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☆ Colombia's Petro Denies Calling for Cabinet Resignations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Colombian presidents frequently request mass, 'protocol' cabinet resignations in order to make changes to the government, though these are not guaranteed. The three government sources said had Petro asked for the resignations of his ministers during a meeting on Wednesday evening. Rather than the president demanding their resignations, ministers offered to resign, Agriculture Minister Jhenifer Mojica said during a presentation near capital Bogota. Petro last called for ministers' resignations in April after a debate on a health reform was abandoned by the lower house of congress. (Reporting by Oliver Griffin and Luis Jaime Acosta; Additional reporting by Carlos Vargas; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Persons: Oliver Griffin, Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA, Gustavo Petro, Petro, Jhenifer Mojica, Jorge Ivan Gonzalez, Ricardo Bonilla, Jose Antonio Ocampo, Luis Jaime Acosta, Carlos Vargas, Sandra Maler Organizations: Finance Locations: Bogota

CNN —Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, in the first such swap since the deadly crash of a Russian military plane that Moscow claimed was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers. Wednesday’s exchange was the first since the mysterious crash of a Russian IL-76 plane on January 24 in Russia’s Belgorod region, which neighbors eastern Ukraine. But Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said there was still no reliable information as to who might have been on board the downed Russian plane. Speaking after Wednesday’s prisoner exchange, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the IL-76 plane had been downed by a US Patriot missile system. Putin stressed that Russia would not halt prisoner exchanges despite the plane crash.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Andriy Yusov, Yusov, Petro Yatsenko, Kyrylo Budanov, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Putin, “, Andriy Yermak Organizations: CNN, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Social Media, Ukraine’s, US Patriot, American Patriot, Patriot, Russia’s Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Mariupol, Ukrainian, Russia’s Belgorod, Kyiv, Belgorod, Yablonovo, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Sumy

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The U.S. government and nearly 30 conservative world leaders on Saturday condemned the decision of Venezuela’s highest court to block the presidential candidacy of opposition leader María Corina Machado. “The United States is currently reviewing our Venezuela sanctions policy, based on this development and the recent political targeting of democratic opposition candidates and civil society,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. Machado insisted throughout the campaign that she never received official notification of the ban and said voters, not ruling-party loyalists, were the rightful decision-makers of her candidacy. The ruling came more than three months after Maduro and the U.S.-backed opposition reached a deal to work on basic conditions for a fair election. The deal led Washington to ease some economic sanctions on Venezuela's oil, gas and mining sectors.

Persons: María Corina Machado, Biden, Nicolás Maduro, Matthew Miller, Machado, Miller, Justice “, Maduro, ” Gerardo Blyde, Emmanuel Macron, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, Gustavo Petro —, Blyde, Maduro’s, Hector Rodríguez, ” Rodríguez, Machado “, Iván Duque, Mauricio Macri, Vicente Fox, Felipe Calderón, ” Organizations: Saturday, U.S . State Department, U.S, Justice, Democratic Initiative of Spain Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela, U.S, United States, Washington, Barbados, France, Brazil, Colombia, Americas, Venezuelan, Spain, Latin America, Iván Duque of Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela's

CNN —Colombia declared a disaster situation on Thursday due to wildfires raging across several parts of the country, as the president warned the conditions could get worse. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro declared a “situation of disaster and calamity,” telling reporters that funds previously approved for other purposes are being redirected to deal with the crisis. The government is also seeking international help, he said, adding that the United States, Chile, Peru and Canada, “which has enormous experience [fighting fires],” have responded to the call. Raul Arboleda/AFP/Getty ImagesAt least 25 active fires were reported on Thursday by the National Disaster Risk Management Unit. “We estimate that the phenomenon is composed of 70% fog and 30% smoke,” the Civil Aviation Authority of Colombia said on X.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, ”, Petro, he’s, El Niño, Raul Arboleda Organizations: CNN —, United Nations, European Union, Getty, National Disaster Risk Management Unit, Civil Aviation Authority Locations: CNN — Colombia, United States, Chile, Peru, Canada, Bogota, AFP, El Dorado, Colombia

