标签： South America

Colombian authorities have formally issued arrest warrants for seven members of the Segunda Marquetalia rebel group in connection with the assassination of conservative presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe. Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo revealed on Tuesday that the 2025 killing was orchestrated as a “structured criminal operation” involving an urban gang hired by the rebel faction.

The investigation identifies Kendry Téllez, a former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) combatant now with Segunda Marquetalia, as the primary architect of the assassination plot. Notably, prosecutors have also charged Luciano Marín (commonly known as Iván Márquez), the former FARC commander who abandoned the 2016 peace agreement to establish Segunda Marquetalia in 2018, with coordinating the killing operation.

The assassination occurred on June 7, 2025, during a campaign rally in Bogotá when a teenage assailant, allegedly recruited by a local criminal gang, shot Uribe multiple times in the head. Despite immediate medical attention, the presidential candidate succumbed to his injuries two months later.

This development represents a significant setback for President Gustavo Petro’s administration, which had engaged in peace negotiations with Segunda Marquetalia until talks collapsed in late 2024 due to internal divisions within the rebel group. The attorney general’s office has announced a $1.3 million reward for information leading to Marín’s capture, with additional bounties offered for the other six suspects.

The assassination marks the first killing of a presidential candidate in Colombia in thirty years, occurring amid ongoing violence between drug traffickers and rebel groups vying for control of territories vacated by FARC following the 2016 peace accord. With presidential elections scheduled for May, this case highlights the persistent security challenges facing the South American nation.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Tens of thousands of Argentinians flooded the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday, commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the 1976 military coup that established one of Latin America’s most brutal authoritarian regimes. The massive demonstration, organized under the banner “Memory, Truth and Justice,” brought together human rights organizations, labor unions, student associations, and various social movements in a powerful display of collective remembrance.

Human rights documentation indicates approximately 30,000 individuals were forcibly disappeared during the dictatorship’s systematic campaign against perceived dissidents, left-wing guerrillas, labor activists, and students. Official government estimates, however, place the number closer to 8,000. Multiple investigations and truth commissions have attributed the overwhelming majority of state-sponsored violence during this period to security forces under military command.

The commemorative events revealed a profound national divide in historical interpretation. President Javier Milei’s administration presented an alternative perspective, advocating for the inclusion of victims from guerrilla attacks in memorial activities. The ultraliberal leader shared a statement from Russian political activist Garry Kasparov characterizing communism as fundamentally contrary to human nature and dependent on totalitarian repression.

In alignment with this stance, the presidency released a memorial video titled “Day of Remembrance for Justice and the Full Truth,” featuring testimonies from both a woman who was illegally adopted as an infant during the dictatorship and later recovered her identity, and the son of an Argentine colonel kidnapped by guerrilla forces.

Among the demonstrating organizations was the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, established in 1977 to locate an estimated 500 children born in captivity and illegally adopted by military families or associates. To date, approximately 140 of these individuals have been identified and reunited with their biological families.

Since democracy’s restoration in 1983, the state has pursued judicial accountability for perpetrators but demonstrated limited commitment to locating victims’ remains. These efforts face additional challenges under the current administration, which has implemented austerity measures downgrading the Human Rights Secretariat to a sub-secretariat, reducing its budget, and terminating staff. Specialized teams analyzing archival materials were dismissed amid accusations of political bias and what the government termed persecution of former military personnel.

BOGOTA, Colombia — A tragic military aircraft crash that claimed the lives of at least 66 Colombian soldiers has ignited a fierce political confrontation over the condition of the nation’s armed forces equipment. The Hercules CJ-130 transport plane, donated by the United States in 2020, crashed moments after departing from Puerto Leguizamo Airport in Putumayo province, which features an exceptionally short runway of just 1.2 kilometers.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro launched a vehement critique against the use of secondhand military equipment, specifically targeting the donated U.S. aircraft. Through his official X account, Petro characterized such donations as ‘crappy gifts’ that ultimately incur higher costs than purchasing new equipment. ‘An army cannot defend its own people with crappy gifts,’ the president stated. ‘They give away whatever is useless to them.’

