Bogotá, September 3 (Prensa Latina) The 34th Family Court of Bogotá today ordered the Government of Abelardo de la Espriella to refrain from bombing areas where the existence of minors is suspected.

The court’s demand coincides with the admission of a legal appeal that asks to “stop offensive air operations on targets regarding which there is certain, objective or reasonable information about the presence of children or adolescents recruited by armed groups.”

The decision is provisional while the arguments of the guardianship are studied, and does not imply the cancellation of all military operations but only those where the rights of minors may be violated.

According to the court’s ruling, the Constitution establishes the prevalence of children’s rights and emphasized how, in contexts of armed conflict, the State has special protection obligations.

He pointed out that when there are indications of the probable presence of a minor, the authorities must adopt and verify precautionary and protective measures, in addition to determining, based on the available information and applicable operational protocols, that there is no less harmful alternative to achieve the military objective.

The decision comes after Colombia’s Defense Ministry confirmed earlier this week that three minors died as a result of a bombing carried out by the National Army against an armed group in the east-central department of Guaviare.

According to the ministry, the operation was designed to strike at the structure of the Jorge Suárez Briceño Bloc, a faction under the command of alias ‘Calarcá’, in a rural area known as El Retorno.

The ministerial entity confirmed that “three of the deceased members were minors.”

Quito, September 3 (Prensa Latina) An Ecuadorian court today ordered the arrest of former president Abdalá Bucaram upon his release from medical care, following his sixth absence from the hearing in which he was to hear a sentence against him.

Bucaram did not appear this Thursday at the resumption of the trial of the so-called Covid-19 Tests case, in which he is being prosecuted along with his son Jacobo and two other people for alleged organized crime.

The State Attorney General’s Office reported that the Criminal Guarantees Court declared the proceedings unsuccessful and ordered the Police Search Bloc to maintain permanent surveillance at the clinic where the former president was allegedly hospitalized.

Once he is discharged from the hospital, Bucaram will be apprehended to ensure his appearance and to hear the oral ruling, according to the court order.

The family of the former president maintains that he underwent surgery for a heart problem on August 26 at a clinic in Guayaquil and was later transferred to another medical center to continue his recovery.

The Covid-19 Tests case dates back to 2020 and the Prosecutor’s Office accuses Bucaram, his son and two other people of collaborating with a structure that allegedly obtained economic benefits through the sale of 21,000 Covid-19 tests and other medical supplies.

In the trial, which began on April 11, 2025, after several postponements since 2022, 50 people testified, including experts and witnesses.

The crime of organized crime is punishable in Ecuador by up to 10 years in prison, a penalty that can be increased if there are aggravating circumstances.

Brasilia, September 3 (Prensa Latina) Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated today that the people have the right to know the truth about the Banco Master scandal and demanded an investigation of all those involved.

“The Brazilian people have the right to know the truth,” the president said in a video posted on his social media, in which he defended firm and transparent investigations into the case involving the financial institution.

Describing the episode as “the biggest robbery in Brazilian history,” the president stated that millions of people in different states and municipalities were harmed.

Lula pointed out that banker Daniel Vorcaro, identified as the leader of the investigated scheme, maintains relationships with powerful people, and added that it was during his government that the businessman was arrested and Banco Master was closed.

He stated that there are suspicions about the involvement of politicians and public officials in the case and demanded that the investigations reach all those involved, without protection derived from their positions.

It is essential that everyone be investigated, without protecting anyone, no matter who it hurts, he stated.

Lula also questioned the disclosure of certain information related to the investigations and warned that Brazilian democracy cannot be “held hostage by selective leaks”.

Given the seriousness of the case, he asked the president of the Supreme Federal Court and the Attorney General’s Office to lead a process capable of preserving the integrity of the investigations and confidence in the institutions.

The head of state maintained that the response must include firmness and transparency to ensure that institutions are respected by Brazilian society.

He also considered that the country’s political and judicial systems need profound reforms and demanded that those who hold public office place their commitment to the collective interest above individual interests.

“Democracy needs strong and respected institutions,” the president stated.

Master Bank, controlled by Vorcaro, was the subject of an investigation by the Federal Police (PF) for alleged fraudulent operations, including the issuance and negotiation of fake credit instruments and operations intended to conceal the institution’s true financial situation.