☆ Ukrainian partisans say they killed 24 Russian soldiers in Crimea after poisoning their vodka with arsenic and strychnine
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian partisans said they killed 24 Russian soldiers in Crimea by poisoning their vodka. AdvertisementUkrainian partisans claimed to have killed 24 Russian soldiers in Crimea by poisoning their vodka with arsenic and strychnine, according to a Telegram post published on Saturday. The Ukrainian partisan group Crimean Combat Seagulls said "nice girls" greeted the soldiers with "goodies" to eat, according to a translation provided by the Kyiv Post. "The arsenic and strychnine tasted unforgettable," they said, adding that 24 Russian soldiers died and 11 more were sent to the hospital, per the Kyiv Post translation. AdvertisementIn October, Ukrainian resistance fighters said they had killed 26 Russian soldiers in occupied Mariupol by "feeding" them poison, the Kyiv Post reported at the time.

Persons: —, Petro Andriushchenko, Apti, Ramzan Kadyrov, Marianna Budanova, Kyrylo Budanov Organizations: Crimean Combat Seagulls, Service, Kyiv Post, Associated Press Locations: Crimea, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Simferopol, Mariupol, Russian

☆ Ukraine's security service alleges Russian plot involving ex-president
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Poroshenko's political party, European Solidarity, said the former president had scheduled only meetings in Poland and the United States and warned the SBU security service against becoming involved in politics. Orban has frequently been at odds with Zelenskiy on several issues related to Ukraine's EU membership bid. European Solidarity, in its statement, called for dialogue with Orban who, it said, had a veto right over accession talks. Poroshenko, president from 2014 to 2019, accused Zelenskiy's administration on Friday of cancelling the permission and playing politics ahead of elections. Additional reporting by Boldizsar Gyori in Budapest, Editing by Ron Popeski and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Petro Poroshenko, Gleb Garanich, Poroshenko, SBU, Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, Orban, Putin, Oleksandr Korniyenko, Poroshenko's, Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Boldizsar Gyori, Ron Popeski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European, Hungarian, European Union, Ukraine, EU, European Solidarity, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, European Solidarity, Poland, United States, Moscow, Budapest

☆ At climate summit, Turkey, South Africa hit out at Israel over Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan delivers a national statement at the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023. "The current situation in Gaza constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity; those responsible must be held accountable under international law," he said. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must be ended now," he said in his address. The "international youth delegate" said he would try to raise awareness at the COP28 conference of the Palestinian cause. The assault sparked outrage in the Arab world, though most Western leaders have supported what they say is Israel's right to defend itself.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Al Sudani, Israel, Cyril Ramaphosa, Jordan's King Abdullah, Mohammed Ursof, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Rishi Sunak, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Isaac Herzog, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Herzog, Oded Joseph, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Abdul Latif Rashid, Gustavo Petro, Alexander Cornwell, Nadine Awadalla, Jana Choukeir, Huseyin Hayatsever, Mai Shams El, Richard Valdmanis, William Maclean Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Hamas, United, U.S, State Department, Palestinian Authority, Dubai, UAE, Foreign Ministry, Reuters COP28, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Africa, Palestine, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, COP28

☆ Ukraine's ex-president says he was blocked from leaving country
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Ukraine's ex-President Petro Poroshenko said he had been stopped from leaving the country on Friday morning in what he described as a politically motivated bid to disrupt his work. The Ukrainian parliament's deputy speaker, Oleksandr Korniyenko, later confirmed he had cancelled Poroshenko's permission to leave the country. Poroshenko said he had planned to travel to Poland to help negotiate an end to a truckers' blockade and then to the United States to build support for Ukraine's war effort. "This is an anti-Ukrainian diversion," Poroshenko wrote. "It is not just the hampering of my entire team's diplomatic work, but unfortunately a blow to Ukraine's defence capabilities."

Persons: Petro Poroshenko, Gleb Garanich, Poroshenko, Oleksandr Korniyenko, Korniyenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Reportig, Dan Peleschuk, Max Hunder, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Solidarity, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Poland, Ukrainian, Russian, United States

☆ Russia has stopped exchanging POWs because it wants Ukrainian families to think their country is abandoning their loved ones, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has stopped prisoner of war swaps since August, a Ukrainian official said. It wants Ukrainian families to think their country has left loved ones behind, Dmytro Lubinets said. AdvertisementRussia has stopped exchanging prisoners of war with Ukraine because it wants Ukrainian families to think their country is not doing anything to bring their loved ones back home, an official said. The last swap was held on August 7, when 22 Ukrainian POWs were released, Yatsenko said. AdvertisementA dozen former Ukrainian POWs told the BBC in August that they were beaten, given electric shocks, and not given enough food while held in Russian captivity.

