All posts by 234Radio

Colombians have headed to the polls to elect a new Congress and choose new presidential candidates on Sunday as the country remains on high alert for political violence, with rural regions dominated by armed groups and with the nation facing ongoing pressure from the administration of United States President Donald Trump.

About 41.2 million eligible voters in Colombia will choose from more than 3,000 candidates vying for 102 Senate seats and 182 House seats.

Alongside the congressional vote, Colombians will be deciding on presidential candidates for the country’s three key political blocs: the left, centre-left, and the right.

The winners of the vote will go on to stand during the presidential election, whose first round is set for May 31. However, leading candidates, including leftist Ivan Cepeda, right-winger Abelarda de la Espriella and centrist Sergio Fajardo, will not be participating during the primary elections.

For Federico Rodriguez, a 32-year-old business administrator, after voting in the capital, Bogota said that it was “very important” to vote.

“The most important thing is for Colombia to decide its future and for the results to be respected,” Rodriguez told the Reuters news agency.

Before the polls opened at 8am local time (13:00 GMT) and were expected to close at 4pm (21:00 GMT), Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez claimed that a group of at least 2,400 people “allegedly heading to vote” were detected trying to enter the country via an illegal border crossing with Venezuela, despite the announced border closures during the election process.

“They are doing so illegally,” said Sanchez, adding that “This is a clear case of a crime being committed.”

President Gustavo Petro also described the incident as “large-scale fraud” and an “avalanche of illegal voting”, as he called on the mayor of Cucuta to take action.

“Sixty buses have been detained, and the company responsible for bringing massive numbers of voters from across the border must be investigated immediately,” Petro wrote on X.

Moreover, more than 126,00 law enforcement officers are expected to be deployed across the country during election day.

But Petro, whose term as the country’s first left-leaning leader ends in August, has questioned the election software being used and pointed to the 2022 legislative elections when his party, Historic Pact, gained over 390,000 votes following a recount.

Still, Sunday’s vote is expected to lay the groundwork for the next president, as under Petro’s government, Congress’s decision did not align with the president’s policies, a marked change when the legislature tended to be more aligned.

Petro’s tribulations with Trump

After a vitriolic war of words between the two leaders, Trump invited Petro to the White House last month.

Both leaders hailed the meeting as productive, while acknowledging the lingering tensions that divide them.

Trump had previously called the Colombian leader a “sick man” and an “illegal drug leader”, as he blamed the country for funnelling drugs into the US.

The leaders began their feud by trading threats on social media over the fate of US deportation flights, a key part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Petro objected to the reported human rights violations facing the deportees. Trump, meanwhile, took Petro’s initial refusal to accept the flights as a threat to US “national security”. Petro ultimately backed down after Trump threatened steep sanctions on imported Colombian goods.

They continued to trade barbs thereafter. Petro condemned the deadly US attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, comparing the strikes with murder.

He has also criticised Trump for carrying out a US military offensive in Venezuela to abduct then-President Nicolas Maduro. That attack, Petro said, was tantamount to “kidnapping”.

War is no longer just reported, it’s tracked in real time by journalists, analysts and anyone with internet access. Missile paths, military flights, troop movements, and border activity are monitored as events unfold, using open-source tools and public data. When this level of information is available to everyone, control of the narrative begins to shift. In an age of radical transparency, who holds the power, and who is held accountable?

Presenter: Stefanie Dekker

Guests:
Bilawal Sidhu – Tech creator and former senior product manager at Google

Yasir Atalan – Deputy director of CSIS Futures Lab

The Scottish Football Association has launched an investigation after Celtic defender Julian Araujo and a member of his team’s backroom staff were attacked by Rangers fans in ugly clashes following the Scottish Cup quarterfinal in Glasgow.

Backed by 7,500 fans, Celtic beat their Old Firm rivals 4-2 on penalties on Sunday, following a 0-0 draw after extra time at Ibrox.

Fighting broke out when dozens of visiting Celtic supporters invaded the pitch to celebrate their victory, sparking an incursion from hundreds of Rangers fans, who attempted to attack their rivals.

The Glasgow derby – termed the Old Firm – is one of the oldest and most intense in world football, dating back to 1888. It has been fuelled by political and religious divisions.

Fans threw missiles and fireworks and continued to exchange blows after police and stewards finally formed a barrier across the pitch.

Police apprehended a man after Celtic players, including Tomas Cvancara, ran to the scene amid an incident involving a Celtic member of staff.

Cvancara was later interviewed on television with bloodstains on his kit, while Celtic right-back Araujo was pushed by a Rangers supporter.

“An investigation will be carried out immediately in line with the Judicial Panel Protocol,” the SFA said as they condemned the “behaviour from supporters entering the field of play”.

Celtic boss Martin O’Neill added: “As we were making our way back, I think there was some sort of fracas; somebody tried to get on the field.

“There is a natural euphoria about winning a game and about fans joining in. If this has gone too far, that would be disappointing.”

The ugly scenes came in the first Old Firm derby for almost a decade to feature a large allocation of tickets for away fans.

‘Explosive games’

Following numerous hooligan clashes in previous meetings between the Glasgow rivals, away supporters were banned from the matches in 2023, before being allowed to return on a reduced basis last year.

The Scottish Cup tie was seen as a test for greater numbers of away fans.

O’Neill’s side moved into the semifinals despite failing to register a single shot on target in 120 minutes.

In the shootout, Rangers captain James Tavernier hit the bar with the first penalty before Djeidi Gassama blazed over.

Cvancara converted to seal Celtic’s victory before chaos erupted.

“There were a few tete-a-tetes. It’s unfortunate. Hopefully, it doesn’t dilute the performance,” O’Neill said.

“Old Firm games are explosive games; they always have been. That’s maybe one of the reasons why the derby is one of the best in the world.”

Rangers boss Danny Rohl added: “I was not on the pitch in this moment. I didn’t see it until now. I heard just that there was something on the pitch.

“I think we all know the emotional situation after a game. Nobody likes to see this.”

Despite amassing 24 shots and having a goal wiped out by VAR following a handball by Emmanuel Fernandez in extra time, Rangers once again stumbled against their hated neighbours.

The defeat was a bitter blow after Rangers blew a two-goal half-time lead in their 2-2 draw with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox last weekend.