Press Review of the Americas

In the News: in Colombia, end of the ceasefire with the Gulf Clan

Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspends the ceasefire with the Gulf Clan. © AP/Fernando Vergara

Text by: Justine Fontaine Follow

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The president's patience with the Gulf Clan has reached its limits ", launches the magazine Semana. "The bilateral ceasefire with this group that places itself outside the law is suspended," the leftist president wrote on his Twitter account. "We will not allow them to continue to spread terror among the population."

He had decreed a ceasefire since December 31 with the main armed groups in the country, including the Gulf Clan, the cartel that derives most of its income from drug trafficking. But the plan of "total peace" wanted and promised by the president during his election campaign last year is experiencing its first major crisis, writes the Colombian press. At issue: an armed attack on the police on Sunday, which did not cause any deaths. The Gulf Clan assures to have respected its commitments, reports Radio Caracol. But in fact, the cartel continued its illegal activities, notes El Tiempo, who in an analysis denounces the "original sins" that have weakened the plan of the presidency. The rules were "not clear enough", according to the conservative newspaper, because "how do you enforce a ceasefire with drug traffickers?" And then no institution was finally responsible for verifying compliance with the agreement either. The newspaper therefore calls on the government to try to regain a position of strength on the ground against the cartel, and then force them to seriously negotiate the end of their activities.

Haiti: The government calls on the army against gangs

It's on the front page of Le Nouvelliste. Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced this during a visit to a military base on Friday 17 March. "Are you ready to work with the police against insecurity?" the prime minister asked the soldiers. This decision comes as the United States "still cannot convince Canada to take the lead of a multinational force to try to restore security in Haiti," says Le Nouvelliste. This international intervention has been requested by Ariel Henry for several months.

Haiti: 4.9 million people food insecure

4.9 million Haitians are food insecure, warns the National Coordination for Food Security in the country. A situation that worsens, says the agency Alterpresse. The cause: the volatility of the Haitian currency against the dollar, which leads to significant price increases, and obviously the insecurity in the country, which prevents people from moving to work in particular.

United States: Donald Trump indicted on Tuesday?

Will the former US president be charged, or even arrested on Tuesday? This question agitates the entire American political class. This would be a first for a former American president. Investigators suspect him of making false statements about the financing of his election campaign, and in particular of having given money to a former pornographic actress, Stormy Daniels, so that she does not reveal an extra-marital affair between them. The payment would have taken place a few weeks before the 2016 presidential election, recalls the CNN channel on its website. Donald Trump denies this. This weekend, he assured on social networks that he would be arrested, and he called on his supporters to demonstrate in support of him. Many prominent Republican elected officials quickly gave him their support. The speaker of the House of Representatives denounces a potential "abuse of power", while other elected representatives of the same party speak of an investigation conducted for a political purpose, reports the New York Times. Enough to divert attention from the substance of the case, says CNN.

A possible indictment of Donald Trump would obviously have an influence on the campaign of the one who is already a candidate for the presidential election of 2024. However, this case is neither the only nor the most serious of the legal troubles facing Donald Trump, writes the channel. If he were indicted in several cases, such as the January 6, 2021 riots against the Capitol, it would be difficult for him to remain credible in the presidential race, CNN said.

In Ecuador, "routine takes over, despite the tragedy"

This is the headline that appears on the front page of the newspaper Expreso, after the death of 15 people in an earthquake this Saturday, including a little girl in Peru, near the border between the two countries. On the front page of the Ecuadorian daily, a photo of a man riding a bicycle in front of a collapsed house can be seen.

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85% of victims " came from a poor province, dominated by the informal economy, and where housing was already in poor condition, explains the newspaper La Hora. President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency throughout the country. Objective: to accelerate reconstruction work after this earthquake of magnitude 6.8, reports this national daily.

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