Persons: Dmytro Lubinets, —, Petro Yatsenko, Yatsenko, Lubinets Organizations: Service, Human Rights, Ukraine's, BBC, UN's, Human, Geneva Convention, Institute for Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Geneva

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Colombia's President Gustavo Petro at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, November 18, 2023. "The Political Administrative Court of the Supreme Justice Tribunal will rule on the admission of the suit and the protection requested," the statement said. Those taking their cases to the tribunal must abstain from disrespect toward the state and respect the country's constitution, the statement added. Reuters reported this week that the government could allow appeals to advance as a way to partially comply with U.S. demands. The State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment after the statement was published.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Gustavo Petro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Jorge Rodriguez, Gerardo Blyde, Maria Corina Machado, Maduro, Biden, Matt Spetalnick, Vivian Sequera, Mayela, Lincoln, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, United, Reuters, State Department, The State Department, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, WASHINGTON, CARACAS, United States, Norway, U.S, Venezuelan

[1/2] People watch drones creating a 3-D display outside the United Nations Headquarters calling attention to the Amazon rainforest and climate change in New York U.S., September 15, 2023. The analysis by the nonprofit Amazon Conservation's MAAP forest monitoring program offers a first look at 2023 deforestation across the nine Amazon countries. That estimate is likely low as there are some holes in the data, Finer said. Brazil's Lula has led a push among its Amazonian neighbors and other rainforest countries to get rich nations to pay for woodland conservation. While the country is battling massive wildfires, many of them are not in the Amazon, Finer said.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Matt, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, Carlos Nobre, Nobre, Brazil's Lula, Gustavo Petro, Jake Spring, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, New York U.S, REUTERS, SAO PAULO, Reuters, United, University of Sao, Amazon, NASA, Union, Democratic, Watch, Thomson Locations: New York, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, United Nations, Jan, Puerto Rico, University of Sao Paulo, Amazon, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, COLOMBIA, PERU Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo

☆ November’s full beaver moon will shine bright this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —November’s full moon, known as the beaver moon, will shine bright in the night sky starting Sunday, offering a dazzling sight to behold. “The upcoming full Moon (the Beaver Moon) will look like the familiar full Moon, however the specific features are always a little different from one Moon to the next,” said Dr. Noah Petro, chief of NASA’s planetary geology, geophysics and geochemistry lab, in an email. For optimal moon gazing, Petro recommends finding a space with a clear view of the sky — away from trees, buildings and bright lights. More on the beaver moonThe beaver moon’s name is believed to be a nod to this full moon’s appearance when the industrious animal retires to its lodge in anticipation of winter. Remaining celestial events for 2023The final full moon of the year is the cold moon on December 26, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

Persons: CNN —, “, ”, Noah Petro, libration, Petro, ” Petro, it’s, Artemis, Ursids Organizations: CNN, NASA, Farmers, American Meteor Society Locations: Earth’s

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa, Colombia and other countries that lost out in the global race for coronavirus vaccines are taking a more combative approach towards drugmakers and pushing back on policies that deny cheap treatment to millions of people with tuberculosis and HIV. The pills are especially important for South Africa, where TB killed more than 50,000 people in 2021, making it the country’s leading cause of death. In July, J&J’s patent on the drug expired in South Africa, but the company had it extended until 2027, enraging activists who accused it of profiteering. Back then, President Nelson Mandela’s government in South Africa eventually suspended patents to allow wider access to AIDS drugs. Bedaquiline was not rolled out as a standard treatment in South Africa until 2018.