The incident has intensified Petro’s longstanding campaign to modernize Colombia’s military assets, which he claims has faced significant bureaucratic obstacles. The president suggested that officials failing to address these modernization needs should be held accountable and removed from their positions.

Aviation expert Erich Saumeth emphasized that the investigation must determine the precise cause of the four-engine aircraft’s failure shortly after takeoff, noting that the plane underwent a comprehensive overhaul in 2023 including engine inspections and component replacements.

Former President Iván Duque, who approved the original donation agreement, responded by urging Petro to maintain composure and focus on a rigorous investigation. Duque specifically highlighted the need to examine whether the plane’s weight exceeded the runway’s capacity limitations.

The tragedy has exposed deeper tensions regarding Colombia’s defense budgeting, with critics noting reduced military flight hours and delayed contract executions under the current administration.

In an extraordinary courtroom appearance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided testimony Tuesday regarding his dealings with former Florida Congressman David Rivera, who faces serious charges of clandestine lobbying for Venezuela’s government. The federal trial, unfolding under tight security in Miami, centers on allegations that Rivera and an associate orchestrated a $50 million influence operation for Nicolás Maduro’s administration without proper registration as foreign agents.

Rubio recounted his longstanding personal relationship with Rivera, detailing how the two politicians developed close ties during their overlapping service in Florida’s legislature and later in Washington. The Secretary described a pivotal July 2017 meeting where Rivera presented an unconventional proposal involving Venezuelan media magnate Raul Gorrin to facilitate Maduro’s departure from power.

Despite expressing skepticism about the plan’s viability, Rubio acknowledged he pursued the opportunity on the remote chance it might yield diplomatic progress. Drawing on terminology supplied by Rivera, the then-senator delivered a carefully worded Senate address signaling Washington’s willingness to avoid retaliation against Venezuelan officials who might oppose Maduro.

Prosecutors allege the defendants established elaborate communication protocols, including a coded chat group using Spanish-language cryptonyms such as ‘Little Cuban’ for Rubio and ‘The Lady in Red’ for Venezuela’s current acting president Delcy Rodríguez. The government contends the operation aimed to normalize U.S.-Venezuela relations during the Trump administration—an objective that has gained renewed relevance following recent political shifts in Caracas.

Rivera’s defense team maintains their client’s consulting work focused exclusively on commercial matters involving Venezuela’s state oil company and was legally exempt from foreign agent registration requirements. They sharply distinguish this work from what they characterize as Rivera’s separate efforts to support Venezuelan opposition groups.

MIAMI — The federal trial of ex-Congressman David Rivera commenced Monday, centering on allegations he covertly lobbied for Venezuela’s socialist government during the Trump administration. Prosecutors assert Rivera leveraged his Republican connections to influence U.S. policy toward Venezuela while secretly receiving millions from Caracas.

The case offers unprecedented insight into how Miami’s political landscape shapes U.S.-Latin American relations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, scheduled to testify Tuesday, represents a central figure in the proceedings due to his longstanding friendship with Rivera, including their time as roommates in Florida.

According to court documents, Rivera allegedly secured a $50 million lobbying contract through Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, facilitated by then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez. Prosecutors claim he employed an elaborate scheme involving encrypted chats with code names—referring to President Nicolás Maduro as ‘bus driver’ and millions of dollars as ‘melons’—to conceal his activities.

The indictment charges Rivera with money laundering and operating as an unregistered foreign agent. His defense maintains his consulting work focused on Venezuela’s U.S. energy interests and was separate from diplomatic efforts. However, civil plaintiffs allege the contract primarily served as cover for illegal lobbying, with funds diverted to maintain a luxury yacht belonging to Venezuelan media tycoon Raúl Gorrín.

The trial highlights unusual diplomatic backchannels, including Rivera’s attempts to arrange meetings between Venezuelan officials and Exxon Mobil through Texas Republican Pete Sessions. Despite failed normalization efforts in 2017, the case emerges as current U.S.-Venezuela relations show tentative signs of improvement under different circumstances.