International
Daniel Sancho, before his sentence: “I am prepared for the best and for the worst”
The Spaniard Daniel Sancho claims to be “prepared for the best and the worst” before the sentence that will determine on August 29 whether or not he is guilty of the premeditated murder of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta on an island in Thailand last year.
“I am prepared for the best and the worst,” Daniel Sancho told EFE on August 22 in Samui prison (southern Thailand) when asked how he faces the ruling, although he was optimistic and convinced that the judge will rule out that Arrieta’s death was due to a premeditated murder.
The Spaniard considered that during the trial “it was clear that it was an accident,” referring to Arrieta’s death on August 2, 2023 on the Thai island of Phangan, and cited the forensic evidence presented by the defense that, according to him, would prove that the death was due to a fight.
Sancho, 30 years old, made these statements during a visit to the prison and the conversation took place through a glass and a telephone without being able to record or take notes.
After more than a year in pretrial detention, the young man admitted that he lives impatiently waiting to know the sentence and that the months since the celebration of the trial, which ended last May, have become “very long.”
“Until the trial he was a man with a mission,” he said, and indicated that he spent a lot of time focused and preparing for the process, in which he played a very active role, since the judge allowed him to ask questions to the witnesses.
During the trial, held behind closed doors at the Provincial Court of Samui between April 9 and May 2, the accused and his defense team maintained that Arrieta’s death was due to an accident during a fight and that the Spaniard acted in self-defense in the face of an alleged attempted sexual assault.
The Prosecutor’s Office, for its part, tried to prove through dozens of evidence and witnesses, including the purchase of knives and a saw, that Sancho planned the previous days the murder and dismemberment of Arrieta, 44, whose remains were found in several places in Phangan, including the sea.
The autopsy performed at the Colombian surgeon was not conclusive because no key body parts such as the torso were found.
The Spaniard, who keeps the last few days before listening to the sentence his usual exercise and reading routine, had met with the Colombian surgeon, whom he knew since 2022, on the same day of the events.
The accused, who initially confessed to the crime to the Phangan Police, will go to the reading of the sentence next Thursday in the Samui court, where the trial was held in the midst of enormous media attention.
According to sources close to the case, the sentence is already drafted and has been sent for ratification to the office of the dean judge of Surat Thani (province on which Samui depends).
Sancho assured that it gives him “tranquility” and “confidence” in the process of this procedure, usual in Thailand for serious cases, both criminal and civil, that may involve high penalties or compensation.
The Thai penal code contemplates from 15 years in prison to the death penalty in cases of murder, although Thailand barely applies this last punishment and is usually commuted to lower ones.
Cases of involuntary manslaughter are punishable by between 3 and 15 years in prison.
The Spaniard is also accused of dismembering Arrieta’s body – of which he has pleaded guilty – and of making his passport disappear, crimes that could lead to between one and six years in prison, respectively.
Access to the courtroom during the reading of the sentence this Thursday will be very restricted, and the judge will not decide until the last moment who can enter, according to EFE.
It is planned, however, that the defendant’s father and mother, the Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho and the investment analyst Silvia Bronchalo, will be present in the room, as well as the prosecutor, the Thai defense lawyers and those who represent the victim’s family in the Asian country.
Arrieta’s family will in principle not go to the reading of the sentence, and for the moment they have not wanted to make statements about how they face the ruling.
Central America
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.
The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.
Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.
“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.
International
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Pope Francis, still recovering from pneumonia, appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Easter Sunday and, with a faint voice, wished a “Happy Easter” to the thousands of faithful gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.
A month after being discharged from a lengthy hospital stay, the presence of the 88-year-old pontiff had remained uncertain, with the Vatican not confirming his attendance ahead of time.
Eventually, the pope made a brief appearance in a wheelchair shortly after 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) to deliver his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (“to the city and to the world”).
Although no longer wearing an oxygen cannula, the Argentine Jesuit relied on a close aide to read his Easter message, which touched on major global conflicts.
Francis condemned the “dramatic and unworthy humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and called for a ceasefire, while also expressing concern over the “growing climate of antisemitism spreading across the globe.”
He further emphasized the importance of religious freedom and freedom of thought, stating that without mutual respect, “peace is not possible.”
International
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday (April 19, 2025) in major cities like New York and Washington, as well as in small communities across the United States, in a second wave of demonstrations against President Donald Trump. The crowds denounced what they view as growing threats to the country’s democratic ideals.
In New York City, demonstrators of all ages rallied in front of the Public Library near Trump Tower, holding signs accusing the president of undermining democratic institutions and judicial independence.
Many protesters also criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including mass deportations and raids targeting undocumented migrants.
“Democracy is in grave danger,” said Kathy Valyi, 73, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. She told AFP that the stories her parents shared about Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1930s Germany “are happening here now.”
In Washington, demonstrators voiced concern over what they see as Trump’s disregard for long-standing constitutional norms, such as the right to due process.
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
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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