Persons: they’ve, ”, Brook Baker, Johnson, Christophe Perrin, Peter Maybarduk, Petro Terblanche, Afrigen, Nelson Mandela’s, “ Mandela, Terblanche, Lynette Keneilwe Mabote, Andy Gray, Gray, Zolelwa, Bedaquiline, “, Sifumba, ___ Cheng Organizations: Health Organization, Northeastern University, One, Johnson, J, Viiv Healthcare, WHO, Public Citizen, Pfizer, Moderna, Terblanche, Big Pharma, South, University of KwaZulu, World Health Organization, AP Locations: CAPE, South Africa, Colombia, Belarus, Ukraine, Colombian, Washington, Africa, Natal, South African, London

☆ Election victory of Argentina's Milei greeted globally by mix of hostility and support
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Steven Grattan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Asked for his reaction on Tuesday, Mexico's leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he respected the voters' verdict, but added that he believed Milei's win is unlikely to alleviate Argentina's problems. But other leftist Latin American leaders were more supportive. Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva both extended best wishes to Milei. Lula's congratulations came despite Milei's harsh criticism of the Brazilian leader on the campaign trail, where at one point Milei labeled Lula an "angry communist" and corrupt. Milei found enthusiastic support among right-wing populists, including former U.S. President Donald Trump and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who Lula narrowly defeated last year.

Persons: Javier Milei, Alberto Fernandez, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Milei's, Lopez Obrador, Evo Morales, Gustavo Petro, Gabriel Boric, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Milei, Lula's, Lula, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, I'm, Argentina's, Nayib Bukele, Bukele, Steven Grattan, David Alire Garcia, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Peronist, Colombian, Ukraine, U.S, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: China, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Venezuela, Colombia, Chilean, Moscow, Russia, Beijing, Sao

☆ Global leaders react to Milei's Argentina victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

ARGENTINE PRESIDENT ALBERTO FERNANDEZ"I am a man of democracy, and I value nothing more than the popular verdict. I trust that tomorrow we can start working with Javier Milei to guarantee an orderly transition." FORMER ARGENTINA PRESIDENT MAURICIO MACRI"I congratulate Javier Milei for bravely representing the will to advance and prosper that lives in the hearts of Argentines. WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JAKE SULLIVAN"I congratulate Javier Milei on his election as president of Argentina and to the people of Argentina for holding free and fair elections. FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP"Congratulations to Javier Milei on a great race for president of Argentina.

Persons: Javier Milei, ALBERTO FERNANDEZ, MAURICIO MACRI, JAKE SULLIVAN, DONALD TRUMP, ILAN GOLDFAJN, LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, SANTIAGO PENA, GUSTAVO PETRO, Milei, GABRIEL BORIC, Sergio Massa, LUIS LACALLE POU, DINA BOLUARTE'S, JAIR BOLSONARO, Javier Milei's, ARGENTINA DMITRY FEOKTISTOV, Brendan O'Boyle, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese Organizations: ARGENTINE, IDB, PARAGUAYAN, America, URUGUAYAN, Thomson Locations: ARGENTINA, Argentina, Argentine, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentine Republic, South America, United States, Brazil, RUSSIAN, BRICS

☆ Russia hasn't done a single prisoner-of-war exchange in months: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia hasn't done a single prisoner-of-war exchange with Ukraine in months, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said. AdvertisementRussia has not done a single prisoner-of-war exchange with Ukraine since early August, Petro Yatsenko, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said. Yatsenko said in the November 17 interview that Ukrainian prisoners held captive by Russia are facing "significantly worse" conditions under detention than Russian prisoners face in Ukrainian captivity. AdvertisementHe also suggested that Russia's treatment of captured Ukrainian soldiers falls short of the conditions outlined in the Geneva Conventions. Yatsenko went on to say that Russia is "not interested in the fate of their own prisoners of war.

Persons: Russia hasn't, Yatsenko, —, Petro Yatsenko Organizations: Ukraine's, Service, Times, Institute for Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Geneva

☆ Colombia's Petro says he proposed U.S. pay bonuses to Venezuelan migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks during a meeting with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela November 18, 2023. Petro did not provide details about the bonuses nor did he say when he made the proposal. "I believe that this exodus ... should reroute toward their country of origin because, for the most part, they are Venezuelans," Petro added, emphasizing that migrants could choose to return to Venezuela or stay in Colombia. The Maduro government claims that around two million people have left Venezuela, and the Venezuelan president made no further reference to Petro's proposal. On other topics, Petro said it was "very likely" Colombia's majority state-owned oil firm Ecopetrol will partner with Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA in the exploration of gas and oil.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Nicolas Maduro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Petro, Vivian Sequera, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, United States, Colombia, Venezuelan

