International
Colombian Peace Tribunal identifies 2,000 “false positive” victims in major step for justice
The Peace Tribunal in Colombia identified nearly 2,000 victims of “false positives” on Thursday, a term used to describe extrajudicial killings of civilians who were falsely presented as guerrilla fighters killed in combat with the military. This is a way to confirm their existence and combat sectors that question the scale of these crimes.
“Today, we are called by a civic, ethical, and moral duty: the need to honor the memory of those who were murdered and disappeared by those who were supposed to protect them,” said Alejandro Ramelli, president of the tribunal, in front of the victims’ mothers.
This symbolic act was held in memory of the 6,402 “false positive” victims identified in the tribunal’s investigations into Colombia’s internal conflict, the majority of whom were killed between 2002 and 2008.
For Ramelli, the symbolic act was necessary to “combat the relentless and shameless denialism of those who are still concerned with the numbers, not the events.”
The tribunal has received requests from some right-wing politicians to reveal exact details, such as names, identity documents, and the specifics of the murders of the 6,402 “false positive” victims, a new figure that the tribunal established through its investigations, which is three times the numbers previously known.
However, the tribunal stated on Thursday that the full list of names would be disclosed once the verification process is completed, to protect the judicial investigation and out of “respect and dignity for their families.”
More than 800 former military personnel have provided their accounts of these crimes before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, the tribunal established after the peace agreement signed eight years ago between the state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Dozens of ex-soldiers have accepted responsibility for the extrajudicial executions.
The reading of the victims’ names was part of the exhibit “Women with Boots On,” presented by the mothers and relatives who have dedicated themselves to denouncing these cases and seeking justice.
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.”
International
Venezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he was “eager” to welcome the opposition leader, who left Venezuela clandestinely with U.S. assistance, to receive her Nobel Prize in Oslo.
Machado dedicated her Nobel Prize to Trump, who nevertheless showed a very cautious attitude toward including her in any potential political transition in Venezuela.
The opposition leader said on Monday, after an audience with Pope Leo XIV, that “the defeat of evil is closer” in Venezuela following the U.S. military operation that overthrew and removed President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country.
Trump has claimed that he is now in control of the South American nation, stating that the primary objective at this stage is to stabilize the country before considering elections.
Venezuelan oil is Washington’s main objective, Trump added after Maduro’s overthrow.
International
Police hunt gunmen after fatal shooting in Corsica
A man was shot dead on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, local media reported. The victim was identified as Alain Orsoni, former president of local football club AC Ajaccio, according to sources close to the investigation cited by French news channel BFMTV.
Orsoni, 71, was killed in the town of Vero, near Ajaccio, the island’s capital, while attending his mother’s funeral.
He was also a former member of the National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC), a nationalist organization that has long sought independence for the island, reports said.
BFMTV reported that the gunmen fled the scene and remain at large. Local police have opened an investigation into the shooting.
Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
Venezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump
Police hunt gunmen after fatal shooting in Corsica
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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