International
Seven FARC dissidents who were traveling in official vehicles were captured in Colombia
Seven members of the Central General Staff (EMC), the main dissident of the FARC, were captured in the Colombian department of Antioquia (northwest), when they were intercepted in a surprise military operation when they were moving in official vehicles.
The confirmation of the arrests was made by the Prosecutor’s Office in a statement in which it assured that it “captured in flagrante” seven members who were mobilized in official vehicles of the National Protection Unit (UNP) on a road between the municipalities of Santo Domingo and Barbosa.
The Prosecutor’s Office detailed that “three of them will be released as a result of the suspension of the arrest warrants requested by the national government, as members of the peace negotiating table with that armed organization outside the law.”
It all began when the Army intercepted a caravan of seven vans from the UNP, which depends on the Ministry of the Interior, in which the heads of an EMC block were traveling.
Among them was Alexander Díaz Mendoza, alias ‘Calarcá’, who is the commander of the Magdalena Medio Block and one of the EMC negotiators with the Government, who had valid safe-conduct, but also guerrilla bosses on whom arrest warrants weigh.
The governor of Antioquia, Andrés Julián Rendón, was the one who from the beginning warned of the presence of guerrillas in the caravan of official vehicles, while, as he said, there are two mayors of that region, those of Toledo and San Rafael, who despite being threatened, do not have protection from the UNP.
“There is a very sad thing here and that is that I have two mayors threatened (…) and these criminals walking with the resources of the UNP throughout the country with weapons, with cash, with gold,” said the governor.
The Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, said that six members of the dissidents who traveled with alias ‘Calarcá’ were captured at a checkpoint.
He explained that among the detainees is Edgar de Jesús Orrego Arango, alias ‘Firu’ or ‘Leo’, who had an arrest warrant for several crimes.
Likewise, “five more people in flagrante dest,” were arrested, including alias ‘Érika’, “who had in her possession a supplier and other elements and María Alejandra Ojeda, who had a gun in illegal possession,” he said.
Velásquez added that he was also arrested alias ‘Ramiro’, who, despite having the arrest warrant suspended, “admitted to carrying an illegal weapon and for that reason was captured in flagrante delite.”
The same thing happened with ‘Urías Perdomo’, leader of the front Rodrigo Cadete and alias ‘Oliver González’, of the Raúl Reyes Commission.”
The minister pointed out that in the search the authorities found two revolvers, a supplier, bullets and one hundred million pesos in cash (about 25,000 dollars today).
Regarding the situation, the chief negotiator of the Government of Colombia with a part of the EMC, Camilo González Posso, said that the suspension of the arrest warrant with alias ‘Firu’ is in progress but that at the time of being arrested he was in an “irregular situation.”
“In these circumstances we have been informed of the arrest of one of the commanders of front 36, named ‘Firu’ or ‘Leo’, who has suspension of arrest warrant pending, we hope he will come out soon, but anyway it is an irregular situation and we have proceeded in accordance with the law,” added the chief negotiator.
Despite the incident, González Posso said: “We hope that this situation will be clarified (…) we want it to be resolved by law and we can resume the activities planned for this week.”
Last week the Colombian Government announced the termination of the bilateral ceasefire with the EMC due to its constant attacks on the civilian population and the Police in the southwest of the country, but maintained it for three months with three other organizations of that group, including the Magdalena Medio Block.
The EMC has been in peace talks since last year, but the dialogues have been hampered by the frequent attacks of that group in the departments of Cauca, Nariño and Valle del Cauca, in the southwest of the country.
Faced with that situation, the Government suspended contacts with the faction led by alias ‘Iván Mordisco’ last April, with which it ended the ceasefire in force since the beginning of the year, while maintaining them with the other three groups.
International
Mexico’s president blasts ‘Inhumane’ U.S. migration law
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Friday that any Mexican detained in the United States should be “immediately” returned to Mexico. Her remarks come in the wake of the opening of a new migrant detention center in Florida earlier this week.
Speaking during her daily press conference, known as La Mañanera del Pueblo, Sheinbaum emphasized that so far, no Mexican national has been held in the facility, which has already sparked controversy and has been nicknamed “the Alcatraz of the Alligators.”
She also criticized the new fiscal law signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, passed by Congress just a day earlier. The law, which Trump dubbed the “great and beautiful tax reform,” includes significant tax cuts and sweeping reductions in public policies, reallocating billions toward national security and defense—including $170 billion to enhance border security, deportations, and the expansion of detention centers.
“We do not agree with a punitive approach to migration. Migration must be addressed through its structural causes, with cooperation for development,” Sheinbaum asserted.
The Mexican president labeled the Trump administration’s view of migrants as criminals as “inhumane,” and warned that such policies ultimately harm the U.S. economy. She pointed to the mass deportation of agricultural workers as an example of how these actions are already backfiring.
“These are hardworking people—people of good will—who contribute more to the U.S. economy than they do to Mexico’s,” Sheinbaum said, announcing that her government will strengthen support programs to ensure that affected migrants can return home safely and reintegrate into the workforce.
International
Julio César Chávez Jr. faces charges in Mexico after U.S. arrest
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Friday that the country is expecting the deportation of boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. so he can face legal proceedings in Mexico, following his arrest in the United States and confirmation by Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) of an arrest warrant for organized crime and arms trafficking.
“This is an arrest warrant stemming from an investigation that began in 2019 and was granted by a judge in 2023 (…). We are expecting his deportation so he can serve his sentence in Mexico,” Sheinbaum stated during her daily press briefing.
The president said she was unaware of the case until speaking with Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, who confirmed an investigation linked to organized crime. She also noted that authorities had been unable to execute the warrant earlier because Chávez Jr. had spent most of his time in the United States. “His deportation to Mexico is now being pursued,” she added.
Sheinbaum said there is no confirmed date yet for the boxer’s return to the country, as the process involves “specific protocols” that the FGR is currently handling.
Her statement follows the announcement by U.S. authorities on Thursday of Chávez Jr.’s arrest. The boxer, son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez, is accused of involvement in organized crime and arms trafficking allegedly tied to the Sinaloa Cartel.
“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate, wanted for trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” said Tricia McLaughlin, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in an official statement.
International
Europe faces a summer of heatwaves and wildfires, Red Cross warns
The heatwave sweeping across Europe — accompanied by wildfires in countries such as Greece and Turkey — is “just the beginning” of a summer season expected to see extreme conditions lasting through September, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned.
In a statement, the IFRC stressed the urgent need for governments and communities to shift from a reactive to a preventive approach to safeguard lives.
The organization reported that wildfires in the Turkish region of Izmir, on the country’s western coast, have already claimed at least two lives and forced the evacuation of 50,000 people. Meanwhile, on the Greek island of Crete, around 5,000 residents and tourists have also had to flee due to encroaching fires.
Smaller-scale evacuations and wildfires are also being reported in other countries, including eastern Germany and North Macedonia, with Red Cross volunteers actively involved in firefighting and relief operations.
“Heatwaves and wildfires — increasingly frequent and deadly — are no longer isolated events. They are becoming the new reality for millions,” said Birgitte Bischoff, IFRC’s Regional Director for Europe.
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