☆ Argentina election: Will Milei’s plan to ditch peso for the dollar be a vote-winner against Massa?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Analysis Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

To fix the problem, Argentina should abandon the peso and adopt the dollar, whose value is set by the US Federal Reserve and cannot be printed at will. Massa has criticized the plan for dollarization as a surrender of national sovereignty and attempted to show that the government’s current actions are already paying dividends. Other mainstream politicians, including former the President Mauricio Macri and another former election candidate, Patricia Bullrich, have endorsed Milei despite sharing some reservations on dollarization. ET) and the vote count is expected to be quick – barring any unforeseen problems or objections, that is. Milei appeared to question the results of the first round of voting in October, although his party did not formally appeal.

Persons: Argentina’s, Sergio Massa, Javier Milei, Milei, Massa, dollarization, Pope Francis, “, Satan ”, Francis, Tucker Carlson, Milton Friedman, Argentinians, Mauricio Macri, Patricia Bullrich, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, Spain’s José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Jair Bolsonaro, Mario Vargas Llosa, Mariano Rajoy, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Massa, Union por la Patria, Union, La Libertad, US Federal Reserve, Cato Institute Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America, Latin America, Ecuador, El Salvador, US, Argentina’s, Peruvian, Spanish

☆ Cocaine still Colombia drug gangs' top export despite fentanyl's ascendancy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rocketing consumption of synthetic drug fentanyl in the U.S. has led some - including Colombia's President Gustavo Petro - to forecast declines in cocaine production in the Andean country, the world's leading producer. Coca production is taking place in new areas and fresh trafficking routes are opening up, Zapata said. Ecuador's incoming president, Daniel Noboa, who takes office this month, has promised to confront rising crime in the country, where violence linked to drug trafficking has increased sharply. Colombia hopes to destroy 200 square kilometers of coca crops by the end of the year and seize a record 834 tons of cocaine. "Drug trafficking is changing.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Gustavo Petro, We're, Nicolas Zapata, Petro, Zapata, Daniel Noboa, we've, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Colombian, United Nations Office, Drugs, Thomson Locations: Putumayo, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, U.S, Europe, Ecuador

When the San José made its final voyage from Seville, Spain, to the Americas in 1706, the Spanish galleon was considered to be one of the most complex machines ever built. But in an instant, the armed cargo vessel went from a brilliant example of nautical architecture to what treasure hunters would come to consider the Holy Grail of shipwrecks. The San José was destroyed in an ambush by the British in 1708 in what is known as Wager’s Action, sinking off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, with a haul of gold, jewels and other goods that could be worth upward of $20 billion today. But the myth built around the San José has prompted the Colombian government to keep its exact location a secret as a matter of national security. It is the latest maneuver in a decades-long drama that has pitted treasure hunters, historians and the Colombian government against one another.

Persons: José, Gustavo Petro Locations: Seville, Spain, Americas, Spanish, José, Cartagena, Colombia, Colombian

☆ Father of Liverpool soccer star Diaz not leaving Colombia after kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"My aspirations are to continue in my town because I have my entire family in my town," Diaz said at a press conference. The kidnapping underscored the lack of control that the ELN's top brass exerts over their rank and file, according to analysts and security sources. Diaz on Friday offered details of his captivity, during which his kidnappers advised him to remain calm, he said. "A lot of quite difficult horseback riding, lots of mountains, rain," Diaz said, recalling "almost 12 days without sleep." The rebel group is accused of financing itself through kidnapping, in addition to drug trafficking, illegal mining and extortion.

Persons: Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Luis Manuel Diaz, Liverpool, Luis Diaz, Gustavo Petro, Diaz, Antonio Garcia, Luis Jaime Acosta, Alistair Bell Organizations: United, Colombia's National Liberation Army, National Liberation Army, European Union, Thomson Locations: Colombia, Valledupar, BOGOTA, Liverpool, Barrancas, La Guajira, United States

☆ A $10 billion battle is brewing over ownership rights to a 300-year-old sunken warship believed to hold the biggest maritime treasure ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company claims it first found debris from the San José which sunk in 1708. Court cases over the years have estimated the treasure is worth anywhere from $4 billion to $20 billion, Bloomberg News reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn 2015, then President Juan Manuel Santos said the real San José shipwreck had finally been discovered, but declined to make the coordinates public, saying they were a state secret. The company is suing for $10 billion — equivalent to half the value of the ship's treasures, according to the company's estimates — under the US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. Photos and video of the ship show fine china, coins, and cannons littered across the ocean floor where the San José sunk.

