceedings concluded because they lacked a legal basis and constituted clear prosecutorial persecution,” Loza stated.
Judge Wilson Verastegui, whose ruling was reported by local media, said the Constitutional Court determined that the facts alleged in the so-called ‘Cocktails Case’ do not constitute a criminal offense under the principle of legality. The court noted that the crime of illegal financing of political organizations was not in force at the time the alleged acts occurred.
The dismissal also applies to other leaders of the Fuerza Popular party, including Pier Figari, Ana Rosa Herz, Jaime Yoshiyama and José Chlimper, as well as the party itself.
Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), had been under investigation for the alleged irregular financing of her 2011 and 2016 presidential campaigns, a case that exposed her to a possible 30-year prison sentence. However, one year ago the National Superior Court annulled the trial and returned the case to the intermediate stage.
Fujimori is currently pursuing her fourth presidential bid, ahead of Peru’s general elections scheduled for April.
International
Colombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
Colombia’s Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez Suárez, is in the United States this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, Colombian officials said, in a visit that comes as ties between Bogotá and Washington begin to ease after a period of diplomatic tension.
The trip is seen as a prelude to a scheduled visit by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Washington, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in early February. Sánchez will remain in Washington through Wednesday, according to Colombian government sources.
During his stay, Sánchez is slated to meet with senior U.S. officials, including representatives from the Department of Defense, members of the U.S. Senate, and White House advisors, to outline a joint strategy to “defeat drug trafficking” and expand cooperation on intelligence against transnational crime.
According to a statement from the Colombian Defense Ministry, the agenda will include strengthening collaboration on technology, intelligence sharing, and efforts to disrupt criminal networks that operate across borders. Officials said the discussions will also help set the stage for Petro’s upcoming talks with Trump.
The visit follows a period of strained U.S.–Colombia relations last year, when Washington revoked Petro’s visa and withdrew Colombia’s certification as a key partner in anti-drug efforts — moves that coincided with disagreements over counter-narcotics strategy and broader diplomatic frictions. However, a recent phone call between Petro and Trump, described as cordial by officials, helped lower tensions and reopened channels for dialogue ahead of the presidential meeting.
International
Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
A Dominican court on Monday postponed until March a preliminary hearing against the owners of a nightclub that collapsed last year, killing more than 200 people.
The roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed in the early hours of April 8, 2025, during a concert by popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died along with 235 other people.
Jet Set owner and manager Antonio Espaillat and his sister Maribel, who served as the club’s administrator, were arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter but were later released on bail after posting approximately $842,500.
Both appeared at the Palace of Justice, where they were met by a small protest from relatives and friends of the victims.
“Thirty years in prison is not enough” and “President, we want JUSTICE,” read signs held by demonstrators.
The preliminary hearing determines whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to trial. The court decided to reschedule the hearing for March 16.
“We don’t want money and we’re not demanding anything else, only justice for those who died,” said Secundino Pérez, a 75-year-old shopkeeper who lost 12 friends in the Jet Set tragedy.
“Antonio and his family celebrated Christmas sitting at a table, celebrating their freedom,” said Edgar Gómez, who lost his daughter in the collapse.
The Dominican Republic’s Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the defendants “significantly altered” the structure of the nightclub. Prosecutors filed formal charges in November and requested that the case proceed to trial.
The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of three months to two years in prison.
“May your conscience never let you sleep. I lost my son,” a woman shouted through tears before the hearing, while others chanted, “Murderers, murderers, murderers.”
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
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Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
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