
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was found guilty Monday of witness tampering and procedural fraud, making him the first former head of state in the country to be convicted of a crime. The 73-year-old right-wing politician, who served as president from 2002 to 2010, was accused of attempting to bribe and pressure imprisoned paramilitaries to retract or alter their testimonies linking him to illegal armed groups.

Honduras has extended teleworking for public institutions and virtual classes until Aug. due to a surge in respiratory illnesses, including the detection of highly contagious Omicron XFG Covid-19 variants. The government has also made mask-wearing mandatory in various enclosed public spaces such as hospitals, airports, shopping centers, and public transport.

During his speech at the Argentina Rural Society's (SRA) Annual Exhibition in Buenos Aires, President Javier Milei emphasized his government’s first-year achievements, ongoing reforms, and vision for the future. Among other issues, Milei insisted that his government was seeking an FTA with the United States, circumventing Mercosur constraints.

Uruguay and Chile advanced their collaboration on policies related to memory, truth, and justice regarding past human rights violations.

Haiti has deployed 150 soldiers to Mexico for a two-month training program, part of a larger initiative to train a total of 700 soldiers. This move, announced by the Haitian government on Friday, is a significant step in the country's efforts to combat rampant gang violence, which has severely destabilized the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered the National Navy to intercept and stop any ships carrying coal bound for Israel in response to what he considers to be a genocide in Gaza. Coal exports to Israel had been banned by decree in August 2024, except for pre-existing contracts. However, some government officials apparently disregarded that order.

Honduras is re-implementing several public health measures as cases of Covid-19 have been reported to be on the surge. The Omicron subvariant XFG - also known as Stratus or Frankenstein - is believed to account for 36% of recent infections.

Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa decreed a significant restructuring of his government, reducing the number of ministries from 20 to 14 and secretariats from 9 to 3. This move also includes the dismissal of 5,000 civil servants to boost efficiency through deficit reduction, to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) targets.

An Iranian citizen has been sentenced to prison in Uruguay after attempting to enter the country using a fake Israeli passport, according to reporting this Thursday by the weekly Búsqueda. The incident took place in the context of recent hostilities between Iran, Israel, and the United States — a period referred to by Washington as the “12-day war.”

Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico held a telephone conversation on Wednesday to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and economic cooperation.