Persons: —, San José, Morra —, COLOMBIA Glocca Morra, Juan Manuel Santos, Gustavo Petro, Culture Juan David Correa Organizations: Service, San, NBC, Bloomberg News, Colombian, Colombia, Bloomberg, Culture, Petro Locations: Colombia, Colombian, Spanish, San, Cartagena , Colombia, US, Spain, San Jose, COLOMBIA

☆ Honduras Recalls Ambassador to Israel for Consultations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras' government is recalling its ambassador to Israel for consultations due to the humanitarian situation affecting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the country's top diplomat announced on social media on Friday. "Amid the grave humanitarian situation the Palestinian civilian population suffers in the Gaza Strip, the government of President Xiomara Castro has decided to immediately call Mr. Roberto Martinez, Ambassador of the Republic of Honduras in Israel, to consultations in Tegucigalpa," Foreign Minister Enrique Reina said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The decision from leftist President Castro's government follows similar moves from likeminded peers in the region earlier in the week. Chile's Gabriel Boric and Colombia's Gustavo Petro also recalled their countries' ambassadors to Israel for consultations over events surrounding the conflict in Gaza, while Bolivia moved to sever diplomatic ties to Israel. (Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Gustavo Palencia; Editing by Kylie Madry)

Persons: Xiomara Castro, Roberto Martinez, Enrique Reina, Castro's, Chile's Gabriel Boric, Colombia's Gustavo Petro, Valentine Hilaire, Gustavo Palencia, Kylie Madry Organizations: Twitter Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Israel, Gaza, Republic of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Bolivia

☆ Rebels Kidnapped Father of Liverpool Soccer Star Luis Díaz, Colombian Government Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Juan Forero | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cilenis Marulanda, left, was also abducted but was rescued soon after. Photo: lismari machado/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesBOGOTA, Colombia—A leftist guerrilla group that embarked on peace talks with President Gustavo Petro ’s administration has been deemed responsible for kidnapping the father of European soccer star Luis Díaz , the government said Thursday. The National Liberation Army, which has operated since the 1960s and entered into a cease-fire agreement with the government in August, kidnapped Diaz’s parents, Luis Manuel Díaz and Cilenis Marulanda , on Saturday in the town of Barrancas in northeast Colombia near the Venezuelan border, said Otty Patiño , the government’s lead negotiator in talks with the group.

Persons: Cilenis Marulanda, lismari machado, Gustavo Petro ’, Luis Díaz, Diaz’s, Luis Manuel Díaz, Cilenis, Otty Patiño Organizations: Agence France, Getty Images, National Liberation Army Locations: Getty Images BOGOTA, Colombia, Barrancas, Venezuelan

☆ Congested Bogota Secures $415 Million IDB Credit for Second Metro Line
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA (Reuters) - The board of directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on Wednesday approved a $415 million credit line, with an initial disbursement of $50 million, to finance Bogota's second metro line, the Colombian capital's mayor said. The underground Line 2 will connect to the city's west, said Mayor Claudia Lopez, who finishes her term this year after overseeing initial construction on Bogota's long-awaited first metro line. At a price tag of 34.9 trillion Colombian pesos ($8.5 billion), Line 2 is expected to benefit nearly 2.5 million inhabitants and stretch 15.5 kilometers (9.63 miles) connecting 11 stations. Line 1, currently being constructed by Chinese companies Harbor Engineering Company and Xi'an Metro Co., extends 23.9 kilometers overground - despite opposition by President Gustavo Petro, who wanted part of the line to be constructed underground. The metro is considered critical to reducing the chaotic traffic in the capital of more than eight million residents and will complement the existing TransMilenio bus system.

Persons: Claudia Lopez, Lopez, Gustavo Petro, Luis Jaime Acosta, Sandra Maler Organizations: Inter, American Development Bank, Colombian capital's, European Investment Bank, Development Bank of Latin America, Harbor Engineering Company, Xi'an Metro Co Locations: BOGOTA, Colombian, Bogota, Xi'an

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