Bankers from Colombia and Venezuela met in Bogotá
Bank representatives from Colombia and Venezuela met in Bogotá as part of the reestablishment of trade relations between the two countries.
Members of Asobancaria (Colombia) and the Venezuelan Banking Association exchanged approaches with the purpose of finding ways to achieve a permanent interaction that adds value in terms of financial and commercial operations for all involved.
Delegates from the Mercantil, Banesco, Del Caribe, Nacional de Crédito, Fondo Común, Sofitasa and Plaza banks attended on behalf of the Venezuelan banks. Also present were directors of the Colombian-Venezuelan Chamber, Bancoldex, AmCham Colombia, the Colombian Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, and the Colombian ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti.
The representatives drew up a road map in order to design the guidelines that lead to guide the efforts of both banking systems to relaunch the financial relationship between Colombia and Venezuela.
US confirms it shot down Chinese ‘spy balloon’ with fighter jets
The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin, confirmed this Saturday, February 4, that the United States, by an order given by President Joe Biden last Wednesday, has “successfully” shot down the Chinese “spy balloon” that had been flying over for days. the territory.
Through a statement, he specified that the artifact, “which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to police strategic sites in the continental United States” was shot down with two warplanes over the waters off the South Carolina coast.
This is also explained by the Defense statement: “On Wednesday, President Biden gave his authorization to shoot down the surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to the lives of Americans who are in the trajectory of the balloon” .
Pope Francis meets with displaced people from South Sudan and calls for an end to violence
Pope Francis launched “the most urgent appeal” for an end to the conflicts and a serious resumption of the peace process in South Sudan in the meeting he held with the representatives of the two million internally displaced persons, on his second day of travel to the country.
«I express with all my strength, the most urgent appeal to cease all conflict, to seriously resume the peace process so that the aggressions end and people can return to live in a dignified manner. Only with peace, stability and justice can there be development and social reintegration. But we can’t wait any longer”, he said after hearing the testimonies of some children who live in the camps for displaced persons.
As the Pope recalled at the Freedom Hall in Juba, where he heard their testimonies, “a large number of children born in these years have only known the reality of the camps for displaced persons, forgetting their home environment, losing their link with their own land. of origin, with the roots, with the traditions. There can be no future in the camps for the displaced”.
Chile confirms two new deaths in fires and the number rises to 15
The Chilean Government confirmed this Saturday, February 4, the death of two people in a fire in the town of Purén, which brings to 15 the death toll in the virulent fires that have already destroyed more than 45,000 hectares in the center and south of the country.
“The preliminary data we have right now is 15 people dead,” Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said at a press conference.
In addition to the two deaths in Purén, in the La Araucanía region, there are ten deaths in Santa Juana, a town in the neighboring Biobío region that has been severely affected by the flames and where more victims are not ruled out.
On Friday afternoon, two brigade members also died after the crash of the helicopter with which they were trying to extinguish a fire in the Galvarino commune, in La Araucanía.