The Federal Police maintain that the businessman, who is in preventive custody as part of the investigations, allegedly led a scheme of fraud involving billions of reais and, in a new phase of the operation, possible crimes of corruption, money laundering, threats and invasion of computer devices are also being investigated.

In addition to the economic impact, the case has had a major political impact due to revelations about Vorcaro’s alleged links with high-level authorities, including members of the Supreme Federal Court.

Brasilia, September 3 (Prensa Latina) Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leads in voting intentions ahead of the first round of the October elections, while a possible runoff remains very close, according to a poll released today.

The president, from the Workers’ Party, obtains 38 percent of the preferences compared to 33 percent for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, from the Liberal Party, while for a second round, Lula registers 46 percent and Flávio 44, within the margin of error of two percentage points.

The Datafolha institute survey also shows the growth of Augusto Cury, of the Avante party, who reached eight percent and was in third place in the first round, six points more than in the previous measurement.

Regarding the survey conducted by the same organization two weeks ago, Lula lost one percentage point, while Flávio Bolsonaro maintained the same level of support and Cury went from two to the current eight percent.

Behind them are Ronaldo Caiado, of the Social Democratic Party, with four percent; Renan Santos, of the Missão party, with three; and Romeu Zema, of the Novo party, with two.

Samara Martins, from Popular Unity; Edmilson Costa, from the Brazilian Communist Party; and Rui Costa Pimenta, from the Workers’ Cause Party, are next, with one point each.

Likewise, six percent of those interviewed stated that they would vote blank or invalidate their ballot, while three percent said they were undecided.

In other scenarios of a possible runoff election, Lula gets 46 percent versus 41 for Caiado; 48 versus 39 for Zema; and 47 versus 38 for Renan Santos.

Regarding the segments of the electorate, Lula obtains 47 percent versus 27 percent for Flávio among the lower income sectors; 51 percent versus 25 percent among those with lower levels of education; and 53 percent versus 22 percent in the Northeast.

Furthermore, the president, who is seeking a fourth term, registers 44 percent among Catholics, compared to 29 percent for the senator.

Flávio Bolsonaro, for his part, reaches 37 percent compared to Lula’s 30 percent among voters with higher education and 38 percent versus 32 percent in the income bracket of two to five minimum wages.

He also surpasses the president among voters in the South, with 44 percent to 27, and among evangelicals, with 45 to 24.

In the Southeast, Lula gets 36 percent and Flávio Bolsonaro 34, in a reversal of the result recorded two weeks earlier, when the senator had an equivalent advantage.

The Datafolha survey was conducted on September 1 and 2, amid the crisis involving the Supreme Federal Court, although fieldwork was already underway when new revelations emerged concerning messages between businessman Daniel Vorcaro and Minister Alexandre de Moraes.

For the survey, commissioned by the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo and TV Globo, the institute interviewed two thousand two voters in 125 cities.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes accused his colleague André Mendonça of administrative misconduct and asked the Court’s president, Justice Edson Fachin, for an investigation request this Thursday (3).

Moraes’ petition states that there is “strong evidence” of administrative misconduct, abuse of authority, malfeasance, and favoritism towards certain political groups in his role as rapporteur in Operation Sem Desconto, which investigates embezzlement at INSS (Brazilian National Social Security Institute), and Operation Compliance Zero, which investigates the bank fraud committed by Daniel Vorcaro of Banco Master.

“Upon learning of facts involving a Minister of this Court, it is mandatory and necessary to immediately refer the matter to the President of the Supreme Federal Court for consideration,” the petition stated. Moraes used the fake news inquiry to make the request.

In response, Fachin ordered Moraes, Mendonça, the Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, and the Director-General of the Federal Police, Andrei Rodrigues, to explain themselves within five days regarding the Master case.

“It is up to the Presidency of the court to ensure that any possible collegial review is carried out in a timely and proper manner, with the high sense of responsibility that the facts demand, always ensuring respect for the constitutional guarantees of due process, full defense, and the right to be heard,” said Fachin.

Moraes speaks of slanderous accusations, fake news, and threats “that affect the honor and security” of the members of the Supreme Federal Court.

On Tuesday (1), Mendonça removed the secrecy from the Federal Police (PF) report and made public messages between Moraes and Daniel Vorcaro. In the document, Moraes criticized the leak which, according to him, has “the intention of attributing and/or insinuating the practice of illicit acts by members of the Supreme Court”.