Colombian President Gustavo Petro has condemned U.S. military operations against vessels in the Caribbean, which have resulted in dozens of deaths and heightened tensions in the region.
Petro described the U.S. actions as extrajudicial executions and a violation of international humanitarian law, even if those on board the vessels were carrying narcotics.
Elected in 2022 as Colombia’s first left-wing president, Petro was previously a member of the M-19 guerrilla group, later serving as a congressman and Mayor of Bogotá. Since taking office, he has revitalised diplomatic relations with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and strengthened ties with other regional left-leaning leaders, including Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chile’s Gabriel Boric, and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum.
U.S. sanctions
On Friday, 24 October, the U.S. imposed sanctions on President Petro, accusing him of failing to halt the flow of cocaine from Colombia to the United States. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: “Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has reached the highest level in decades, flooding the U.S. and harming Americans.”
Petro responded on X , stating that he has fought drug trafficking for decades and that the sanctions will not force him to step back.
The sanctions also target Petro’s wife, son, and Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Benedetti. Last weekend, former President Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Colombia and announced that all U.S. funding to the country had been suspended.
Another opposition-linked figure has been detained in Armenia following the country's parliamentary elections. Avetik Chalabyan, coordinator of the na...
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting...
Ukraine said its forces had struck key energy installations inside Russia, including a gas processing plant and a helium facility in the Orenburg regi...
Critical minerals are becoming a key battleground in the growing economic rivalry between the G7 and China, as governments seek to secure supplies vit...
An unusual weather pattern known as an omega block is at the heart of the extreme heat sweeping across Europe. The phenomenon can trap hot air over th...
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting external involvement and calling for expanded intra-regional cooperation.
Ukraine said its forces had struck key energy installations inside Russia, including a gas processing plant and a helium facility in the Orenburg region, as drone assaults increased across multiple areas.
An unusual weather pattern known as an omega block is at the heart of the extreme heat sweeping across Europe. The phenomenon can trap hot air over the same region for days or even weeks, allowing temperatures to climb to dangerous levels.
Oman has announced measures to keep vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, confirming it will maintain free passage and impose no tolls as efforts continue to restore navigation through the strategic waterway.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he will step down as Prime Minister and Labour Party leader in a tearful address outside Downing Street in London on Monday. Starmer's resignation comes two years after he won a landslide election victory.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
Ukraine said its forces had struck key energy installations inside Russia, including a gas processing plant and a helium facility in the Orenburg region, as drone assaults increased across multiple areas.
Critical minerals are becoming a key battleground in the growing economic rivalry between the G7 and China, as governments seek to secure supplies vital to the energy transition and advanced manufacturing.
An unusual weather pattern known as an omega block is at the heart of the extreme heat sweeping across Europe. The phenomenon can trap hot air over the same region for days or even weeks, allowing temperatures to climb to dangerous levels.
Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 1,000, with health officials warning that the outbreak is spreading rapidly through displacement camps and across borders.
A North Korean soldier has been taken into custody by South Korean forces after crossing the heavily guarded border between the two countries, in what officials believe may be a defection.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment